Fiction
fiction
Monday, December 31, 2007
“I can’t reach. You know, I had no idea books had such different personalities.” Helena (Mirrormask)
I don’t normally make New Year’s resolutions and my upcoming OU course is enough of a challenge to be getting on with, thank you very much, but there is something else that I really, really need to get to grips with. And that’s the ever growing pile of unread novels crowding my bookshelves.
There are a number of reasons (feel free to label them excuses) as to why I’ve amassed so many. Firstly and most importantly, reading has always been a stress release mechanism for me. When I’ve been worried or upset about something, escaping into a good book has been my main coping strategy. So I suppose in a way the fact that I don’t read as much as I used to could be seen as a positive indicator that I’m a happier person than I used be. Or so I hope.
Read more and see the book list!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sorry for the disappearing act, gentle readers, but I’ve been ill all week, struggling with a very nasty throat infection that has left me out of sorts and very tired.
I have kept up with the drawing, though with difficulty. I’ve found it very hard to concentrate on anything and have lost count of drawings started only to be quickly abandoned. I’m going to cheat a little and back date this week’s drawings when I get around to uploading them.
The weather was lovely here all week, mild and hazy with the rain only coming on at the weekend.
Read more...
Monday, October 15, 2007
Excellent essay by Neil about how he came to write a fairytale for adults here.
And much more good things to be found at his blog.
Monday, August 13, 2007
There are many, many other things that I should be doing today but I can’t be bothered :)
So I’m going to curl up in bed with Ombria in Shadow and escape into one of Patricia McKillip’s no doubt beautifully crafted faerytale worlds.
Read more!
Listening to: ‘Through the Night Forest’, Tan Dun, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon OST
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Posted in: •
Books•
Fiction•
I read the first of my Lemony Snickets today. Reading for pleasure is an activity that I have had little time to indulge of late so it was lovely to breeze through this relatively short but entertaining little novel. I have read reviews criticising the author’s somewhat patronising tone but I think that those who find it so are rather missing the point. Patronise away Mr Snicket!
I especially liked the dedication at the start:
“To Beatrice -
darling, dearest, dead.”
I hope that the rest of the books continue in a similar vein. I’m not sure when I’ll read the next one as I am as per usual horribly behind on my OU studies which at the present time are shaping up to be my very own Series of Unfortunate Events ...
Listening to: ‘Moan, You Moaners’, Bessie Smith
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Given that Deathly Hallows is nearly upon us I thought that I’d post one of my favourite Harry Potter related fanart paintings.
Jenny Dolfen, aka Goldseven, is a German illustrator better known for her Tolkien paintings, particularly for the Silmarillion.
I love this illustration of the Marauders. It’s inspired by the scene in The Order of the Phoenix where Harry discovers Snape’s worst memory in Dumbledore’s pensieve. She’s managed to give it a real Seventies feel with those long collars and Remus’s shirt especially!
Listening to: ‘My Generation’, The Who
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
My Lemony Snicket box set was sitting waiting for me at work when I arrived yesterday morning. Impressively fast delivery! Not that I’ll be reading them just yet, not with the last Harry Potter only days away!
And while we’re on the subject of Lemony Snicket…
This is an image from the brilliant end credits directed by Jamie Caliri for the 2004 film A Series of Unfortunate Events
Read more
Monday, July 09, 2007
Posted in: •
Books•
Fiction•
I ordered this today from Amazon. It’s the Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate Events box set. I’ve been promising myself that I’d buy these books ever since I bought one as a gift for someone several years ago. Amazon UK were out of stock so this is coming from the States - I’ll have to plant a tree to offset the carbon footprint!
Follow this deeply unfortunate link to read more....
Listening to: ‘Sour Times’, Portishead
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Further on from the previous Alice themed post here is a beautiful image from Deviant artist Bluefooted who seems to be channelling the spirit of Arthur Rackham.
Very lovely!
Bluefooted on DeviantART
Reading: ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys
Monday, June 25, 2007
This is the sort of day I’m having. Which is to say not a bad one!
Alice laughed. ‘There’s not use trying,’ she said: ‘one can’t believe impossible things.’
‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again!’
Listening to: ‘Pure Imagination’, Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory soundtrack.
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