Guiltless Pleasure

So I am lucky enough to be on holiday at the moment. Yes there are plenty of purposeful things I could/should be doing around the house, but I've promised myself I'll clean one room a day, and I did do the laundry so... no guilt there. Also I ticked off one of my 'health checks' for the year this morning, so the guiltometer was well in the black.
Yes. Over the past couple of days I did something completely for myself that I have not done for a very long time... Totally dedicated my time to reading a book, like it was a mission, but a pleasurable one. Actually it was a mission that did have a timeframe, as I had to have it finished by Wednesday for my Book Club, but being a Jodi Picoult novel (her latest, The Storyteller), I figured that if past reads were anything to go by, it would not be an onerous task to get stuck into. This proved to be an accurate assumption; I pretty much devoured it, and almost felt duped at having finished it by 3pm today, with 2 days to spare.
So what did I think of it? It was good - not my favourite novel of hers, or my favourite war-themed book, but a thought provoking, sometimes harrowing, always 'entertaining' read. As with others' of hers I have read, I enjoyed the telling of the stories from the different characters/perspectives. I did wonder if the tale of the Ania and the 'upior' was a Ms Picoult trying to jump on the vampire popularity bandwagon, and while I got the allegorical comparison, I didn't especially enjoy that aspect.
I look forward to dissecting it further with my Bubbly Bookworm Buddies in a couple of evenings' time.
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Magical?

Just back from my Book Club evening, where the book we had read and were discussing was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
What's great about being part of this little club is the push to read genres that you perhaps would not perhaps ordinarily indulge in. For me, The Night Circus falls into this category.  But really, it wasn't my cup of tea.
It was extremely strong in terms of imagery - very rich, vibrant and detailed. But great descriptions do not necessarily make for a compelling plot. I found the storyline confusing, exacerbated by the muddled timeline. It was all a bit ethereal for a girl who prefers her escapism to be based in possible reality. For me the world of the Night Circus was too fanciful, too unbelievable and just a bit silly.

But what I did enjoy was delving into the pros and cons of the book with my book club friends, new and old. That was the best part for me!

Breaking my own rules

I have a self-imposed rule that I don't watch the movie without reading the book, but tonight I was a renegade and did just the opposite.

I know The Great Gatsby is an American literary classic, but not one that I had ever been tempted to read. I was drawn to seeing the movie by a respect for Leonardo Di Caprio and a growing girl crush on Carey Mulligan. I was a little dubious about whether it not I would enjoy the directiorial style of Baz Luhrmann, having not enjoyed what he's done in the past. But I hadn't seen a movie for ages, and as I am trying to keep myself super busy in the evenings at the moment, it seemed like a good one to tick of the list if 'seen its.'

While it had some lulls, I really enjoyed it. It had the visual wow factor; lots of glitz and glamour and 20s schwang. And I loved the make-up, jewellery and accessories, especially Daisy's headband in one of the party scenes .... see pic.

I wasn't so sure about the music... The incorporation of hip-hop seemed a little incongruous with the sense of period other aspects of the film tried to illustrate. 

But what I really loved was the direct commentaries from the book by Tobey Maguire's Nick Carraway. I have enjoyed reading quotes from the book tonight (thanks Google) and recalling the scene from the movie. It's enough to (almost) make me want to read the book after the effect!

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” 

"And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.” 

“Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope.” 

"I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” 

"Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!"

“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.” 

A Teenage Perspective

I have given in to the geek in me (again) and joined a book club. We are a small yet enthusiastic group brought together by one common denominator, my friend Kate. (You can follow her blog here.)
We have met three times now and I love that our conversations are not necessarily firmly focussed on the book of the month, but that we also spontaneously stray into reliving and re-loving books we have read in the past.
At last week's session, which was supposedly discussing Room by Emma Donoghue, we got on to discussing a book that I remember having a profound impact on me as a teenager - Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (although Wikipedia tells me it was actually written by a Beatrice Sparks). With the click of an iPad it was located on Amazon and deposited into my digital library, and I read it with almost the same speed.
At the time of my first read many, many moons ago, this diarised journey of a teenager drawn into the world of drugs was almost a forbidden read, a shocking story with a devastating epilogue. As a teenager it took me into a world I am grateful to say I have still never been a part of (or ever will be).
As an adult I must admit that despite the content being just as abhorrent, it felt like quite a tame read. Maybe this is because it was told from a teenage perspective, for a teenage audience. Or maybe it's because it followed the reading and discussion of Room and the realism that it coincided with the horrors and escape of the three women in Cleveland. Or maybe there's just so much 'shocking stuff' that we hear, see and read about in today's adult world that we've become desensitized. Who knows. It was good to revisit an old friend, regardless.

An Unsatisfying Ending!

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am enjoying the freedom to write what I like and read what I like since the completion of my thesis. Over the weekend I completed another novel, which I loved... and loathed!

I loved the journey "Gone Girl' took me on, and the changes in the way I felt about the characters as more information was divulged. A clever use of the diary format by the author to tell a different side to a story helped to develop the story and characters
But I felt completely jilted by the ending. I mean I love a good twist, but the way this book finished left me completely unsatisfied and with a bad taste in my mouth. I want to rewrite it the way it should be!

June's Book Done and Dusted

Well it's had a lot of hype and press surrounding it so what's a girl to do but read it?  Tagged as 'Mommy Porn', "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E. L. James is described as a romance/suspense/erotica novel. Well yes, it's all that. Not the most cerebral read in the world, certainly explicit in terms of its sexual content, but to be honest, all that bedroom/ red-room-of-pain stuff gets rather passe after a few chapters.

The writing is bland and the plot is thin. The characters are pretty one dimensional with repetitively annoying behaviours (all that lip biting and eye rolling). Despite other friends rollicking through the whole series in under two weeks, it has taken me almost a month to get through the first book. Those who know what's happening in my own life currently may say there's an explanation for that, but I did expect it to be more engaging than it was. 

So am I going to bother with the next two. Of course I am!

I had been warned that the ending of book one was designed to make you want to start book two immediately. Well mine's packed away for a long plane trip, so I will just have to wait till I get seated to find out what happens next... and actually, I can wait. 

A Curiously Good Read

I polished off my book for May in super quick time for a number of reasons:
1. I was 'late' starting it
2. It was really written for a teen audience
3. I had read it before
4. I bought another book I was very keen to get into!
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon is a cleverly written little book about the murder by pitchfork of a dog, which a teenage boy sets out to solve. But it is not for the plot that I enjoyed this book so much the first time, and not the reason I chose to re-read it. It is because the story is told from the perspective of a boy with Aspergers syndrome. Having worked with so many children on the autistic spectrum over time, I appreciated both humorous yet 'real' voice of the narrator, Christopher, and appreciated the insights he gives into the reasonings and interpretations of a person who lives with Aspergers. I do understand however, that Haddon had received criticism for his portrayal of Christopher, for not accurately depicting the thought processes of an autistic person. Yet personally I feel this character engenders a real sense of understanding for those who live with the condition. And anyway, my understanding is that everyone on the spectrum presents and interprets in unique ways, so who knows really if it's not accurate?

Now bring on the next book - I am sure the ensuing review will be ... interesting!

All's well that ends well

Not quite the way I intended to spend my Sunday, but feeling a little under the weather, indulging in a book for pleasure - as opposed to academic reading - is not really wasting time, is it? Plus I had only one day left to meet my goals of reading a book a month.
The third and final of the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson - The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest -  didn't have me totally enthralled at the beginning. It seemed too much like an extension of the previous book, as opposed to being its own story. But about 2 days ago it started getting interesting, with today necessitating a marathon read to get it finished.
I few too many peripheral sub-plots lines for my liking - which, if a movie for the trilogy eventuates, will not be missed if left out - but still a strong main plot line building to a well knitted together crescendo towards the end. I was grateful for the tying up of necessary lose ends in the final chapter as it seemed for a bit there that a couple of stragglers would be left hanging. And as for the relationship of the central characters, this too was suitably resigned. I like it when something - like a book or movie - that has ended is truly 'finished'. Means I don't feel ripped off.

But am I hungry for more?

Well March's book is done and dusted - the current 'it' book for teens (though many adults I know have enjoyed it.) - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
To be honest I wasn't entirely taken with the idea of reading a book written for young people, where the plot was primarily concerned with a group of teenagers killing one another in a game. I still struggle with that concept. However it was a new idea and was no doubt designed not just for entertainment, but to evoke a reflection on society and human nature; authority, freedom, sacrifice, fashion...
It was an easy read - I liked how the story was predominately told in present tense, which did create some tension.
While I would happily read the next two books in the series, because it was teen fiction, it didn't really have the plot complexity to keep me guessing, and I found the mini climaxes along the way didn't really surprise or hold me (except maybe the tracker jackers) as they were resolved too quickly. Jury is still out on whether or not I will make the effort to see the movie. But I am sure many, many fans will.

I Like Big Books and I Can-not Lie!

By the end of this year I am going to be so well read... within a specific subject, that is.
I cannot believe how excited I was when I received email notification from the University Library that 3 of my books I had reserved were on their way. I checked the letterbox 3 times this morning even though I know that they would not be there because I had not heard the courier van. When the poor man finally did arrive he must have thought there was some wicked kind of present inside my package, as my reaction was sadly joyous.

Seriously though, it has been a much more satisfying week study wise, as I have been giving my time and thought to my actual research, as opposed to my wretched final assignment for my Research Methods paper. Knocking that bastard off will be next week's excitement.

I have to keep reminding myself that I have other reading goals as well, like reading a book a month to satisfy my 50 List goal. March 16 and I am yet to start this month's book! So today I did something I rarely do - I bought a book. Well two actually. My first choice was the third in the Millennium series. but I figured that my previous experience with these books means that it will take me longer than 2 weeks to finish it. So I also bought the Hunger Games. If it's reputation is anything to go by, it's a rollicking read so I should be able to get trough it quickly. And of course if I ever want to see the movie I must abide by my self-imposed rule to read the book first.

I hope I like it. I don't have a good history with teen/young adult fiction. I only read the first 2 Harry Potter books, abandoning them when they became less child-like. And I only managed the first in the Twilight series. But then again, I did weirdly enjoy Lord of the Flies as a school set text, and can imagine similarities between the two.

PS My choice of blog title of course came from an infamous rap of a 'similar name'. Funny thing is, my eternal memory of that song is not Sir Mix-A-Lot, but Ross and Rachel on Friends. Worth the 5 min viewing time in my opinion...

Catching Up

Time to chronicle a couple more achievements from my 50 List.
Well it took a few hours, but I have successfully done a major digital photo cull over the weekend. A good many hours went in to this! With each RAW image taking up over 20MB of space, this fledgling photographer and natural hoarder had accrued hundreds, perhaps thousands,  of images that were definitely not needed. I did however, transfer them ALL to an external hard drive - just in case...
My new goal is to be more discerning from the point of download, and as well, to cull those photos that I know I definitely don't want after looking at them on the big screen as well, straight away!
Dumping the photos and a few school movies from my iMac enabled me to clear around 100GB from its memory! I also felt it was necessary to do this before I took my machine to my best geek friend for OS upgrades. (Thanks John). I would have feared a big growling, because it was running like a pig.

The second goal that is ticking away is my reading goal, though I must admit that I finished my second book a little after the month's end. But then again February was a short month. With the majority of my day currently taken up with reading, it is not always a pleasurable prospect to hunker down with a book at night.
My second book was the second of the Milleneum series - The Girl Who Played with Fire. It took me a while to get in to it, but once I reached half way, it was pretty un-put-downable. If I had a criticism to make it would be that there was a major event on the back cover that took a long time to get to in the book, so I felt a bit like I was treading water until then.
Having seen The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the movies, I read this book visualising the (American) cast as the characters. While I really enjoyed the first movie, this plot did not seem to have as many twists and turns, and I reckon it will translate to the big screen quite easily. There are certainly some scenes near the end of the book that I have already created a my own screenplay for! Without giving anything away, one involves a fox... I hope they (Sony?) make the movie with the characters I am now familiar with (I know there is a Swedish version and that some prefer it) And WHEN this happens, I hope it does not let me down there by missing my vividly imagines scene out!

We're Underway!

Four days into the new year, and I have begun to chip away at some of the things I hope to achieve on my 50 List. Yes, yes these things are always started with a hiss and a roar, and I am under no illusions that I will complete everything.
As mentioned a few days ago, one thing I am determined to do however, is rekindle my love for reading (There could be an unintended pun there, once I get my iPad...). And this morning I finished my first novel for two years. My lengthy hiatus has left me a bit behind the eight ball in terms of only now reading the very popular 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'. With the release of the movie not very far away, I had to read this as my first read of recent times, as I have an unwritten rule that I must read the book first if I am going to see a movie based on the book. I like to make my own pictures of characters, scenes and events before I am shown someone else's interpretation. 
I loved this book. I am now looking forward to seeing how Stieg Larsson's work will be portrayed on the big screen, though I hope I won't be disappointed. I can appreciate a script writer and film maker making interpretive changes, but I don't enjoy it when the plot is inextricably changed (Like My Sister's Keeper - grrr). 



Alongside my pledge to read more, was the writing of a list of books loved, which I have begun. Many of these I have read more than once. Given time between reads, I conveniently forget enough of the plot to enable me to enjoy reading it all over again!
In no particular order and stretching over a number of years here's the start... 

The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
The World According to Garp - John Irving
Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
The Bone People - Keri Hulme
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Bronze Horseman - Paulina Simmons
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
The Power of One - Bryce Courtney
The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Crosstitch - Diana Gabaldon
Bridget Jonses's Diary - Helen Feilding
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbars Kingsolverand now
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson


I have enjoyed other titles by the same authors, but have, at this stage, recorded only those which started me off on that author. And the list is only a start. I would love it if some readers would comment with their own favourites - it may be that I can add them to my own list!
To meet my reading challenge in full, I must read a novel per month. This I will have to balance with all my academic reading, which I also began today - four articles about ethics and issues in regards to educational research. So I have decided that 'bed' will be for pleasure reading only - no work stuff, and no TV or iPhone games before sleep!