Posted on January 10, 2013 in Books
It’s my Dad’s birthday today, which makes me wonder … do you like to give books as gifts?
I’m usually torn. I love giving and sharing books, but it can be hard. The giftee can be difficult to please, or you don’t know what they’ve read (or what they thought of books they have read). Even people who love to read and love to get books can be hard to gift books to … so, does that make you pause and reach for the neckties or DVDs or sweaters … anything BUT a book at gift-giving time? How do you feel about getting books yourself? Are you picky or easy? (For the record, I’m told I’m VERY hard to buy for, even though I’ll read just about anything … go figure. – BTT
Gift giving is always tricky. I tend to not give books as gifts because most people I know don’t really appreciate books like I do. Secondly, while I love books, I am picky about the books I receive too. I have received books in the past and I appreciate the thought, but unless the person knows me very well (and few do), I don’t necessarily get the books I want. I really like to choose my own books, and I will pretty much read anything too. But there is something about choosing the books you read. I do love recommendations though, but I like to seek the book out in my own time.
I think a good way of giving a book lover a gift is to give them a gift certificate to their bookstore of choice, Amazon, Chapters, Book Depository, etc.
Otherwise, I like other gifts too. 🙂
Also, I posted this at 2AM not because of insomnia, but because I am just rereading Harry Potter stuffs.
Posted on January 7, 2013 in Books
As it usually happens, I don’t remember where I read about this book that made me request it from the library. It probably wasn’t a proper review, but somewhere made it sound interesting.
I don’t know why I didn’t expect a chicklit novel, but I got a chicklit novel. That’s fine since I’m use to them. As with many books in this genre and romantic comedies, the premise is outlandish and preposterous. The protagonist basically is conning people for most of the book by portraying a wealthy aristocrat named Lady Kate in order to catch a rich husband. I can understand her motivations, but her actions were still crazy.
Also, this novel was too long for a fluffy romance. Towards the end, I just wanted it all to end quickly and to get with the romantic lead. There really wasn’t enough of them together to be honest.
Quotations from Jane Austen books start every chapter and in a way, the author is writing a real theme about how Austen and today’s modern world meet. It doesn’t necessarily work. I do not recommend it for Austenites looking for any insight. This is just a chicklit novel with Austen in the title and a few references.
It wasn’t all bad. The ludicrous antics of Lady Kate were rather funny and I did laugh out loud a couple of times. That has to be worth something. I also found Kate relateable because we are out of work, broke, and single. It is tempted to think about winning a rich husband, but it’s a bit of second hand embarrassment how she does it.
Still, a somewhat amusing novel. Only recommended if you like chicklit novels.
Read December 31st, 2012 to January 1st 2013.
Posted on January 5, 2013 in Books, Movies
As promised, here is some in depth analysis on my books and movies/tv consumed in 2012.
BOOKS
Memorable Books from this year: This is not a definitive list by any means.
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – Magical, enchanting first novel.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – I wish I hadn’t missed out on this as a kid. A must read for girls.
- The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling – Whatever his politics, I really found Mowgli and the animals stories really touching.
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami – My first Murakami and it didn’t disappoint. So strange yet captivating.
- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – The longest book I read this year
Worse Books Read this year: I read the Fifty Shades of Grey and the two sequels at the urging of a friend so that we could make fun of it. Oh, we made fun of it for two weeks, but my goodness, these books were horrible.
New-to-me Authors I look forward to reading more of: Erin Morgenstern, Haruki Murakami, Henry James, Laura Moriarty, and Georgette Heyer.
Books I found challenging to read: Bel-Ami because it was in French.
Classics Club update: In the first seven months of the Classics Club, I’ve completed 12 books. Off to a fine start.
Stats!
Author that I read the most this year: Georgette Heyer with 17. That’s 26% of the books read. While some of her books are slightly repetitive, they are generally very fun and addictive.
Poetry: 0. I really should read at least one poetry book for 2013. That’s usually my average.
Authors Split by Gender: Of the 65 books, 49 (75%) were written or edited by women and 16 (24%) were written or edited by men. This is the norm that I read more books written by women, but it was a particularly female year though. I don’t go out of my way to read any books by one gender though, but this is my first time really counting the split.
Nonfiction Books: 4 (6%). That’s an abysmal number so I really need to up it to at least 10% in 2013. The four books were on: reading, relationships, travel, and maths. That’s more or less my usual topics except I usually have a food book in there somewhere.
Total number of books read: 65. This isn’t a bad number. Let’s compare all book numbers for the last ten years for statistical purposes:
2012: 65
2011: 50
2010: 67
2009: 20
2008: 83
2007: 52
2006: 61
2005: 83
2004: 71
2005: 66
2002: 66
I did better than last year which wasn’t that hard, but I’m surprised I read less than 2010. Then again, I think I read more classics this year. I seem to stay within the same twenty book range. I should aim to go back up to 83 again, but I just want to read just as much or more as the year before so I’m sticking to 65ish for 2013.
Also, I went back and looked at my reviews for the ones I feel particularly proud of writing whether because I invested a lot time in it or that it was very personal and reflective.
Book Reviews of Note: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, and Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.
MOVIES AND TV
I find it harder to write about TV than for books or movies. Perhaps I see that as even more escapist and distraction than movies or books. The latter of which is not only an escape but an exercise of the mind. Or maybe since I watch a lot of TV as it is airing, I have less time to write my complete thoughts on it.
Here are some TV shows from this year that I watched, followed, and in some cases, loved:
From America and the UK: “Homeland”, “Downton Abbey”, “Once Upon a Time”, “Hart of Dixie”, “Elementary”, “Switched at Birth”, “Boardwalk Empire”, “The Borgias” (S1) “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited”
From Korea: “Rooftop Prince”, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” – Pretty much the only Asian dramas I saw this year. It was a low TV/movies year.
Memorable Movies from this year:
Labyrinth: No wonder this movie has a cult following.
Whisper from the Heart: Added to my ever growing list of Ghibli favourites. Definitely going to need a rewatch.
Shame. Just for the tone and Fassbender’s performance. It left an impression even though I don’t want to rewatch it.
The Secret World of Arrietty. Yet another lovely Ghibli film.
The Artist. Even though I had issues with the casting, I really loved this as a homage to an era that I really like.
Movie/TV Reviews of Note: Austen Adaptations, The Artist, and Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Finally, here is my complete list of books and movies read and consumed in 2012, ordered by month. If you want all the reviews of the books, go to the 2012 Books tag and for the movies, 2012 Movies.
Posted on January 4, 2013 in Monthly Movies
Labyrinth (11-12 12 12) – Wow, I loved this movie. I missed out on this classic growing up. Apparently it did poorly at the box office and with some critics. In any case, I’m sad that Jim Henson was disappointed that this tanked. I like Henson’s works on the Muppets, but this is in a different league. It’s slightlt dark, fun, and classic tale of growing up and friendship. Also, DAVID BOWIE! He wears really tight pants in this that should make this film PG-13. He is one of the only men I can think of who looks good with that much makeup. I prefer Bowie with short hair, but his wardrobe was rocking it. I really wouldn’t want to show this to any young girl because there seems to be a lot of sexual and romantic tension between a 15 year old girl and a Goblin King who looks twice her age (and probably way more since this is fairy tale). I often find myself being tempted by the villain and in this, I did want to spend forever with the Goblin King. Too bad the baby was in the way. I’ve seen Jennifer Connelly in only a couple of movies, but she was pitch perfect here. She demonstrated that growth of a young girl to a young woman seamlessly. One thing I like about 80s films is there are a lot of great teen actors and teen stories. Also, the special effects in this were excellent and it reminded me of a time when effects weren’t just on the computer. The puppets really helped make this very real. I could write more, but it’s almost a perfect movie for me in many ways.
Just a Gigolo (16 12 12) – The things I do for David Bowie. Apparently, this movie was panned and even everyone associated with it is embarrassed. It is not a good movie. David Hemmings said that he wanted an ironic and tongue in cheek take on interwar Berlin. It is actually both these things, but in the package of a very slowly paced and badly written story. It does have its funny moments. The mauseoleum scene had me laughing out loud. The problem is that it wasn’t funny enough and the movie felt emotionally disjointed. The protagonist Paul is the opposite of Davie Bowie: repressed, awkward, and frigid. His acting isn’t that bad in it, and if you’re a true Bowie fan, you can at least appreciate he looks very good in this film. The film itself had good historical details, but I’m grasping here. Marlene Dietrich’s last two scenes weren’t all that either and the ending was depressing. I don’t recommend this unless you really want to see David Bowie looking good in 1920’s clothing.
From Up on Poppy Hill (27 12 2012) – While this is not one of the best of the Ghibli films, it is a lovely film. The animation is wonderful as always and so is the music. The story did make me cry or that could have been because I was sick and thus, moody. The plot is weirdly melodramatic, but it is touching in terms of friendship and also as a picture of Japan in the 1960s. Definitely a must for any Ghibli fan.
Notably Rewatched
Sabrina (11 12 12) – Gosh, I love Audrey Hepburn. Her smile is amazing. No one in movies has a smile like hers anymore. She is radiant in black and white filmography too. This isn’t one of her best movies and in general, this movie isn’t even that good. Still, this is early Audrey and thus, very charming resplendent in a lovely Givenchy wardrobe. Billy Wilder always makes things at least somewhat fun. He’s one of my favourite directors. The ending is romantic too.
Funny Face (11 12 12) – I was sick so I had a Audrey Hepburn marathon. I noticed that in both Sabrina and Funny Face, she gets kissed very early on. I forgot they use to do that a lot in older films where the kissing comes early on and the final scene is usually good old fashioned embrace. Audrey is adorable in this film and allegedly, this bookish character is one of the closest to the real Audrey. Even the transformation of the character from nerd to supermodel showcases how her beauty goes from cute charm to classic elegance. As a musical, it’s mediocre since the songs aren’t very memorable. I’m not a big musical person in the sense I obsess over them, and I do like them. I just don’t memorize the songs or rewatch them a lot. The memorability is that this movie was shot on location in Paris and other visuals. I adore Fred Astaire. He is my favourite dancer so this pairing of him and Audrey worked for me. When I watch Audrey movies, I’m often envious of her wardrobe. In this movie, I was envious of the wardrobe and the fact she got to dance with Astaire. He is quite funny in this too. I love the movie pokes fun both at the fashion industry and counter-culture. Definitely one of my favourite Hepburn films along with Roman Holiday, Charade, A Nun’s Story, and Two for the Road.
Posted on January 3, 2013 in Books
Any reading resolutions for the new year? Reading more? (Reading less?) Reading better books? Bigger books? More series? More relaxing books?
And hey, feel free to talk about any other resolutions you might have, too … or why you choose NOT to have any. – BTT
I am not really a resolutions kind of girl. I can outline what I want my reading goals to be: more nonfiction, more poetry, more classics, and while I’d like to read more, I always aim to read about the same as I did the year before. All of these are my usual goals and don’t change very much over the years.
How about you?
Posted on January 2, 2013 in Knitting & Crafting
Happy New Year, everyone!
This past week, I decided to frog one of my handknit cardigans. This is not really an actual WIP, but frogging nearly 1000 yards of sport alpaca yarn is a job of a kind.
I was never really happy with out Paris turned out. I knit a lot items and it’s true that I do not wear some of them at all. I just couldn’t even see myself wearing this cardigan. I also wanted to salvage the yarn which is Susan Andrew Collection Inca Gold Baby Alpaca.
This was my first time completely ripping apart a sweater. I’m already finished ripping it out and putting them into balls. That took quite a number of days, but I had patience and the time for it. I was sick for most of it so I had not much else to do.
Things I learned: with knitting in the round, it’s easier to start from the bind off end. With knitting flat, start at the cast on edge. I learned this the hard way which is why I have so many left over balls. It was inevitable though with my shortrow sleeves that it was never going to be a simple frogging process.
Do you see the edge of a ball in the top right hand corner. This is the sixth ball that I didn’t use in the cardigan by accident. After I ripped the cardigan, I only had 240g. That’s when I realized I never used the sixth skein which was hiding in my yarn box. No wonder I ran out of yarn, but I wouldn’t knit Paris again.
The next step will be winding the balls on the Niddy Noddy. Thank goodness I made one of those; it is finally proving useful these days. After I tie it up, I will wash, tie, and hang the yarn to dry. I will skein them until I am ready to reball them and use them for a future project.
Plans for yarn afterwards: another cardigan or pullover. The main contender is Buttercup by Heidi Kirrmaier which I will likely lengthen sleeves. But it’s time I do something with positive ease. This is alpaca after all.
Has anyone else been frogging projects?
For more WIP Wednesdays, go to Tami’s Amis.
Posted on January 1, 2013 in Books
I started reading this book in original French while living in France in the summer of 2010. I managed one chapter and then I had to return to the local library. I try to read one French book a year, but it’s more like I read one French every three years. This was the last French book I tried to start and I tried reading it over two years ago! With the Classics Club, I thought I would revisit this classic of French literature.
French is not necessarily an easy language to read and an even harder language to write. I have been lucky that my comprehension in French has always been good since I took immersion as a teenager, but even then, I am not completely fluent in reading in it.
People were telling me that the best way to read in another language is to read books translated into said language, but there are not many books that I want to read in French since many of them are in English or in the older, original French. One of my favourite French authors is Dumas, but I have largely read his books in English though I have reread some of the Count of Monte Cristo in French.
I read much slower in French than in English. I can’t quantify how much slower, but this book in English would have taken me one weekend day. I read the chapters in French then skimmed Project Gutenberg’s translation to verify.
This is a novel about Paris social life in the 19th century. Paris has and always will be an all-consuming place. The protagonist is very poor at the start of the story. Georges Duroy is apparently extremely good looking, charismatic, ambitious, but he also seems to be stupid and easily becomes conceited even at the beginning. It is funny to read in the beginning how transparent the characters and their motivations are. It is very much a critique of Paris life and a political satire. While the story is unique to the setting, a lot of the themes of social climbing, intrigue, and sex are still happening in political circles across the world.