This year I 'only' got two books for Christmas *sad face*. I am grateful for everything else, obviously, but Santa, more books next year please! *angelic smiley face*El Husbandio couldn't disagree more. He thinks receiving a book is an insult, almost! He'd much rather be gifted 'something useful' like socks or a gift voucher. And not a Waterstones one!
Personally, I can't wait to get stuck into these two novels: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale (which I really liked, read earlier this year - not yet seen the TV series), and The Shadow King, by Maaza Mengiste, a new author for me, an Ethiopian-American writer. Thanks mum and Lou G! Keep reading, Lou x Find me on Facebook ...and on Twitter Born to be a Tourist This is an old, old photo. My baking and decorating skills have been much improved, but this is still great book/cake blog fodder, so indulge me! During 2010-12 I chaired a writing group in Towcester, Northants, and became really involved with all things books in the town library, where we would meet each month. World Book Night came along, and I baked for the event. Can you guess which books these are based on? Probably not, haha, they're not very well done with hindsight, but hey, it was a lot of fun. Answers below this photo, if you're interested.... FYI - World Book Night is on 23rd April - get involved! Answers: The ugly, blobby cupcakes are based on the idea of Small Island - Andrea Levy. The cake with 'Room' written on it is about, you guessed it, the fab novel Room by Emma Donoghue. My piping skills have improved somewhat since then!
Cake amateur-ness aside, both books are a great read, in my top 10, I think. I'd definitely recommend them if you haven't already had the pleasure. If you want to see some of the more impressive and professional cakes I now make, take a look at my company website: 280 Bakes. Lou x So, I may not have been so prolific in my own blog writing in the last year, but I've discovered some corkers I regularly check in on, and I'm here to share. My Baking Addiction: by Jamie, who self-certifies herself as someone who bakes too much. I love it! The Environment Agency has a great blog, for scientifically minded people and those who are not so - always hot on subjects affecting the UK's environment and beyond. A new find: A Cranky Flier. Brett, the blogger, writes regular posts sharing his three favourite links to travel news on the web - among other great content. A dear friend and past colleague of mine writes a fab mental health blog. Take a look at WYSE THOUGHTS, and say hi to Paul. Gray (with an 'a') Matter has some great stories, always something interesting to read and learn here. A recent favourite of mine was the post on beautiful metro stations you can find across the planet. Huffington Post has a Good News blog - brings warm feelings from around the world. Let me know if I've missed your favourite! Lou x Find me on Facebook ...and on Twitter I'm currently reading Barbara Kingsolver's 'Flight Behaviour', and I struck a real gem among her words last night, cuddled up in bed. The protagonist, at this point, is going out to check a scientific instrument, showing dedication and interest in a project she never dreamed she'd be working on, right in her backyard (page 323). It's pouring with rain and yo-yoing between 30-40 degrees Farenheit (it's an American book). "She pulled the hood of her raincoat forward to keep the rain off her glasses..." Doesn't it make you shiver? I can remember mornings like that... It's good writing for empathy and atmosphere, but the real reason I wanted to share this masterful (part) sentence was to showcase the skills Kingsolver has for 'show, don't tell'. The idea of this tool for writing is to create texts which enable the reader to tune into the story through action, words, thoughts, senses, and feelings of the characters involved, rather than through description. Why is 'show, don't tell' so important? It's essential to good writing, and something I try to achieve on every page I write. The writer is hinting at a subtext, in this case, the personal description and character of the protagonist. She is clearly someone who needs to wear glasses (or perhaps chooses to - but in this case, most people would leave their specs at home if it was raining, should they not require them for more than a fashion statement!), who owns a decent outdoor weather-ready coat, and the character needs to be able to see clearly for the task she's about to undertake. The creative writing leaves it unsaid, unshown, yet obvious about what the character looks like in a basic form. You can get all of that from one little sentence about a waterproof hood. The old adage 'show, don't tell' is so important to writing it's now included in Key Stage 2 English classes in English schools. Bravo! Anton Chekov put it brilliantly: However, 'show, don't tell' should be implemented with some caution. According to writer James Scott Bell, "Sometimes a writer tells as a shortcut, to move quickly to the meaty part of the story or scene. Showing is essentially about making scenes vivid. If you try to do it constantly, the parts that are supposed to stand out won't, and your readers will get exhausted." In other words, use with restraint! Joshua Henkin also agrees. The object of the work is to find a perfect balance between a deep, vivid picture conjured in the readers mind, and allowing them to fill in the blanks themselves.
Over half way through the (thick) book, I'm not enamored with 'Flight Behaviour'. Yet, page by page, I notice examples of fantastic writing I hope to emulate one day. And that's reading, not critiquing. I'm reading as a reader, not as a writer (for fun!), but hopefully some of the better examples of writing are drip feeding into my consciousness, day by day making me an improved writer. Check out these quick and dirty tips on showing, not telling from Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty - well worth the read. I'd love to hear if you've been struck by a specific sentence or two while reading. What has the text spoken to you? Lou x Find me on Facebook ...and on Twitter Born to be a Tourist - this week, tips for perfect holiday snaps! Holiday reads are one of the best kind of reads, but often I only really get to power through a novel when I'm in the terminal between flights. El Husbandio is not a huge reader, and often we're so busy and so tired at the end of the day while we're on holiday, not much reading gets done at our destination. If we did more poolside holidays, more might be read, but that doesn't happen with us! We're more backpacking, visiting family and cycling, if the last couple of years is anything to go by - not much pool time!
So, we're off to Costa Rica again on Friday and I've chosen my holiday reads. I finished Frankenstein last night, trying to get it under my belt by Thursday, and now I'm ready for a change. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry ~ Mildred D. Taylor I read this when I was in Secondary School (about 14 years old) and I remember loving it but can't remember why. I hope it lives up to the memory! A Mersey Mile ~ Ruth Hamilton This is a gamble - I've never heard of the writer before, but I got a 241 deal on another book I bought recently and picked this one up to try. It's my back up in case I finish Roll of Thunder. Have you read either of these? What did you think? This time last year, as a treat to cheer me up having left my new husband on the other side of the world (pending visa), I went to the theatre. I’d not been for over a year and was very excited to see that The Kite Runner was playing in Oxford. Having loved the book, one of the rare ones I’ve read twice, I snapped up a ticket. For anyone who’s not read the wonderful book (debut novel by Khaled Hosseini), here’s a brief description of the story of the kite runner from Kabul: The Kite Runner is a powerful and dramatic story which leaves a lasting impression on anyone it reaches; it sold over 21 million copies. It’s a fast-paced, haunting tale of cross-cultural, international friendship which follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war. Childhood friends, Amir and Hassan are about to be divided too. On a beautiful afternoon in Kabul, the skies are full while a kite flying tournament is taking place, in which the boys compete together. However, neither of the boys could foresee the events of that day which tear their lives apart. The story is passionate, gripping and gave me a much needed insight into the history of Afghanistan. It became a country with a personality and made it more ‘real’ in my mind, not just a war-torn disaster. The characters were instantly relatable and believable and the on-stage portrayal was better than I had conjured in my imagination. I was utterly absorbed, pained to watch (in a good way) and sad to see this masterpiece end. Visit the reviews section of the play’s website to see how other people received the production – it’s a shame it’s no longer touring. There has been a movie adaptation of The Kite Runner, of course, (2007, grossed $75m), but it failed to strike me as much as the live performance did. There must have been quite a lot of pressure to make a good job of the stage production, as the book and film were so popular. Now, I have a mixed opinion of books turning into other forms of performance or media. I have yet to find more than a handful of movies which are as good, if not better, than the book. (Check out my blog on how to survive a film adaptation). I have been lucky enough to have seen Wicked and Phantom of the Opera, both born from a novel (I’ve not read) but no more such adaptations, as far as I can remember. It can work really well, I’ve heard, and indeed did for both the two mentioned. A bit more was at stake in seeing a newly boxed The Kite Runner though, being one of my favourite reads. My theatre experience is largely of musicals from school trips and one instance of ballet, one of a comedy play and a Shakespeare play. That was years ago, and I was well-overdue when I visited Oxford last September, but should I have gone for something entirely new to me, having loved the book so much? I probably should have blogged about this closer to the event, when memories were more fresh and the play was still on tour, but I’ve finally got there. And I think it’s still with talking about. The characters were engaging, convincing, and there was real heart in the actors’ performances. The way the kite festival was portrayed on a windless stage was genius, and the music was perfectly synched to the emotions of the story. I absolutely loved it. And it seems a lot of people feel the same way: a standing ovation through the theatre. The Kite Runner’s stage production was nominated for Best Regional Production in the 15th Annual What’s On Stage Awards (results here - robbed!). It's such a fantastic way to enjoy a work from a great writer and you feel like you're re-reading it with a live audience, all enjoying it together. Want to know more about plays flipping books to stage audiences? Check out this fab article from the Financial Times about the pitfalls of turning books into plays. Michael Morpurgo (of War Horse fame) even has something to say about his books being 'stage-ified'. yes, I made up that word. My works won't be on stage any time soon! Which other books would you like to see turned into a stage production? Lou x Find me on Facebook …and on Twitter Have you checked out my travel blog lately? Born to be a Tourist When you move house, you'll be faced with moving many, many pieces of furniture, appliances, suitcases of clothes and boxes. And some of these boxes (a fair few, in my case) will be full of books. Novels, non-fiction, recipe books, the odd bit of poetry... It's all in there, and you know you'll end up taking them all to your new pad. 5 Reasons To Leave Your Books Behind When You Move House 1. They're heavy - lifting a box of books can threaten to pull muscles you didn't know you had. 2. You know you won't read them all any time soon. 3. They're dusty. 4. You're down-sizing and need the precious shelf space. 5. They're shabby and won't match the modern interior of the new house. JUST KIDDING. 1. I'll get El Husbandio to lift the boxes. 2. I will read them all!!! 3. Love the smell of dusty books - achoo! 4. Put up more shelves, instead of using a bookcase. 5. Well-loved and second hand rough-looking books are all the more intriguing. So I've taken them all with me. Every single one. Before you chastise me for not using the opportunity to have a clear-out, I'd already had a culling session six months ago when we moved previously. I decided if I wasn't going to read them again, or had only half read them and abandoned them, they were given to the local hospice charity shop. El Husbandio is not impressed. He, unfortunately, grew up in a house devoid of books; he doesn't 'get it'. He cannot see why I need to keep my books. Well, I grew up surrounded by them. Both my parents are readers, and have double stacked bookcases I love to browse. And I'd love our kids to have the same influence. However, I'm not 'with child' and won't be for a while hopefully, so let's ignore that point. So why have I humped my books into a van, across Bristol, and out into our new house? First of all, these books have cost me money. The price I paid ranges from 20p - £15, but that's my hard-earned cash. Some were free (gifts) - always welcome! - but most of them I picked up in a charity shop somewhere. Another reason I'm hanging onto my books is the view of my bookshelf inspires me. I believe, rightly or wrongly, being surrounded by great books written by a variety of writers I enjoy helps me with my own writing. I feel like I'm in good company. Bookcases are for books. The clue is in the name. If you have a bookcase without books, you're doing it an injustice. Yes, this one to the left looks very pretty but it's not displaying what it was intended to. Some of my books remind me of a person or a memory. I have an old copy of 'A House For Mr Biswas' (V.S. Naipaul). When I learned, at her funeral in 2009, this was my grandma's favourite book, I had to get a copy. I hated it all the way through, but I can't get rid of it. Keep your books purely because books furnish a room. El Husbandio is dead organised and tidied away our DVD collection into a sleeved folder, but this is even more reason why books should be proudly displayed in a living room or bedroom. Both, in our case. Don't feel guilty about not getting rid of your books. Society is too much about consumerism and disposable items nowadays, so hang on to your books as long as you want to. People keep crockery they never use, so why not do the same for books? They can stay on your growing 'to read' list indefinitely. Some of my books have got to be on their eighth or ninth journey into a new place, and no doubt will go on more journeys in the future. Keep your books for no other reason than you love them. Lou x Find me on Facebook ...and on Twitter Born to be a Tourist I love a good literary festival, and most of my dear blog readers hail from the USA, so here's my unmissable list of upcoming lit fests in the USA. Enjoy - let me know if you go to any, but be careful not to let the literary festivals ruin your social life! National Book Festival, Washington DC, USA, August Miami Book Fair, USA, November Brooklyn Book Festival, USA, September 19th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival October 10, 2015 Rockville, MD, USA National Book Festival – Library of Congress National Mall, Washington DC Wisconsin Book Festival, Madison, WI (October) Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX (October) Louisiana Book Festival, Baton Rouge, LA (November) Decatur Book Festival, Decatur, GA (September) ------ Check out more great America book festivals via @travelleisure. Lou x Find me on Facebook ...and on Twitter Born to be a Tourist Over on my travel blog earlier this week, I posted a piece on Parisien literature tours - you guys might be interested as readers and writers, so I thought of cross-posting it here. Let me know if you head over to Paris on a literature tour - would love to hear your feedback!
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AuthorI'm a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I'm also working on a novel. Still. Archives
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