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Blimey, my blog is 7 years old today! Absolutely no idea how that sneaked up on me but there you go. It has been and still is a lot of fun and I will write a proper post soon as I have already read five books this year and am trying to avoid a backlog of reviews. But it’s January and I’ve had a nasty cold and post Christmas lull and those are my excuses (for what they are worth). Some of you will know that I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so the imaginary cake is the closest I’m going to get to sugary celebrations today!
So I stuck this photo up on Facebook earlier this evening as a reminder to myself of the size of the task before me, and I know I said it the last time I posted here but I really really mean it this time. I am going to finish all of my outstanding reviews by the end of the year and either publish or have them scheduled so that I can start 2014 with as clear a state as possible. I don’t mind things leaching over from one year to the next but I read some of these books (and watched some of these films) way way back in September and a grip must be got.
In terms of what I’m reading now, just finishing off Sixty-One Nails (recommended by both the Book God and Silvery Dude and extremely enjoyable). Talking of Silvery Dude, he and I have just had a Twitter exchange about Stoner, the book everyone seems to be talking about which is why I’m not reading it (yet). My tendency not to read in the crowd is probably the reason why I am only just picking up The Thirteenth Tale (though that may have much to do with the TV adaptation which will be on over Christmas with Olivia Colman and Vanessa Redgrave). It looks like being one of the highlights alongside Doctor Who, Sherlock and The Tractate Middoth (the one I am most looking forward too *gasp*!)
I was very lucky to get a ticket to hear Margaret Atwood speak about her new novel MaddAddam at the Hatchards Bloomsbury Book Club in Bedford Square at the end of August (and of course to get my copy of the book signed). (Apologies for the fuzzy photo!)
I have been an Atwood devotee since I was a teenager but this is the first time I’ve heard her speak in person, and what a thrill it was. She is such a presence, so articulate and willing to engage and debate, and I took piles of notes which I don’t intend to repeat here you’ll be relieved to note.
- I was interested to hear that she hadn’t originally intended Oryx & Crake to be the first in a trilogy but when she finished it she realised that the abrupt ending would lead to questions and that she would have to revisit the world she had created.
- She talked about the distinction between speculative and science fiction. She said this wasn’t about one being better than the other but about accurate labelling; when she sees something described as science fiction she expects rockets and planets and feels cheated if they aren’t present. She distinguished between two pioneers – Jules Verne (close to reality, might happen, potentially true) and HG Wells (fantastic, not real).
- She reads the back pages of science journals to see what people are working on (and encourages us to do so too)
- One of humanity’s first technologies was telling stories, and the ability to understand stories begins in children at an early stage, within the first year.
- “We speculate what Spot the Dog is thinking, but he’s probably not thinking about who makes dogs”
All fascinating stuff, and the promise of more to come. I left the event even more of a fangirl than when I went in!
I’ve been using the same theme since I started my blog back in 2007 and decided it was time for a change. New theme is the same as the one I use for Bride of the Screen God so nice to have them joined in that way. Not sure about the header photo but it will do for now (it’s a bit of Falkland Palace for those who might be interested). Let me know what you think.
So today my little blog is six years old, and I am very pleased with what it’s managed to achieve under the benign neglect of its erstwhile parent (which is an indication that its probably a good thing that I don’t have children in real life). It started off as a bit of an experiment in a year that (looking back now) was difficult for me in some ways but was also a turning point, and I’m thrilled that, despite some genuine reading slumps, its still going from strength to strength.
2013 has started off strongly in terms of reading and I hope that continues. My main resolution is to respond better to comments and to comment more on other blogs and that’s going well so far too.
I will turn 51 in a couple of weeks time and I’m pretty pleased about that as well; I rather like being middle-aged and am continuing to become ever more disreputable.
So here’s to another year of good books and good conversation!
Oh, and the cake is from my 50th birthday party last January (just in case you’re interested – I always like to know about cake!)
Only a small thing but I’ve just noticed that I’ve passed 25,000 hits on this, my little blog. I know there are bigger and more successful blogs out there but given that (1) I don’t write every day and (2) I don’t really do that much to publicise the blog at all I’m actually quite chuffed with myself.
Off to have a Bloody Mary to celebrate!
It is 25th March, the downfall of Sauron and the end of the War of the Ring, and therefore Tolkien Reading Day. Most years I forget to take part, but today I decided to mark the occasion by reading the first chapter of The Hobbit. This was my first exposure to Tolkien; it appeared in a book of children’s short stories (fairy tales etc) given to me by my great-uncle Tom when I was about 9 or 10. It was only when I got to junior high school and saw a copy in the library that I realised that it was properly the beginning of a wonderful book, and my love of Tolkien and all things Middle Earth began there. It is also the 75th anniversary of the first publication of The Hobbit, so all seems very fitting.
And now that I have started it I think I will add it to the list of reads I’m making for the Once Upon a Time challenge; but more of that later!
A picture of cake for the second post in a row, but as it says in the header, it’s my birthday today. I have turned 50 and am theoretically a grown-up (but don’t think that’s going to happen in reality to be honest).
I haven’t finished any books so far this year, although I have been reading quite a lot, so I see tomorrow as a bit of a fresh start in that respect and I hope to get to the end of a couple of my current reads soon.
Interestingly enough I used a widget that I got from someone else’s blog (sorry, can’t remember where) and discovered that the NY Times bestseller the week I was born was Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger – I have to confess that I haven’t read any Salinger but perhaps I should do so now. I haven’t been able to find out what was the best seller in the UK at the end of January 1962 but I didn’t try very hard (and if anyone knows I’d love you to tell me).
I have been giving some thought to a little project for this year where I re-read some of the books that have been important to me over the past five decades but am still finalising my list and will post separately when I’ve worked it all out.
I have also been given some books as birthday presents and will post on those once I’ve finished dipping in.
This has been a bit of a rambling post but when you get to my age I think that should be allowed! Normal servcie will resume shortly, I’m sure.
Not sure how that happened, but I managed to miss my fifth blogiversary on 20 January, so no cake for me! Possibly distracted by the plans around a real party for my significant birthday at the end of the month, when I turn fifty (I may possibly have mentioned this before *ahem*); also haven’t been on the blog as haven’t been reading much this month and certainly haven’t finished anything in 2012 so far. Have a little birthday book project which I’m still thinking through, so watch this space.
So back from a wonderful visit to Berlin where we did all the stuff you would expect (said hello to Nefertiti, ate lots of cake, drank lots of Berliner Weisse mit Himbeer and developed a taste for currywurst) but interestingly the one thing that stuck in my head from this trip was triggered by a postcard I bought of an Otto Dix painting (which isn’t even in Berlin) – a portrait of the dancer Anita Berber from 1925.
Apart from the glorious colour I was fascinated by her face and went off to try to find out more about her.
Books weren’t plentiful (I think there is one biography in English) but I remembered that I had a copy of Anton Gill’s A Dance Between Flames: Berlin Between the Wars and sure enough there she was:
She could have reached the peak of her profession, but she went to the bad, and in Berlin in the Twenties you could do that very thoroughly. She attracted scandal wherever she went […]
Addictions to alcohol, cocaine and morphine led to her developing consumption and she was dead at 29. She has become a cult figure in Berlin and if I’d only known before I went I could have visited her house and taken a picture of the plaque marking the spot. But there you are.
I have a real urge to go off and watch Cabaret again.
Bride of the Book God 