Balm for the soul

Red wine and chat with a good friend.

Dear Marian Keyes

Hmmmmmm. Marian, I have to say, your last couple of books have smacked of bitterness. They've been really good reads. But bitter enough to curdle milk.

love and kisses

Me

It's Quite An Odd Thing

If you think about it, water falling from the sky in the form of flakes, so many that the ground is covered in 20cm of the stuff - it's quite weird.

White Noise

I like silence, the peaceful echo of nothing, the emptiness of a quiet room. But there are days when I restlessly go from thing to thing, from DVD player to laptop to CD player to TV, wanting some kind of sound, any kind of sound, to fill the void.

Grotty Handbag Tells All

I was digging through my capacious handbag tonight, clearing out the grime in preparation for adding my Brand New Diary and Brand New Address Book to the mix. Am I the only one who sometimes picks through their stuff, pretending to be a detective?

Flicking through the pages of a largely empty diary, except for cryptic notations such as M:@8:30. Address book – also largely empty. Was she a sad old bird? Well no sir, says the PI's assistant. There's a receipt for WH Smith right here. Seems she bought that address book today. Interesting, says the PI. He digs deeper into the bag, wincing slightly as he is stabbed in the finger. He pulls out a wire keyring, eyeing the awkward jagged edge balefully. No car, he says. Well, says the assistant, pulling out a battered security pass. She works at Homebase, what do you expect? But she does like the Guardian. There are at least two here. Both crosswords semi-completed. She wasn't very good at the cryptics though.

Finally, they hit paydirt – coins and the dusty remains of some biscuits that escaped their baggie. The PI touches the 10p piece lightly to his tongue. Yes, he mumbles. Yes? asks the assistant. Yes, he answers. Definitely shortbread.

Books Books Books

Latest additions:

1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (bought for book club, and we start discussing on the 15th, so I'd better get cracking)

2) The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (I was momentarily blinded by Waterstone's 3 for 2 sticker and bought - horror of horrors - a movie tie-ing cover)

3) Company of Liars - Karen Maitland (Did I mention there was a 3 for 2 deal on? It's about the plague and I'm sure I read a review of it. Seems interesting enough)

The Game is Afoot

Even legendary Guy Ritchie hater Mark Kermode liked Sherlock Holmes. It can't really be called anything but a “cracking film”. A great script, excellent chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and some kick-ass fight scenes made up for a slightly watery plot.

The plot was a bit bog-standard Victorian England – secret society, magical influence – but the visuals of Victorian England were super. Smoky, mysterious, busy – really evocative.

Robert Downey Jr was really excellent as the self-destructive, drug addicted detective. Clever, acerbic, and brutally jealous of Watson's fiance. Jude Law brought real energy to Watson's character (I know, I couldn't believe it either). Watson has tended to be portrayed as an idiot. But Arthur Conan Doyle wrote him as an intelligent and heroic man, equal to Holmes as a doctor, if not as a brilliantly deductive detective. It was great to see him give Holmes the kick in the arse he so regularly needs, to see his gambling, daring side, and also to see that he is as keen on getting into trouble as his partner his. Their byplay was easily the best part of the movie.

The fight scenes were really interesting – CSI style with a Holmes twist. Listening to him plot how was going to thump someone and then watching him execute it was a great plot device and well used.

Typical of Guy Ritchie movies – great supporting cast by English actors. Managed to spot Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lastrade (last seen playing the snorting Pancks in Little Dorrit) and William Houston as Constable Clark (last seen playing the yummy and heroic Dr Millais Culpin in Casualty 1909).

So, two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Amusing, adventurous – I liked Sherlock Holmes a lot.

Trailers: Book of Eli (Denzel Washington in badass mode, with a religious twist – ooooooh) and The Lovely Bones (based on the book, which I haven't read yet).

Watch It Round Up 2009

When I moved over to the UK, I had to give up my precious Ster Kinekor card, and leave behind Half Price Tuesdays. For more than a year I saw no movies at the cinema, and barely watched anything on DVD. It was a painful, painful time. But this year I was saved by Cineworld's Unlimited Card. I love it - you can go see as many movies as you like for £13 a month. It's changed my life. Seriously. Those who know me personally can attest to that fact. Anyway.

It was a pretty good year for movies all round I thought (I rediscovered watching movies on DVD as well - thank you LoveFilm! And a better paying job!). Favourites definitely included Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, Mullholland Dr, True Romance, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Where The Wild Things Are, District 9 and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassis.

I seemed to gravitate towards complicated psychological dramas, and also watched more documentaries than I realised. Nothing like a bit of pain and reality!

A good year.

Read It Round Up 2009

I managed to beat 2008's total by about 10, with my final total of new books read coming in at 79. I'm so proud.

There are a lot of Nora Roberts and Katie Fforde books on the list again this year, but at the end of 2008 I promised I would try to read more "classics", and by classics I mean landmark novels, short stories and novellas. I loved Little Dorrit, and she really managed to get me over my Fear of Dickens. I also really enjoyed Revolutionary Road, The Book Thief, The Uncommon Reader and the Night Watch series. I was probably only truly disappointed by one book in 2009, and that was The Other Boleyn Girl. Philippa Gregory is definitely not for me.

What I would like to do in 2010 is read more Dickens and more Thomas Hardy. I'd also like to read as much Haruki Murakami as possible. I'm hoping to write a really good Dear Author entry for each new book I read as well.

But a good year's reading all round. I was in Waterstones the day before yesterday and as I wandered the stacks I was suffused with a feeling of satisfaction. Could I have chosen a better hobby? Never!

Going Places

2010 will be a year of going places, seeing new people, visiting new things.

2010 will be a year of itchy feet.

That's the plan.

Books Books Books

Newest additions:

1) Lady Chatterley's Lover - DH Lawrence
2) Cry, The Beloved Country - Alan Paton
3) The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
4) Jude The Obscure - Thomas Hardy
5) For Esme With Love And Squalor - JD Salinger
6) The Infinite Plan - Isabel Allende

What I Miss Most About Living On My Own

Being able to do my song and dance routine while doing the dishes.

Through The Desert

In Where The Wild Things Are, the new movie based on the children's book, Max is twice led through a desert and faced with a realisation. Carol leads him through a desert and shows him what things used to be like, and wishes for things to go back to the way they were. KW leads him through a desert and shows him how things could be, and wishes everyone would move forward with her. He's somewhere in the middle.

The Wisdom of Chris Addison

As seen in The Guardian today.

"Chris mainly watched Fireman Sam over and over again with his chickenpox-ridden brood: 'If I were rationalising the Fire Service, the Pontypandy station would be the first to go. All they do is clear up after Norman Price, who really ought to be brought to the attention of social services.'"

Double Take

, originally uploaded by liz_isabella.

Shades of Gold

, originally uploaded by liz_isabella.

The Road Less Travelled

, originally uploaded by liz_isabella.

Walk On

It's so easy to keep making excuses. My hiking boots are still in storage. I don't have a car. It's rainy and muddy. I'm scared to go on my own. But you have to see past the bullshit. You have to see the excuses for what they are - unfounded fears, silly hang-ups, ridiculous concerns - and move beyond them.

Never make excuses that prevent you from doing the things you want to do.

I don't want to be that person anymore. I don't want to be the person who has lots of ideas and plans, but does nothing to make them happen.

Today, I couldn't find my hiking boots and I wasn't able to buy a new pair, so I sucked it up and hiked in trainers. I hate hiking in trainers. I hate not hiking even more.

Starbucks Parable

Not every panini is my panini,
I said,
wishing it was so.
As a steak and tomato toasted made its way to the customer
at table 3.

Not every panini is my panini,
I murmured,
passing my gaze
to the display case with its sign:

Fair Trade (a better deal for all)

and waited for my skinny latte.
Double tall.
Extra hot.

Hmmmmmm

A new movie that kind of intrigues me on an anthropological level. The Best Friend would understand what I mean.

Babies.