Malcolm Gladwell (right)
Truman Capote
Agatha Christie
Sylvia Plath
Roald Dahl
Salman Rushdie
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Zadie Smith
Mindy Kaling
Virginia Woolf
Selasa, 31 Mei 2011
One Day
Entirely motivated by the ravaging of the movie trailer, I spent the weekend reading One Day by David Nicholls. It's an easy read; a funny, smart love story that stretches from an (unconsumated) one night stand to a lifelong, friendship. Albiet a pretty bumpy one.
If there's two topics almost uncomfortably close to my heart they are unrequieted love and
the gloriousness of the 90's - that combined with the gushing praise on every available space on the cover (of my copy) meant there was little risk of me not having an awesome weekend.
The story tracks quirky, studious, earnest Emma Morley and her best friend/infatuation Dexter Mayhew (handsome, wealthy, arrogant) as their lives intersect over 20 years and in particularly the progress of their careers and love lives each year on St Swinthins day.
Things are not perfect for these two. Actually everything is a mess most of the time but there's so much depth in every character in this story. They're so likeable and loveable and I don't think it was just because the 90's references made me all fuzzy and nostalgic for my youth!
I particularly connected with Emma Morely who was an empathetic geek with a big heart and tough outer shell, I loved the witty banter between her and Dex and I loved the angst and joy of watching their lives rattle completely on and off track.
You should definitley read this one before you watch the movie or even the trailer - after reading the book it does look completely awful. Another one on the list to read before I see it on the big screen is We Need To Talk ABout Kevin. It got great reviews at Cannes and I adore Tilda Swinton.
Senin, 23 Mei 2011
Hmmm...
I'm about half way through One Day and I'm really enjoying it... so... after I reading the comment below and many more like it I decided not to watch this trailer and spoil it. If you've already read it, go ahead and cast judgement.
"It looks like it how an american would image Britain to be. The book was quintessentially british, dry and funny ,with it's subtle nuances and a sharp wit. This polished and simplistic, assembly line "romcom" bears no resemblance to the novel"
How sexy is your job?
A list of the ten most popular jobs held by romance novel heroes was released after the careful analysis of over 15,000 Harlequin books. They are...
1. Doctor
2. Cowboy
3. Boss
4. Prince
5. Rancher
6. Knight
7. Surgeon
8. King
9. Bodyguard
10. Sheriff
Kamis, 12 Mei 2011
Rabu, 11 Mei 2011
This is a pretty special cover
Levi Johnston's has released the cover of his upcoming memoir Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin's Crosshairs and most people think it's pretty spectacular. I tend to agree. If he was hoping to look like he's missing a chromosome and just unexpectedly wandered on to the set of a B Grade horror movie, I think he really nailed it.
The teaser on the inside jacket reads:
He got naked and got inside Bristol Palin. Then he got naked in Playgirl. Now it's time for Levi to get you the naked TRUTH about Sarah Palin. Respect.
Selasa, 10 Mei 2011
Not so great expectations
Some books shouldn't be made in to movies because they are just too perfect and too fragile.
And some books shouldn't be made in to movies because it's just a ridiculous and flimsy idea.
And with that, I'd like to present you with the news that instructional bible for new parents, What to Expect When your Expecting is being transformed in to a rom com and will star Cameron Diaz.
My money is on the QANTAS inflight safety manual to be fictionalised next.
[via Deadline]
The follow up to the Indie Rock Colouring book has arrived
It's the Indie Rock Poster Book!
(The Indie Rock Quiz book must be imminent)
You get thirty 11”x14” beautiful posters for less than a dollar each! And they're all printed on nice thick card, none of that flimsy TV Hits kinda stock (RIP TV Hits, RIP)
The collection includes illustrators including Mike Perry, Deanne Cheuk and Jeremyville, doing pics of (or inspired by) bands like Bon Iver, Devendra Banhart, and Iron & Wine.
Get it from Fred Flare
I'm reading: Invisible by Hugues De Montalembert
Over the long weekend I took Invisible: A Memoir by Hugues De Montalembert to breakfast. It was one of those books that crossed my desk with a press release that I took home thinking unenthusiastically, "yeh, maybe one rainy day"....
I've actually read a lot about "grief memoirs" lately and I know they are quite the literary trend. While this is (eventually) quiet an uplifting tale, like all grief memoirs you have to go through some heavy duty, raw emotional pain first. Of course nobody dies in this book (so I'm not technically sure if it still belongs in that category) but it's definitely a pain memoir at least.
Anyway I digress.... This post is going to end up longer than the book (it's pretty tiny). It's the true story of French artist Hugues De Montalembert, who returned to his New York apartment one night and was confronted by two burglars. While trying to defend himself against them they doused him in the face with paint thinner. By morning he has lost his vision.
After many months of painful recovery, his eye lids were sewn together. And after refusing to visits from loved ones and ignoring doctors instructions about how soon to start rehabilitation he began, in earnest, to re-learn everything he knews about communication, movement and and his spiritual self. As a super empathiser (I just learnt that term in Psychologies this month and have decided to apply it liberally in every situation possible) I spent a lot of time having to close my eyes in reaction to the shock and pain.
Of course it's particularly sad because, as an artist, he really did spend his life delighting in the visual and his career was dedicated to creating beautiful images. He wrote the book by hand on a large board with a pen and ruler that he would move down to guide himself line-by-line. He was alerted one day by a friend he had been writing for hours and the pen had run out of ink... Yeh, there's reasons to be sad on every page but there's also a lot of hope. He's a strong and disciplined man that doesn't want (to use a Liz Lemonism) to hear your "cancer voice" ie that whiny, sympathetic tone people put on in reaction to bad news.
He now spends a lot of his time traveling and the most interesting part of the book is his description of the powerfully strong images his brain creates from his travels. After darkness your mind still creates a rich, visual life. Fascinating.
(One of his artist friends fashioned him these futuristic, protective glasses to protect his fragile eye sockets.)
Selasa, 03 Mei 2011
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