Storybook Love Affair

Hooked on Pinterest

2012-03-03T22:11:00.001-08:00

Well, recently I discovered another social media addiction called Pinterest, otherwise known as pinboard of pretty pictures. Actually I discovered it a while ago but it took so long to actually be invited to join that I'm only just realising the full extent of it now! And as the title of this post suggests, yes I am very much hooked!

For the rare few who may not be aware of it, Pinterest is an online platform that allows you to create pinboards of different pictures and categorise them into themes. You can repin from other people's boards and even become a follower of users. It's a great place to get inspiration and is also an excellent source to discover new blogs.

Here is a collection of boards I have created with a few random images:

Books I Love

Bookcases

Favourite Places and Spaces

I want to know where this bookshop is!

And this one... or at least, I want something similar in my home :)

Bookish Products

Owl bookends from Laura Ashley

Quotes

Dr Seuss - the king of keeping words simple and magic!

Pretty Pictures

This is actually a rug from Anthropology - I think it would make a great print though.

Fashion and Style

Classy with a vintage touch - this pic makes me feel like having a picnic....

Weekend casual - a check shirt with a splash of pink

Hair and Beauty

Messy waves tied with a ribbon

Pretty floral nails...

Things I Love

Cosy cup of cocoa for the colder months ahead

Pretty Cath Kidston iPhone covers

Wanderlust

Santorini

New York City

Vintage

Pretty pink bike with a girly basket

Pretty little teacups

Cute Animals

Adorable panda bears in love

The cuteness of this pic needs no words!

Home Inspiration

Love the colour of this chest of drawers - after pink, green has become my new favourite colour

Eclectic prints and photographs on the wall

Food & Recipes

Vodka cake martinis!

Choc-chip cookies!

Beauty Icons

The ever flawless Judy Garland

The very pretty Rachel McAdams

Do you see the addiction? It's great to be able to keep a record of everything I come across on the web that inspires me. Happy pinning!

Book Review: PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

2012-03-03T01:12:00.004-08:00

I'm a little late in getting this review up but as the saying goes better late than never right? As part of the One Chocolate Box's 2012 reading challenge my genre for February was meant to be romance (you know, being the month of love and all), but I instead decided to read a chick lit novel that's been on my list for ages, and by that I literally mean years! The novel is PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern and I have wanted to read it since falling in love with the movie adaptation (Gerard Butler anyone?). I figured that since the story's concept is basically about love, it comes pretty close to a romance novel anyway...

It tells the story of one woman's heartache over losing her husband Gerry to a brain tumour. Holly and Gerry had been inseparable for years and Holly did everything with him. He was the earth she lived, the ground she walked and the air she breathed. So with his sudden death came a sudden reevaluation on life. At 30 years old, Holly was left feeling lost and lonely in an unfamiliar world without her husband. She didn't have a proper job, she wasn't aspirational, she didn't have any hobbies... everything she did in life was revolved around Gerry. So naturally the shock of his death turned into a deep depression which her eccentric collection of friends and family desperately tried to fix.

But it was through the discovery of a series of letters left behind by her husband that Holly found some hope. Addressed to her, the 12 letters written came with instructions to only be opened once a month. And as each new month came along, so did a new lesson on life for Holly to embrace. Gerry set out particular challenges for her to conquer such as singing karaoke in front of a crowd, taking a holiday, finding a job until eventually learning to love again.

It's a bittersweet tale that not only focuses on death but also celebrates life and the joy that is found in living. And although Holly eventually finds peace through the letters that Gerry has left behind, it's her family and friends that play the biggest part in helping her to let go and move on from grief. The novel is a testament to all forms of love and proves that through great tragedy, laughs can still be found long after the tears slowly subside.

Puppy School Graduation!

2012-02-27T04:28:00.000-08:00

Cute puppy story ahead! My little girl Macy graduated from puppy school tonight and being the proud mum that I am, I had to share it!

Every Monday night for the past four weeks has been spent learning lots of new tricks and meeting other cute puppies. And thanks to endless practicing with her dad, Macy was the smartest girl in the class (but also the shyest) :) I tried to get a photo of the five puppies together but unfortunately it didn't turn out very well. I'm going to miss all of their cute little wagging tails and puppy-filled fun personalities. Whoever said money can't buy happiness obviously forgot little puppies :)

Hope everyone has a great week ahead!

Marilyn Monroe Reading

2012-02-24T17:06:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I went to the movies to see the brilliant film My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams who was perfect in her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe. Ever since, the movie has left me feeling slightly haunted and I thought I'd do a post today that's been on my list for ages.

Over the past few months I've been reading the coffee table book Fragments: Poems, intimate notes, letters by Marilyn Monroe and edited by Stanley Buchthal and Bernard Comment. Throughout the beautiful pages, images of Marilyn are scattered that depict her in a different light to the usual sexy Hollywood icon the world knows her as. Instead, we see her reading and often deep in thought which is reflected in the various notebooks she kept throughout her life detailing her innermost thoughts and feelings.

The book is a collection of her own hand-written artifacts - notes to herself, letters and even poems that show her to be a curious soul, searching for her place in the world. Within the texts, a deep analysis of her life is offered, with each reflection both charming and humorous but ultimately heartbreaking and sad.

Marilyn was passionately fond of literature and had a personal library of some four hundred books! Some of her favourite authors included Milton, Dostoyevsky, Whitman, Hemingway, Beckett and Kerouac (I love him too!).

Apparently her husband, Arthur Miller also played a part in her development as a reader. He recommended Carl Sandburg's six-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, which Marilyn devoured. But some years before they were even involved, Marilyn had already tackled James Joyce's Ulysses.

Marilyn had a strong desire to not only understand herself but also others and the outside world. She took down notes to express wonder in all she saw and each reflection could be left for interpretation. Norman Rosten, a college friend of Arthur Miller's with whom Marilyn became very close, once described her writing style as "she had the instinct and reflexes of the poet, but she lacked the control." Often her thoughts are recorded as short bursts of feeling.

Many intimate notes are recorded on the introspection of Marilyn's childhood and the lifelong fears it engendered. She saw work as a way of freeing herself from the constraints and shackles of her past and many of her notebooks are written as a self-analysis outline. She writes of her past, but also her present and future.

Although often depicted as chaotic and disorderly, Marilyn attended to some aspects of her life with meticulous care. She took notes and made lists when decorating and organising her house and also when planning parties and get-togethers. Sometimes she enjoyed to cook and when she did she noted recipes down to the last ingredient.

Her thoughts are profound and especially insightful considering how young she was when she wrote many of them. "It's not too much fun to know yourself too well or think you do - everyone needs a little conceit to carry them through and past the falls." This is one of my favourite lines from a personal note she wrote in 1943.

During the film My Week with Marilyn, one of the things I noticed was how true to form it was. There were always books and notepads scattered about her bedroom during certain scenes and much of her personality reflected exactly what Fragments portrays.

An extremely moving book, Fragments unravels the real Marilyn Monroe: her thoughts, dreams, insecurities, aspirations, questions and longings are all recorded within its pages. We see Marilyn as she really was - a thoughtful girl who loved to read and found equal pleasure away from the camera, in quiet glorious reflection.

Book Review: The Starter Kitchen by Callum Hann

2012-02-19T02:08:00.002-08:00

This is a little bit of a different review today because the book I'm featuring is actually a cookbook, not fiction like usual! You may remember a few days ago I mentioned venturing into Library Lovers Week at Victoria Square here in Adelaide? Well, as it turns out I did indeed meet Callum from Masterchef and I even bought a copy of his debut book which he kindly signed for me. We had a grand old chat about this lovely city we live in and also about work - both his and mine. He's a lovely guy and just as friendly and personable as he was on TV.

The Starter Kitchen is his first cookbook and is filled with lots of handy hints about starting out in the kitchen (this is especially valuable info for me because although Seu and I have been living together for over a year, I really haven't experimented much in the kitchen at all). It contains practical tips for choosing ingredients, cooking without a recipe and basic techniques and skills. And tonight is super exciting because I actually managed to cook one of his recipes all on my own (yep that's right, no help from hubby the could-be Masterchef superstar himself!). And considering he got up and helped himself to seconds, I'd say that it was a job well done :)

I cooked the delicious spinach and ricotta cannelloni which was surprisingly easy and even enjoyable to make. And since learning to cook is one of my New Year resolutions, this dish will be the first of many (hopefully) to come. Here's a pic of how it turned out:

There's lots more recipes in the book that I wanna try out and especially Callum's desserts. Here's just some of the yummy stuff I'm yet to master:

cookies and cream ice cream
white chocolate and pistachio biscuits
peanut butter brownies

Yum, can't wait!

Me with Callum - a lovely girl from Dymocks took a photo and emailed it to me :)

Filled with boyish humour and snippets of Callum's family life growing up, the book would be a perfect gift for somebody moving out of home and setting up house with friends, by themselves or as a couple. The recipes are easy to read and follow and will have you learning to love to cook in no time!

Book available from Dymocks.

Beautiful Reading Rooms

2012-02-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend is busy, busy, busy for me! I wish I had some time to just stop, grab a book and curl up in one of these beautiful reading rooms. For now though, I'll admire these amazing pics and pretend I'm there instead...

That ceiling! That chandelier! Those books! Need I say more...

Again that chandelier! Obviously the perfect complement to any bookcase.

Dream bedroom! I sooo wish this was mine...

I love the different colour tone of the two white doors in this pic - one looks modern and the other looks old. And yet again the chandelier finishes the look off perfectly.

This room looks so cosy... I love the idea of little lights for the bookcase.

The perfect space to dream and create... the love hearts and stars dangling from the ceiling adds a quirky touch.

Beautiful room with an amazing bookcase - I love the look of the books over the doorway as well.

I can't find anything I don't like about this pic - it pretty much sums up exactly what I'd like my living room to look like. And I love the book ends sitting behind the couch.

A perfect escape for some cosy reading.

I think this is a bedroom... I love the eclectic mess of it all!

How nice would it be to sit at that desk and stare outside that beautiful window...

A masculine touch... if you look closely, sitting on the bookshelf is some pics of old screen icons - love!

One of my fave pics - I love the combination of books and framed pics, always a good mix against a white back-drop.

Envy-inducing bookcase! Isn't that cutie-pie dog lucky to be sitting in such a lovely room?

I love how the door in this pic matches the bookcase to perfection. I would kill for a reading room/office space like this :)

I hope you all have a chance to read a little today :) Have a great weekend!

Library Lovers Week

2012-02-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

Today while on my lunch break at work I took a walk through Victoria Square and was pleasantly surprised to notice that I had stepped right into Library Lovers Week. Run by the Adelaide City Council, it commenced yesterday and will run until Friday.

There was lots of activities taking place such as a library cafe, a book sale and even craft and yarn sessions. I'm planning on going there again tomorrow to witness the poetry slam and again on Friday to meet Callum from Masterchef who's launching his new book (he was always my favourite contestant and soooo good with desserts, so I feel it's only natural that I support him :)).

The activities always run through lunch time so if you're an Adelaidean and work in the city, take a walk down to Victoria Square to check it out. They had quite a good crowd today and there's even a DJ playing music in the background which adds to the atmosphere.

If you can't get to Victoria Square, local libraries are also holding some of their own activities in celebration of the event (Tea Tree Gully in particular are hosting a Blind Date with a Book event - basically they have a whole selection of books wrapped in brown paper bags so if you choose to borrow one, you won't actually know what it is until you get it home). Kinda cute I thought...

For more information check out this flyer.

Happy reading!

Book Love

2012-02-14T01:28:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day folks! And you know what that means... love is in the air ♥ Which also means that I have the right to be mushy! So you have been warned, lovey-dovey post ahead!

Being a romantic at heart, I believe love should be celebrated in all its shapes and forms. Whether it's a romantic dinner with your sweetheart, a lovely note or card from your daughter, or a glass of wine with your best friend, there's no right or wrong way to shower those we're close to with love.

And sometimes love can be found with the simple glimpse of a pretty picture...

Seu and I kept Valentine's Day fairly low-key this year - Indian take-away eaten outside with a simple candle burning. It was great and I have yummy chocolates to look forward to for later! What has everybody else got planned for today? Any secret valentines received? Whatever the day or night brings for you all, I hope cupid's arrow strikes and brings with it much love in both the visible and subtle of places. xx

Book Tag!

2012-02-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

I was surprised yesterday to learn that I had been tagged by another blogger from The Daydreamer's Book Obsession. This is my first tag and I thought I'd go along with it because one of my New Year blogging goals was to be more involved in memes. Plus, I thought it would be fun to answer some questions that you may not all know about me.

Here's the questions with my answers:

1. Who was your last book boyfriend and why?

It would have to be Marco from The Night Circus - handsome, clever, romantic and a magician! What's not to love...

2. What is the last 5 star book you read?

According to my blog it was in fact The Night Circus!

3. If money were not an issue, what would you buy yourself at this very instant?

An around-the-world trip with the last stop being New York City and accommodation at the Waldorf Astoria or The Plaza Hotel (where I could totally live it up Home Alone 2 style!).

The Plaza Hotel from the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

4. What is your favourite movie?

I have so many! But I would have to say My Girl. I grew up watching it and it always brings back so many memories. Plus it has the best soundtrack with brilliant songs from the seventies such as Credence Clearwater Revival and Elton John (I'm a sucker for the oldies).

5. What is your favourite song this week?

Again I have so many! But this week in particular I've been listening to Boys Like You by Gosling. I'm loving that all the retro tracks are coming back in fashion :)

Here's the clip if you haven't heard it:

6. A book you've read at least three times?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. And every single time, it's taught me something new.

7. What TV shows are you currently watching?

I'm hanging out for the new show Revenge to start! I saw the pilot episode on a plane last week while flying but it officially airs on screen tonight in Australia. And of course, I'm always watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls. Love that show!

So pretty! Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel otherwise known as Lorelei and Rory Gilmore.

8. Do you like spoilers? (Not major one)?

Nope, I'd much rather be surprised and find things out for myself.

9. What's your favourite genre?

I love historical fiction but will read just about anything.

10. What book/series got you hooked on reading?

I started reading books such as Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and The Baby-Sitters Club from a young age. These definitely fuelled my love for reading but so did childhood classics such as Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden and The Railway Kids.

11. Why did you start blogging?

I wanted an outlet to express my thoughts on the books I was reading. I had read other blogs in the past but it took me a while to finally build the courage to start my own. Since starting it, I haven't looked back. It's an excellent platform to practice my writing on and I have also met some of the best people! Even now, after seven months of blogging, I'm still finding new angles and experimenting with different post ideas. It's exciting to see what new directions it may venture upon further down the track...

The rules of the game:

1. You must post the rules
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged
3. Tag 11 people and link to them in your post
4. Let them know you've tagged them!

My questions to you:

1. What is your favourite childhood book?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. Who is your favourite author and why?
4. Outside of blogging, what do you like to do?
5. Who are some of your favourite artists, bands etc?
6. Sweet or savoury?
7. Do you have any favourite blogs and if so what are they?
8. What is your dream holiday?
9. Who is your all-time favourite character?
10. If you could write a book, what would it be about?
11. Recommend one book that you think everyone should read.

Blogs I tag include:

Melissa @ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
Kristen @ Stuff and Nonsense
Nancy @ Simple Clockwork
Lindsay @ The Little Reader Library
Toni @ One Chocolate Box
Stepping Out of a Page
Piril @ The Bookness
Donna @ My Life One Story at a Time
Barbara @ March House Books Blog
Yia @ Coz Even Pretty Girls Need to Read
Belle @ Bookbelle

Hope you all have fun answering the questions! Can't wait to read your answers :)

Book Quotes

2012-02-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through Etsy today and found some fun book quotes which I thought I would share with all you lovely bookworms out there:

Paper butterflies!

Happy weekend everyone! It's warm here in Adelaide so I'm sitting in the sun basking in the glory of it all, feeling the peace of the day and wishing you all the same :)

Hello Singapore, We Meet Again

2012-02-11T02:02:00.000-08:00

It feels like just yesterday that I wrote the post on our last trip to Singapore but it was in fact almost six months ago. Like last time, Seu and I had another stopover in Singapore with this holiday too. But unlike last time, we had more time to enjoy it and were actually AWAKE this time :)

We started the day off with a ride on the Singapore Flyer (we learned that this is actually bigger than the London Eye which is just mind-boggling!). It was a great way to see the rapidly-expanding city and took about half an hour to do the entire loop.

The famous Marina Bay Sands resort (apparently the most expensive hotel in the world).

Great views of the city...

Afterwards we went for a walk along the Marina and decided to check out the Marina Bay Sands shopping centre. This was probably one of the best shopping centres I've ever seen. Described as a luxury centre, it has a huge mix of international brands and shops, lots of restaurants, an ice-skating rink, a casino, theatre complex (and this isn't for movies either , it's actually for plays and shows etc), and a canal for boat rides that goes right through the centre and ends up at a huge fountain. I was also excited to see a C.S. Lewis exhibition taking place right in the heart of everything. In Adelaide, this sort of thing would be reserved for museums, certainly not shopping centres!

Marina Bay Sands Shopping Centre

C.S. Lewis exhibition

Romantic boat ride through the centre's canal

We spent a long time walking around and looking at things before getting hungry. We stopped off somewhere and decided to have some good old burgers in the fancy shmancy shopping centre! They were great and tasted so good after all the rice etc we had been eating :)

Later it was time to make our way back to the always amazing Singapore Airport. I swear I'll never get bored with that place. When travelling, it almost feels like coming home every time I step foot in its terminal. It has everything and makes waiting for planes so much fun. Like last time, Seu and I did quite a bit of duty-free shopping and spent time walking around and checking things out.

Pretty soon it was time to board our flight which meant that the holiday had officially come to an end.

But as Dorothy says 'there's no place like home' and do you know what? No truer words have probably ever been spoken. Until next time...

Finding Paradise in Koh Samui

2012-02-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

After the hectic days spent in Bangkok, Seu and I were off to Koh Samui! Our friends Dani and Greg had planned a destination wedding on the island with over 30 of their close friends and family travelling to Thailand to be with them on the big day. We all stayed at two connecting villas and basically lived as one big happy family during our stay. The villas were beautiful - situated right on the beach they came complete with two infinity swimming pools, in-house chefs, enormous wine cellar, an entertainment room and access to water activity equipment.

Most of our days were spent relaxing and swimming in the pool. We also went on an all-day fishing charter with a whole bunch of people where I was one of only two to get sea-sick!! The others all got to go off snorkelling and exploring other islands but I was so sick that I stayed on the boat and somehow managed to fall asleep instead.

Seasick on the boat - worst feeling ever!

Seu doing his favourite thing...

Seu and I took walks around the island and explored the local shops. The driving was just as crazy on the island as it was in Bangkok and during our stay we witnessed about three road accidents with one fatality. It's a scary thing because they don't like to wear helmets which I think is just plain crazy! A few people we stayed with at the villa hired scooters to cruise around on but I don't think I would've dared do that. The roads are scary, it's bad enough being a passenger sometimes let alone the actual driver!

On the day of the wedding one of the bridesmaids suggested getting a massage, so early that morning Jennifer and I were visited by some local masseuses. The massage was great but slightly painful. And those women were strong! My masseuse somehow managed to pick me up with her legs, it was the most bizarre thing...

Myself with the gorgeous bridesmaids Gabby and Jennifer

The wedding itself took place at 4.30 pm in the afternoon. All the bridesmaids got ready with the bride before making our way down to the lawn area in front of the beach where the ceremony took place. The ceremony was lovely, I've never been to a destination wedding before so it was interesting to see and be a part of one. Dani, the bride, looked stunning but you know what? She always does.

The beautiful setting-up of the ceremony

Beautiful Dani with her bridesmaids

After the ceremony the bridal party had a few photos taken along the beach. After the photo shoot we made our way back up to Dani's room to touch up our make-up etc before making the grand entrance into the reception. The reception area looked beautiful. Three round tables as well as the bridal table were set up on the lawn, there were fairy lights and lanterns scattered around the place and a local singer crooning all the romantic classics. It was a moon-lit fairytale setting.

Cocktails on the beach! Is there anything better??

After the yummy meal all the guests got up to dance. There was a DJ playing both old and new dance tracks all night and the music was so loud it could be heard up and down the beach. The setting was so surreal and felt like something out of an ad...eg 'from a place where you'd rather be' :)

The dancing lasted all night with the guests moving from the lawn area down to the beach. There was a spectacular fireworks display, a fire dancer and a lantern lighting ceremony. The celebrating lasted well into the early hours of the morning with everyone ending up in the pool at the end of it all. It was definitely the best wedding I've ever experienced and felt more like a party than anything else.

The beautiful newlyweds

Love hearts lit up in the night sky

Beautiful raining fireworks!

The day after the wedding Seu and I went with a few other people to visit some local markets for yep, you guessed it, more shopping! We then had to make our way back to the villa for a post-wedding Thai-style BBQ. Seats were set up with cushions on the lawn and tiny little tables to eat at. Later in the afternoon Dani and Greg surprised their guests with some jet-skis. This was my first ever time on a jet-ski and it was FUN! The guy I went on it with initially did the driving but then let me switch with him out in the middle of the ocean. It was an amazing feeling, out flying on the water like that. Seu and a few others also went kayaking later in the day.

That night we visited a popular tourist area in Koh Samui called Chawang. It's made up of lots of bars, nightclubs and restaurants. There were tourists everywhere and again lots of traffic and cars. There were lots of market stalls for shopping but I didn't really enjoy it very much. The taxis beep every two seconds to try to get passengers, there's a horrible constant smell in the air, and the lanes for walking were so narrow and broken. It was hard to look ahead because I had to keep looking down to make sure I wouldn't trip over. Luckily we didn't stay there for too long and made our way back to the villas where we just chilled out with the others drinking wine and beer and enjoying our last night on the island.

Coconut cocktails!

Thailand was definitely a trip to remember. It was fun being with a whole bunch of people and I especially enjoyed spending time with Dani and her mum and brothers. Back when Dani used to live in Adelaide, they became like my own family and I've missed them over the years. It was fun to talk and reminisce about old times.

Seu enjoying the pool with Dan's brothers Jamie and Ben

Thailand itself will be remembered fondly forever. Like a lot of Asian countries, it's a contradiction of both beauty and drudgery. It's a gorgeous holiday destination but underneath its sparkling colour sits a dark shadow that can't easily be ignored.

And despite having a nasty bite on my foot from my travels in Thailand which I'm currently taking antibiotics for, I still think that Koh Samui is paradise. In fact even though the song Paradise by Coldplay has become synonymous with the show Revenge (which I watched on the plane!!) it totally makes me think of the island every time I hear it :)

Three Nights in Bangkok...

2012-02-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

And the world's your oyster! Sorry, I couldn't resist. :) But I honestly think that maybe Murray Head was onto something with his 1985 classic. You see, after spending only a night in Bangkok dreams came true for me that I didn't even know I had!

Fascinating and completely intoxicating, Bangkok is chaotic! There's traffic jams galore, people EVERYWHERE (the city boasts 12 million!!), endless building construction taking place and stall upon stall of market goods. It's dirty and polluted but somehow its squalor is matched in equal measure with snippets of glitz and glam.

The driving is insane - on more than one occasion I seriously feared for my life! But the city has an organised chaos about it that surprisingly seems to work. The people are very respectable of each other and consume what little space they have with admirable patience. Unlike Australia where space seems to be such an entitlement on the road, drivers in Bangkok don't mind being tail-gated and even drive on opposite sides of the road without so much as a little toot of the horn. The roads are shared with trucks, taxis, tuk tuks, buses, cars, pedestrians, dogs (!) and endless amounts of motor bikes and scooters. Their traffic pile-ups are a daily commotion but the mess of it all somehow makes sense. Drivers can pick and choose when entering and leaving traffic, and despite the obvious lack of laws, the ability to drive seems a little more self-controlled and free.

While there Seu and I did so much that it's hard to know where to start... so rather than going into any great detail I'll just highlight a few things that have already become everlasting memories such as:

taking tuk tuk rides in the middle of the night - these things are fast, there's no seat belts, the wind rushes through your hair and it's an exciting way to see the city (definitely beats taking a taxi - but if you do take a taxi, the pink ones are lovely and even have pink Burberry seats!), strolling through the endless lanes of the Patpong night markets and shopping up a storm (I had to do the whole fake thing and buy a Louis Vuiton bag and Chloe bag and wallet, and sunglasses... you get the picture), seeing a ping pong show (quite possibly the most bizarre thing I've ever witnessed and I'm a little embarrassed to even be writing it down), tasting and enjoying authentic Thai cuisine, being tricked into going to shop after shop of tailor-made suits for men and endless supplies of jewellery for women, cheeky bartering for absolutely everything, including dodgy trips down little dark lanes for even more secret bartering, taking an afternoon river boat ride to see the sights of Bangkok's temples - we also fed really large fish and were visited by a floating market where I bought some cute wooden bookmarks (you gotta love Thailand - even in the middle of a murky river, there's still shopping to do!), waking up every morning to a sumptuous gourmet breakfast with the most entertaining chef ever, experiencing a spontaneous Chinese High Tea, and last but not least, more shopping in an eight-floor high shopping centre!

So that pretty much sums up our fun times in Bangkok. It's funny really because Thailand had never really been on my radar of somewhere I wanted to travel to. But being the big-city-loving person I am, I'm so glad I got to experience Bangkok. It is without a doubt one of the most exciting places I have ever seen and the people, sights, sounds and smells are truly unique and will be remembered fondly forever (although maybe not the smells so much!).

Coming up next is a recap of our adventures in paradise (otherwise known as Koh Samui)!

I'm Back!

2012-02-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well after what seems like a long time away, I'm finally back to blogging! I purposely kept myself away from social media while on holiday and I'm glad I did because I needed the break. It tends to get a little addictive at times and there's often moments where I sometimes feel as if I'm working two jobs! So for that reason it was really nice to take a step back from it all and relish in the old-fashioned delights of all things non-techno! And speaking of which I somehow lost my phone while away and I didn't even use it once! Don't ask me how I managed to lose it but lost it is - probably underneath the uber-comfy bed I slept in I'm sure, but it's a bit difficult to go back now and hunt it down... so what's that I hear? Yep, it sounds like a new iPhone is calling my name!

But on a separate note though, I really wanted to cover my Thailand trip today but have since decided to break it up into upcoming posts instead. There's a lot to cover and I still have unpacking and washing to do so this post will be fairly brief. I will say though that hubby and I had a wonderful time in Thailand and my friend's wedding was, in a nutshell, breathtaking. With sun, sand and shopping galore I had an absolute ball and was kinda sad to leave! I saw old friends, met a heap of new ones, read lots and just chilled on the beach. It was bliss.

Here's a quick pic of myself with the beautiful bride, Dani.

There'll be lots more photos in the upcoming posts about the trip. For now though, I'm starting to get sleepy and I think it's nap time! I haven't slept since yesterday morning and I'm still in holiday mode where afternoon siestas were the norm... so maybe the washing can wait until tomorrow... Besides I need to rest up for Macy's first puppy class tonight! I can't even begin to explain the excitement. :)

Bridesmaid Duties in Thailand!

2012-01-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note everyone to say that I will be (b)logging off for a few days to attend my beautiful friend Dani's wedding in Koh Samui!

I know, I know it's a tough ask but someone's gotta do it :) In addition to sipping cocktails on the beach, I hope to get HEAPS of reading done so expect lots of upcoming reviews!

I'll see you all on the flipside!

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

2012-01-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

Since staring this blog I've discovered that it comes with quite a few perks, and one of them is free books! A few months ago a fellow blogger, Toni from One Chocolate Box, (who happens to be one of my favourites!), sent me an email out of the blue saying she wanted to send me a copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Of course I was excited and genuinely thankful for her generosity. A couple of weeks later a beautiful copy arrived in the mail ready for me to read.

Well finally I've read it and here comes my review:

Sixteen year old Jacob Portman has always had a special bond with his grandfather. He loves hearing stories of his grandfather's wartime days and tales of his youth spent at an orphanage on a remote island off the coast of Wales. He's always felt that there's something a little peculiar about him and doesn't know whether to believe his often outlandish tales.

When a family tragedy hits and Jacob loses his grandfather, everyone around him starts to think he's insane. His parents send him to a psychiatrist to try to sort himself out and it is the doctor's suggestion that he travels to this Welsh island in the hope of finally finding peace and laying to rest his grandfather's unsolved mysteries.

Jacob travels to the island with his father and starts to explore the area. During one of his travels he stumbles upon a crumbling old house and learns that it is in fact Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - the very place that his grandfather told him about and which he was reluctant to believe existed.

As he explores the abandoned rooms and hallways he suddenly realises that the peculiar children his grandfather spoke of weren't childish fairy tales at all and instead are very much real and still living in that very house...

What follows is an adventure-packed book filled with lots of mystery, intrigue and a little darkness. It's a strange book containing contradictory elements of both intense gory and pleasant moments. But what really shines about this book is the author's use of vernacular photographs to help tell the story. Although bizarre, the vintage photographs do indeed have a beautiful quality all of their own and are weaved together perfectly with Riggs' clever narrative.

With the unique idea to combine both photography and text together to tell a story, it's no surprise to learn that Riggs also moonlights as a blogger. Apparently the photographs were given to the author by collectors whom he beautifully refers to on the last page of the book as "the unsung heroes of the photography world."

And that's exactly what this book is - a modern dark fantasy that celebrates the enigma of photographs and stories being told through moments in time.

Thanks Toni for a wonderful book!

Publisher: Quirk Books
Source: Toni from One Chocolate Box
Rating: 4/5 stars

Happy Australia Day!

2012-01-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

It's Australia Day folks! I'm excited for the public holiday but I'm feeling a bit ashamed that I still haven't managed to finish either of the two Australian author books I'm reading at the moment for the 2012 Something New Reading Challenge hosted by One Chocolate Box. I was hoping to at least have one finished by today so that I could feature it as a celebration of Australia Day but it just didn't happen (I'll blame my beautiful puppy for consuming all my spare time!).

Instead I thought I would just mention both the books in this post with reviews to come later. I've been a little slack with my reading lately because life seems to have picked up the pace recently. Between starting my new job, playing with Macy, and trying to fit in housework and social commitments, sometimes reading just has to take a back seat (as much as I wish it didn't).

The first novel is On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

It tells the story of 17 year old Taylor Lily Markham who was abandoned by her mother as a young girl and raised in a boarding school. She looks up to her mentor Hannah, a writer who lives in a country house by the river and who suddenly disappears when Taylor needs her the most. At the same time, Taylor is battling a territory war going on between the boarders where she lives. So far I'm loving this novel! It's written by the same author of the very popular Looking for Alibrandi (one of my favourites as a teen!).

The second novel is Dirt Music by Tim Winton.

A quintessential Australian classic, Dirt Music tells the story of Georgie, a bored housewife who stays up late every night and develops a fascination for watching a stranger attempting to smuggle fish in an area where secrets just can't be kept. The two eventually meet and start a relationship, but their passion is torn apart by her husband Jim Buckridge, the town's local fisherman legend. I'm liking this book simply because I love Tim Winton's writing style - the man is a born poet. However, I'm not enjoying it as much as Cloudstreet, his first novel that captured the Australian spirit like no other. This will be featured in my recommended reading one day.

Both books are so different but I'm enjoying them immensely. I'm one of those people that has a few different books on the go at the same time. I used to like just picking up one and sticking to it but now I like to mix things up a bit depending on my mood. The only problem with this though is that it takes twice as long to get through the book!

This pic pretty much sums up my current reading pile...

Well, there's still a whole beautiful day stretched out before me. To all my Australian readers, I hope you have the best Australia Day! Whether it's enjoying a backyard BBQ, going to the beach, watching the cricket (crikey!), or just simply relaxing, I hope it's a good one mate! (Hehe). As for me, I'm staying in and spending the day with my puppy and hopefully catching up on some good old Aussie reading!

I Heart Instagram

2012-01-21T18:19:00.001-08:00

Maybe I'm a bit slow to the bandwagon but I've only just discovered the Instagram iPhone app a few weeks ago - and I'm so glad I did because I LOVE it!! Taking photos has always been a bit of a hobby but sometimes it's hard to get the right shots - and that's what's so good about Instagram - with a simple touch of a different filter, professional (and vintage!) looking photographs can be created.

It's become a slight obsession and here's just a few pretty pictures I've taken from around the house and out and about:

Books , books, books galore...

Bedside reading pile

Yep our Christmas tree is still up! We're having a hard time parting from that beautiful glow...

Macy's first bath

Precious sleeping beauty

Playing with her favourite toy that looks just like her!

A collection of special books.

Perfect Sunday afternoon reading companion - beautiful Marilyn sharing her thoughts on life. I'll be dedicating an upcoming blog post entirely to this wonderful book (and lady) soon.

A pretty pink rose picked from my garden.

Pretty purple flowers sitting on the mantelpiece.

Hubby and I at French Eddie's engagement party last night.

Us again at my friend Tilly's beautiful garden wedding last weekend.

Book chaos...

Pretty books on the windowsill.

Vases, jugs and trinkets... these are a few of my favourite things!

Mama's little girl ♥

At least I can forget about that expensive Canon I've had my eye on lately... Instagram is helping to create perfect memories for almost zero the cost (and of course, vastly improving my photography skills)! You can check out my Instagram page under @storybookloveaffair. Happy Sunday everyone!

Cosy Book Nooks

2012-01-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we all have those days where we just want to curl up somewhere comfortable and escape from the world with a good book. For me, it's usually my bed or the couch, but upon finding these beautiful pictures of book nooks, somehow those places just don't compare anymore. Wouldn't it be wonderful to read and dream in these hidden nooks?

I love this colour purple! Looks great with the fireplace, the black chair and the little lamp.

If this was my house, my little puppy would be making herself right at home on the seat and not in the doggy bed lol! But it's a cute idea to have it there.

If you look closely at this picture, you'll see some King Charles Cavalier statues on the top shelf. I once came across miniature versions of these in an antique shop and didn't buy them! I still regret it.

This tiny bookshelf is adorable - I have plans to do something very similar under our bedroom window (one day!).

When I was younger I always dreamed that I would live in a house with a window seat... unfortunately the house I live in is probably a bit small for one but I'll just continue dreaming... again one day!

I love the oval window in this pic and how cute is the white chair?

This pic is probably my fave - I love the overload of books and the framed pics on the wall.

A perfect pink sanctuary for a little girl!

I came across this picture and fell in love with it - just looking at it makes me feel like doing the exact same thing!

Too cute!! How adorable is this little tent? It comes complete with coffee table and a chandelier! Yes, please...

What a perfect idea for making an inviting space under the staircase...

This looks like something out of a storybook... I can picture Hansel and Gretel sitting here, telling stories and eating gingerbread cookies!

Love this!! A little doggy nook for the kitchen.

Doesn't he look oh so cute there in his little home?!

A perfect hide-out for some 'me' time - just climb up the ladder and escaaaaape...

I love the colours in this picture - that green chair goes so well with the wooden rustic desk.

The ultimate nook! Now who wouldn't want to escape inside this little comfort corner? And again, I love that colour green.

Well, unfortunately for me I don't get to do much escaping today. Too many errands to run and things to organise... but hopefully tomorrow is a different story! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!!

Lane Smith's Storybook Barn

2012-01-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what a professional storyteller's house looks like? Well, in Lane Smith's case it looks every inch the storybook charm that is created so vividly in the children's books he writes.

Author and Illustrator, Lane lives in a 200 year old Connecticut farmhouse surrounded by his beloved collection of books.

The cozy living room complete with cat

Relaxing at his super giant desk!

His incredible writing studio complete with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves

The bookshelves are filled with Lane's collection of vintage children's books

This looks like the perfect place to curl up on a cold winter's night with a vintage book in hand...

Lane's latest book, Grandpa Green, tells the tender tale of an old man whose grandson is walking through a garden and relates scenes of his grandfather's life with every plant he comes across. Very sweet!

I love looking at pictures of where authors create their stories. I plan on featuring many more posts similar to this one throughout the year!

Meet Macy!

2012-01-16T04:41:00.000-08:00

I have a new love affair in my life and her name is Macy, our beautiful eight week old King Charles Cavalier puppy!

We picked her up yesterday from the breeders and besides having to go to work today, she and I have been completely inseparable.

I have wanted a Cav for ages (pretty much since falling in love with Charlotte's Elizabeth Taylor in Sex and the City!).

They are the most gentle, loving and innocent little creatures and she brightens up my day just simply looking at her. I'm head over heels in love and already can't remember what life was like before she came along.

My two loves ♥

These are just some of the many photos I've already taken of her but what can I say, I'm a proud mum and couldn't resist sharing them! :)

In Pictures: Vintage Typewriters

2012-01-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Has anybody else noticed the emerging trend of typewriters lately? I don't know if it's the vintage influence of the hit TV show Mad Men that started the craze, but for a while now I've been seeing them everywhere! And I'm not complaining because I think they're absolutely beautiful, which is why I decided to celebrate them in this week's In Pictures feature. From retro pink to pastel green, there's lots of colourful typewriters to marvel at.

No surprises here but this is the one I want!

Before laptops, macbooks, ipads and mobile phones, people were more familiar with carbon paper and inky ribbons.

Feminine and girly, typewriters seem to be the new vintage accessory

Back in the 'day', women used to work in typing pools where they typed important letters and business memos for Executives as a team of typists. These days Executives tend to do their own work or hire PAs.

Cute little necklaces have been created with the growing popularity of typewriters

There's something so nostalgic and romantic about typewriters. I wasn't born early enough to enjoy them but they always conjure up the image of writers sitting in a late afternoon dusty sun tapping away...

I read somewhere that the author Danielle Steel still writes her books using her 1946 manual typewriter. Gotta love that!

Magazine spreads have made typewriters chic again.

A pretty floral typewriter: there's lots on the market to suit all personalities

The glamorous Joan Harris and naive Peggy Olsen from Mad Men: the characters who brought typewriters back into fashion.

I hope you enjoyed my tribute to these beautiful pieces of history!

Top Five: Bookish Movies

2012-01-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to do something a little different today and talk about movies instead of books. I know, I know, bit weird but the movies I'll be focusing on are all bookish-related I promise, so see what I mean about the fun part? And don't you think bookish movies are just perfect to watch sometimes to get that book fix we all want without the effort (can't believe I just said that about reading!)? Well as it turns out there's a whole world out there full of literary movies. Instead of listing them all though, I'm just gonna focus on my top five that I love (and yes they are kinda girly but that's part of the reason why I love 'em!). Hope you enjoy :)

1. You've Got Mail

Who could forget this little late nineties gem starring the totally adorable Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan?

I love the movie but what I love, love, love more is Meg's character (Kathleen Kelly's) children's bookshop, The Shop Around the Corner, in New York.

Owning a bookshop is another one of my many daydreams...

The bookshop is magical in every way and suits her to perfection.

The gorgeous little shop decorated for Christmas

Tom's character, Joe, also owns a bookstore called Fox Books which is a huge chain-store (similar I guess to Borders and Barnes & Noble). Unlike Joe's store, Kathleen's little shop has character and was initially owned by her mother so has been around forever. It always makes me sad when she has to close the shop at the end of the movie because of falling sales (due to Fox Books - damn those over-priced monster bookstores!). Why can't movies like this just stick to happy endings?

I loved Kathleen's apartment too - from the opening credits when the camera zooms through her window, we see straight away that books are an important part of her life.

2. Beauty and the Beast

I don't think I know any bookworm girl out there who wouldn't say that Belle is their favourite Disney princess and Beauty and the Beast their favourite Disney movie.

Did you know that Belle's appearance and character was modelled after Judy Garland? Knowing this makes me love Belle even more!

Belle is literally the epitome of the perfect princess - she's beautiful, she's smart, she's kind, and she always sees the good in people (even beastly monsters!). Oh, and she can tell the handsome fakes from a mile away (although I never did find Gaston particularly handsome - he has a big chin and looks a little like Roger Ramjet in my opinion... ).

The film-makers wanted Belle to appear unaware of her own beauty and slightly odd

Beauty and the Beast is adapted from the French fairy tale La Belle et la Bete

The townsfolk thinks it's strange that her head is constantly buried in a book!

Obviously in the end Belle chose well - even though the beast turned into a handsome prince anyway, she still loved him for the kind-hearted man he really was beneath his rough exterior. And how could she not fall in love with someone who lived in that beautiful old mansion with the most AH-mazing library in the history of the world?! With access to all those lovely books, Bookworm Belle knew who her prince was!

One of my favourite actresses, Angela Lansbury, played the role of Mrs Potts to perfection!

Isn't this just the prettiest picture?

The too-good-to-be-true famous library

3. Serendipity

This romantic movie stars Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack as two strangers who meet by chance at Bloomingdales in New York.

They each experience a mutual attraction but because they are both in relationships, nothing is pursued. They do however spend some time together at a place called Serendipity (coincidentally the same name that means a 'happy accident' or fate as some like to call it) and end up exchanging numbers.

The real Serendipity 3 shop in New York - apparently the store is famous for its frozen hot chocolate (?!)

Jonathan (Cusack) writes his name and number on a $5 bill and Sara (Beckinsale) writes her name and number on the inside cover of the book Love in the Time of Cholera (a review of this book is coming soon in my Recommended Reading feature).

The rest of the movie sees Jonathan trying to find the book in numerous bookshops until eventually he is given a copy of it as a gift from his soon-to-be-wife (who isn't Sara). He sets off in search of her and at the same time, Sara finds the $5 bill, serendipity steps in again to help things along, and voila - they meet and are in love by the end. I can't help but think there's no way this could ever happen in today's times. Unfortunately mobile phones have taken the romance out of everything!

The beautiful copy of the serendipitous book

4. Midnight in Paris

Talking about serendipity, fate, and all things coincidence, I just so happened to watch this film while sitting on the plane on my way to Paris for my honeymoon!

Gil meets Picasso during one of his midnight wanderings - I think the effect of this poster is really clever to portray his artwork

I know that stranger things have happened but seriously, what are the chances? At first I thought Midnight in Paris would be a bit of a romantic comedy, and it is in a way... but in the quirky Woody Allen kind of way - meaning that you'll either love it or hate it. I loved it for two reasons: 1. it stars the oh so beautiful Rachel McAdams and 2. it throws light into the world of 1920s literary icons such as F.Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.

Zelda and F.Scott Fitzgerald

Owen Wilson who plays the character Gil, literally starts to wander the streets of Paris at midnight and gets caught up in a nostalgic literary adventure that sees all his romantic daydreams of a writing career begin to turn real.

Wandering through the beautiful streets of Paris at night

It's whimsy at its best and for anyone who dreams of being a writer, you'll no doubt not only relate to the character but you'll fall in love with the film. And the beautiful backdrop of Paris is just a sweet bonus :)

5. The Jane Austen Book Club

Based on the cute little book of the same name by Karen Joy Fowler, the movie tells of a book club that is formed so that its members can discuss the six books written by Jane Austen.

As they start discussing and analysing the books more deeply, they start to realise that their own life experiences are starting to parallel to the books they are reading. Both the book and the movie offer a great celebration of Jane Austen's work and will have you craving some valuable Austen reading time.

Another favourite actress, Emily Blunt in her role as Prudie, relaxing in bed and reading - love!

Watching this movie also made me feel like joining a book club (so far I haven't but I still think about it from time to time). Maybe one of these days...

Hope you all have a great weekend!

In Pictures: Journals and Notebooks

2012-01-03T02:51:00.000-08:00

So far the beginning of the new year is starting to look good - my first day on the job went really well, I managed to get to the gym after work, and I bought a beautiful notebook to start recording thoughts and ideas in. This is what actually led me to get the idea for this post. Whether you're a Blackberry or IPhone kind of person, when it comes to keeping an organiser and journal I'm on old-fashioned kind of gal all the way! I love having the physical product in my hand and journals and notebooks are so beautiful and convenient to travel around with anyway, why would you resort to a phone? Here's some that I love:

Gratitude journal by I Love it All

I love all of these diaries and notebooks but I think the Tiffany & Co one has gotta be my favourite. If I ever get to New York one of these days it's at the top of my list of things to buy. Most girls go crazy for the bracelets but no not me, I just want the journal :) Does anybody else out there also keep journals and notebooks?

2012: National Year of Reading

2012-01-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

To celebrate 2012 being the National Year of Reading I have decided to sign up for the 2012 Something New Reading Challenge hosted by Toni at One Chocolate Box. I haven't done any challenges of this sort before so I'm really looking forward to it!

Basically it works by trying to broaden our reading range by exploring different genres each month.

Here's what I've chosen for the year ahead:

January - Australian Fiction (this will coincide with Australia Day)
February - Romance (Valentine's Day)
March - Historical Fiction
April - Chick Lit (my birthday month and turning 30 seems to be a popular topic for this genre)
May - Fairy Tale
June - Horror
July - Mystery/Thriller
August - Fantasy
September - Children's
October - Young Adult
November - Classics
December - Literature

Looks like a great year of reading ahead. I'm off to the beach today and can't wait to get started :)

Notes: New Beginnings

2011-12-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great night (or anticipating a great night depending on where you live!). I had a very relaxed New Year's Eve for once. I spent it with my husband and some close friends of ours having a low-key dinner at Henley Square followed by kicking back on the beach with a bottle of champagne and beers, listening to music, and talking about good times. It was probably one of the best New Year's I have ever had. Thanks Carlo and Nikki!

As promised in my last post I said I would talk about what's in store for the year ahead. I'm not one for making resolutions because I know I never stick to them. So instead I like to list my goals to keep as reference. So here goes:

Personal goals

Get fit! In the lead-up to my wedding I was doing so well with my work-outs at the gym. I was going pretty much everyday until eventually it did start to become a routine. But then enter the honeymoon and everything changed. This year I have to get my motivation back! No excuses...
Start yoga or pilates. I've always thought about it and have wanted to do it but I never have. I hope that this year I can finally start.
Learn to cook! After a year of living with my husband I still haven't really mastered the art of cooking. I wanna get some Nigella-inspired inspiration and be a somewhat domestic goddess in the kitchen... wish me luck with this one!
Write more! Starting this blog has helped with my writing but I really wanna start focusing more on writing my book. I've got several ideas swishing around in my head and a few of them I've turned into outlines but that's as far as I've taken it. I want to dedicate more time to actually putting pen to paper (or fingertip to keyboard) and start pumping those words out!
Cut back on my chocolate intake - this one will no doubt prove to be impossible but I wanna give it a shot anyway... (*says me while sitting here eating chocolate-covered ice cream*)

Blogging goals

Read more, write more, photograph more. In addition to the book reviews, this year will see me focusing a little more on the In Pictures feature. These are always fun for me to do and I wanna start taking more of my own photos of things and including them in posts.
Participate in challenges - one in particular I will highlight in my next post.
Get a little bit more involved in memes - these are still a little unfamiliar to me so I want to start having a look around at some I'd like to be involved with.

It looks like this is going to be another huge year and here's just a few things I'm looking forward to in the year ahead:

starting a new job on Tuesday
picking up our beautiful little puppy in two weeks
more decorating and furniture buying for the house
writing my stories
reading my books
discovering new blogs
turning 30!!
travel!!

Things are looking good for 2012 and I can't wait to share the experiences with you all!

Notes: 2011 - The Year that Was

2011-12-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a very big and exciting year for me. So much has happened that it's hard to know where to begin... but because I'm a notorious list maker, I thought it would be fun to recap all the big things from the year that was in this post.

Firstly I guess I should start with the fact that after years of contemplation I finally got off my lazy butt and started this blog! I've always loved reading and there's no doubt that books are a huge passion of mine. So I guess it's only natural to want to share that passion with other people and write about these books I love so much. I had read blogs in the past but surprisingly not many book ones so I was amazed at how many other bookworms are out there in cyberspace also telling stories of their passion. It's been a lot of fun and I can't wait to continue with it in 2012!

Secondly, (and maybe this should've went first) I spent the first half of the year planning my wedding! It was quite a feat and although stressful at times, it really was so much fun and I learnt a lot from the process. I honestly believe that anybody who plans a wedding can seriously have a career in event management. It's such a big job!

Naturally this was followed by the wedding to my wonderful husband Seu in July. It was the best day ever (and of course in my opinion the best wedding)! We had a winter wedding which sounds terribly romantic (and it was) except the sun was out shining brightly all day! We were blessed to have such a beautiful, perfect day and it honestly was everything I had hoped for and more. No surprises that this was the highlight of the year :)

Following the wedding, Seu and I travelled to Europe for our honeymoon. Major highlights included:

London

seeing and staying with my beautiful friend Dani in her very cute apartment in Notting Hill
taking a twilight ride on the London Eye
seeing Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End.

Paris

dinner at the Eiffel Tower
listening to the organ playing in Notre Dame Cathedral
walking in the rain along the River Seine
dinner and shopping along the Champs Elysee
gorging myself sick on chocolate profiteroles
taking in the sights of Arondissement 4 (ok, this list could go on forever so I think I'll stop now).

Nice

lazing in the gorgeous sun
swimming in the stunning turquiose Mediterranean Sea
sight-seeing (and pretending to be rich) in Monte Carlo.

Singapore

shopping up a storm in Singapore Airport!

Seu and I also took a quick trip to Sydney in September for a wedding (this really has been the year of wedings - we attended six in total!).

In addition to the wedding, travelling, working, and everything else Seu and I also spent time renovating (him) and decorating (me) our house. It's finally starting to come together and I love it.

In terms of my blogging I've read and reviewed ten books including:

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
What Came First by Carol Snow
The Shack by William Paul Young
The Christmas Village by Melissa Ann Goodwin
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

I've reviewed and recommended:

The Pacy by Jodi Picoult
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

I've felt deep nostalgia for some favourite childhood classics:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky by Lewis Carroll
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

I've interviewed two lovely and extremely talented authors:

Carol Snow
Melissa Ann Goodwin

I've listed my Top Five:

Books I Love
Pre-Teen Girl Series from the 90s
Favourite Online Bookstores
Second-Hand Bookstores in Adelaide
Bookstores I'd Love to Visit
Books I Thought I'd Love... but Didn't
Libraries I'd Love to Visit
Favourite Characters

I've admired numerous pretty pictures:

Classic Book Cover Tees
Pretty Bookmarks
Beautiful Bookends
Clucky for a Puppy
Anne of Green Gables
Colourful Books
Vintage Storybook Covers
Beautiful Bookcases
Shabby Chic Bookmarks
A Christmas Carol

And have fallen in love with many a bookish delight:

Candles that smell like books
Tea with Dickens

Wow, see what I mean about it being a big year? But it's been a fun one and I can only hope that next year will be just as good.

Stay tuned for my upcoming post which will detail some of my plans for 2012. I've got some new ideas for this blog and I can't wait to share them all with you. Until then, I wish you all a very happy and safe New Year! Love, Megan. xx

Childhood Classic: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

2011-12-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

When watching TV today I saw an advert come on for The Wizard of Oz. It was strange because I have been thinking about it for a few days now and have had the book version on my list to review for ages. I even took the book from my shelf last night and flipped through it with the intention of reviewing it in the next few days. It always amazes me when things like that happen... I know it's a coincidence but it's still strange nonetheless.

I have a beautiful paperback version of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which I have had since childhood. It was given to me by an old family friend and I've treasured it ever since. Unfortunately I couldn't find the cover picture on Google so I can't show it to you. Dorothy is depicted by the artist as having honey blonde hair (strangely her physical appearance isn't really described in the book other than the gingham blue dress and pink bonnet she wears). And interestingly her character is portrayed in the movie by the gorgeous brunette, Judy Garland.

I think everybody would be familiar with the story of The Wizard of Oz however the book does differ from the movie so I'll still describe the plot. Victor Fleming adapted the novel brilliantly to produce the musical fantasy film that has been loved by generations, perhaps even eclipsing the magic of the novel itself. But magic the book is, and Baum is certainly a gifted storyteller with adventure and wonder seemingly dancing inside his soul.

He tells an enchanted story of a simple yet lovable little girl, Dorothy Gale, who is caught in a cyclone on her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farm in Kansas. Her house is thrown through the air and she wakes up to find herself in a mysterious land filled with an assortment of different characters. With her beloved dog Toto by her side, she befriends a scarecrow who is longing for some brains, a tin woodman who wants a heart and a cowardly lion who wishes for courage. Together the odd group embark upon a magical adventure that takes them all the way from Munchkin Country to the Emerald City where they hope to meet the great wizard. They all fall under the illusion that the wizard can grant them everything they want, and in their quest to find him they fail to recognise their own strengths and the fact that they themselves hold the power to be everything and anything they want.

Despite the exciting adventure, Dorothy wants nothing more than to return home to Kansas to be with her loving family. She is told by the wizard that in order to return home she must kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Of course this request horrifies the young girl but together with her friends they head to Winkie Country and face the challenge of destroying the witch. It is by sheer accident that Dorothy manages to kill the witch and return to the Emerald City to have her wish fulfilled. Once there though, Dorothy and her friends realise that they have been fooled by the wizard and discover he is nothing but a weak old man who has tricked the entire kingdom into believing he is the Wizard of the Great and Terrible.

This is where Glinda the Good Witch enters (surprisingly, her part in the book is very minimal compared to the movie) and it is through her that Dorothy learns of the power of her shoes which were given to her in Munchkin Country. She clicks them as advised and returns home, sweet home.

There are quite a few significant differences between the book and film versions of the story. Probably the biggest difference is actually the one thing the movie is most famous for: Dorothy's ruby slippers. In the book they are silver but apparently the movie-makers changed them to red to highlight the sensational technicolour effects the movie demonstrated. (As a side note, I love the ruby slippers and this is probably a rare case where I'm glad the movie differed a bit from the book!).

One of the main things I love about this story is the effect of contradiction. Each of the characters wants something that they believe they can't have, and set out on this grand journey in order to attain it only to learn that they had it all along. The scarecrow's brains, the tin woodman's heart and the lion's courage were all developed by the wizard using useless objects that he knew meant nothing. However the belief that they had been given them, because they saw the physical evidence is what made them believe they had changed. Likewise with the wizard himself - he created these great charades and used his skills as a ventriloquist to trick and brainwash his city into believing he was a powerful being when in fact he was the complete opposite, a regular human being who wanted nothing more than to go home, just like Dorothy.

And this leads to the next element of the story I loved - the concept of home. We all dream of escaping to far-away places and living endless adventures but at the end of the day, home is where true comfort lies. There's no other feeling in the world of returning home and Dorothy summed it up best when she said those famous last words "there's no place like home."

Similar to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has a fascinating story behind it which is just as intriguing as the story itself. There has been wide-spread speculation that the story was written as an allegory to political America representing monetary aspects such as the yellow-brick road depicting gold, Dorothy's shoes depicting silver and the Emerald City depicting the green American money note. Some have dismissed these theories though and Baum himself has said it's based on his childhood. One fascinating piece of trivia is that he founded the character of the scarecrow through frequent reoccurring dreams he had of being chased across a field by a scarecrow as a young boy. Freaky!

And an even more interesting discovery is the coincidental relationship of the movie version of the story corresponding to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album. Referred to as Dark Side of the Rainbow the music video shows moments where the film and song lyrics match up perfectly. I haven't had the chance to watch the whole thing in motion but curiosity led me to view a few You Tube clips. It is freakishly bizarre but apparently just a coincidence...

Whether or not all these claims are true, I honestly believe that to read (and watch) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz should just be taken for the beautiful story it is. One of self-discovery and finding confidence in the face of uncertainty and danger when embarking upon the unknown. Reading this wonderful story is like being in a dream-like state, and is probably best enjoyed in ignorant bliss of the potentially darker elements it may (or may not) possess.

Read my mini review here on Wicked, Gregory Maguire's parallel take on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In Pictures: A Christmas Carol

2011-12-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas is two days away and what better way to bring in some of the Christmas cheer than with a celebration of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Published all the way back in 1843, the book became an international phenomenon and is hailed as introducing the festivity and merriment of the holiday season (read my review here).

Charles's love of Christmas stories and fairy tales, along with his sympathy for the poor are noted as being his biggest inspiration for penning the story. The novel has been enjoyed by millions and magically captures what the true meaning of Christmas is.

'Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!' ~ Charles Dickens

I hope your holidays are filled with lots of love, laughter, food, drinks, family, friends and of course ... books :) I wish you all a very, very, very, Merry Christmas! Love, Megan xx

Book Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

2011-12-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's taken me forever to get around to writing this review, and not just because I've been short on time but also because I don't really know what to say about The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I picked it up initially because I loved the cover and the title but the story itself left little to be desired. Falling in the ranks of a New York Times Bestseller I had high hopes for a good read but instead, it left me feeling flat.

The story is based on two characters: Renee Michel, an older fiftyish woman who is a concierge at a prestigious apartment building in Paris and Paloma Josse, a young girl who lives in one of the apartments with her parents and sister. Beneath Renee's dull, boring exterior is a closet intellectual which she takes great pains in trying to hide from her rich counterparts. She's a lover of art and is so fond of Tolstoy that she even named her beloved cat Leo after him. Paloma is fed up with her superficial family and tries hard to maintain a normal schoolgirl image on the outside, while inside she's burning with intellectual curiosity and has suicidal thoughts.

The book is written from each character's point of view in alternate chapters. Renee tells her story through thoughts and perceptions in the present tense taking on more of a typical fiction-type feel. Paloma's on the other hand is written as journal entries on philosophical reflections about life which she calls 'profound thoughts'. Each is sort of living through a depression, hiding dark secrets from all who know them and pretending to be people they're not.

The author of the book, Muriel Barbery, is actually a philosophy professor in real life so it's no surprise that this is the overall topic the book revolves around. Lots of questions are raised about French life and politics particularly between the upper classes and the poor. She scatters a whole heap of allusions to literature, music, films and art throughout the text and uses these as examples to illustrate how we view life and live the way we do. For me, probably the most interesting philosphy lesson she offered was the one regarding office workers and how eventually the passage of time will prove them to be redundant. She talks of the high salaries earned by most of them because typically they "use their brain" while people who work with nature and are better with their hands are undervalued in society even though one day this perception will do a radical back-flip. For example, if the world were to end (or come close to it) we would value the street-smarts and self-sufficient people who could survive in the wilderness over those who are brilliant with a computer etc. This is an old question of course which has been raised before but it was interesting to read her take on it.

The book contained many themes, namely those centred around class status, family, and relationships. At times it seemed a bit extreme to me for these two characters to hide their real personalities, and feeling so strongly about doing so. Maybe I'm not getting the whole French attitude thing but why would a concierge care so much about rich people knowing she's smart? And why would a twelve-year-old girl go through life getting average grades, when she knows she could be doing brilliantly... especially when her teachers should be noticing these things? A huge part of the story didn't make much sense to me which leads me to my next complaint - the book is written as fiction but there were times where I seriously felt as though I were reading a philosophy text book! Some chapters came across as mini essays and didn't have any story elements at all. It was only when Kakuro Ozu, a charismatic and charming Japanese man moved into one of the apartments that finally a proper storyline emerged. This is when Renee and Paloma finally met each other properly and started to embark upon a friendship. Kakuro influenced a lot of Renee's thoughts and feelings about things causing her to start seeing life in a different light. The same happened with Renee influencing Paloma causing her to have doubts about the whole burning of the apartment building/committing suicide with her mother's pill thing.

Pretentious and more than a little annoying, it's hard to say something positive about this book. If you like philosophy and are into reading essays then maybe give this one a shot. But if you're like me, and prefer your fiction to be a good riveting story, definitely give this one a miss.

Publisher: Europa Editions, September 2008
Source: Bookshop
Rating: 2.5/5 stars

In Pictures: Shabby Chic Bookmarks

2011-12-18T02:02:00.000-08:00

I've talked about my love affair with bookmarks before on this blog and thought I would feature them again! I came across some beautiful Shabby Chic designs on Etsy and thought the lovely images were too irresistible not to share! Here are some of my faves.

Amelia Lune Digital

Cream floral bookmark from Ionkoosh

Victorian sweetheart vintage bookmark from missbohemia

Rustic wooden bookmark from MonArmourGifts

Christmas bookmarks from thephotocube

Romantic novel bookmarks from Tattered Vintage

Vintage bookmarks from Ionkoosh

Shabby french bookmarks at Luvcrystals

Shabby Chic bookmarks from Whimsie Dots

Whimsical bookmarks from Plumrose Lane

Lady Pink magnetic bookmark from Astoria Lane

Handmade bookmark from Vintage to Live By

Vintage Bicycle bookmark from Olive Rue

So pretty and elegant, I wish I could have them all!

Notes: Tea with Dickens

2011-12-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

I came across these literary tea bags and had to share them!

Perfect for stocking fillers or Kris Kringle presents, they are individually tagged with literary quotes from the likes of CS Lewis, Alice Hoffman and more making them the perfect gift for any book lover or writer. Available from What the Dickens? their description on the website sums them up perfectly:

There is no better company than a steaming cup of tea as you open the cover of a favourite classic or turn the page of the latest thriller. Whether travelling to distant times or far-off lands or discovering new characters in a nearby locale, a soothing cup of tea makes the journey more pleasurable and the memory lasting. Novel teas are the perfect complement to your literary journey. Enjoy them iced by the pool for that steamy summer romance, or hot by the hearth for that long winter epic.

No. 42, Little Dickens was another discovery on the Bellocq website.

Packaged in a beautiful silver tin, the tea is described as a chocolate-kissed children's blend that is loved by all. Blended from organic caffeine-free South African, fair-trade rooibos, soothing mint and cinnamon. This tea calms jitters and settles tummies. Serve with milk and honey. Awww, now what little child wouldn't want to drink this?!

And this adorable little teapot was another find from the What the Dickens? website.

Beautiful little gifts to spoil those who you love or maybe even yourself :)

Wishlist Wednesday: The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

2011-12-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, is a weekly meme that keeps track of the books we want to read!

This week I've chosen The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly. I've seen this book around for a while now and I'm surprised it's taken me this long to highlight it. I am an avid fan of Louisa May Alcott and Little Women is definitely a favourite classic of mine (read my review here).

Here's what the book's about:

When Josephine March's great-great-granddaughter stumbles across her letters, the Little Women shed a glorious light on a new generation of sisters.The Atwaters are a loving, sprawling mess of a family and Fee's three daughters, Emma, Lulu and Sophie couldn't be less alike if they tried. Emma is planning her wedding, Sophie is an up-and-coming actress, but Lulu - the cleverest of them all - is more than a little lost. If life is for living, why is she stuck in a series of dead-end jobs?Grandma Jo's letters had been gathering dust in the attic for decades, but when Lulu gets her hands on them, everything seems to change and different worlds begin to open up. And even though dark family secrets emerge, Jo's words offer comfort and guidance across the centuries. Sometimes family is all that matters. And sisters are the closest friends you can find. ~ Amazon, Editorial Review

With all the books currently in my to-read pile, I probably won't get to this one until the new year... and even then that's looking pretty full too! I hope I can read it soon though, sounds like it would be a great beach summer read.

Top Five: Favourite Characters

2011-12-13T02:51:00.000-08:00

There are so many characters from books and literature who I've loved spending time with while engrossed in the stories they feature in. My feelings kind of change on a regular basis depending on what book I have just read so compiling this list was a little hard. But the following five characters were people who I absolutely adored from the moment their name popped up on the page. The creation of them made the stories they were a part of all the more enjoyable because the authors did such a great job constructing them and turning them into real and loveable people.

So here they are:

1. Santiago from The Alchemist

Santiago is the protagonist of this famous Paulo Coehlo story. He is born in a small town but longs to travel the world. After some initial caution, he finally builds up the courage to ask his father's permission to become a shepherd boy so that he can travel the fields of Andalusia. During his travels he meets a mysterious man who sends him on a journey to the other side of Africa.

What I love about Santiago is his curiosity and open mind. With these great traits he sets off to find his Personal Legend and along the way starts to value his freedom very highly. Throughout the short fable he realises that playing it safe is often more threatening to his freedom than taking a risk and this enlightenment is the ultimate gift his journey has rewarded him with. Inspiring and magical, young Santiago taught me so much about life that nobody else ever has.

2. Aibileen Clark from The Help

Kathryn Stockett's debut novel features one of the most memorable and likeable characters in history (in my humble opinion anyway). Aibileen is an African-American maid who works for the white housewives of Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. The novel is set during the American Civil Rights Movement and depicts the racial issues experienced by the African Americans at the hands of white people, namely racial segregation and equal rights.

Aibileen is a loveable character with a big heart of gold. She cooks and cleans and takes care of white babies whom she genuinely loves and wants nothing more than for them to grow up into decent adults with an educated mind about 'coloured people'. She has a special connection with God and records her prayers down each night, often focusing on particular people who are suffering hardship and need her prayers the most. She enjoys writing and finds it easier to understand her thoughts and feelings when recording them on paper. She has a good way with words and with this talent she helps Skeeter (the story's central character) write a book about the experiences of the relationships between the maids and housewives of Jackson. The character of Aibileen felt so real to me. There's been suspicion in the press that she may have been based on a real person (with a court case looming and all) and whether or not this is the case, Stockett has created an angel of a character who managed to both break my heart and lift my spirits all in the one reading.

Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark in the film adaptation of The Help

3. Christopher John Francis Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Written by Mark Haddon, this book is a superb read with a brilliant character at its centre. Christopher is a fifteen-year-old boy who describes himself as a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties. Although not stated in the book, the back cover describes his condition as Asperger syndrome. When finding his next-door-neighbours dog dead he sets out to discover who the murderer is and in the process writes his findings down in a book called 'a murder mystery novel'. Along the way, Christopher uncovers some dark family secrets and embarks upon a surprising journey that shocks and pleases all who know him including himself.

I loved the characterisation of Christopher Boone. Haddon obviously did his homework into the thought processes and behavioural antics of young people with autism and it shines through in his vivid descriptions outlined in the book. Christopher is a smart, caring and extraordinarily misunderstood young man. His journey to solve the murder mystery of the dog is emphasised with poignant and often sad anecdotes of both an innocent but extremely complicated life. He cared deeply about the dog that had been murdered and in his efforts to try to find the killer; he was confronted with not only his own fears of the outside world and what it represents but also with his courageous spirit that he didn't know he had and what this new implication could possibly mean for him. Great author, excellent book and a truly original character!

4. Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief

There were actually two characters I loved in this book by Markus Zusak - Liesel, a nine year girl who has just been separated from her family and Max Vandenburg, a jewish fist fighter. Narrated by Death, the story takes place in Nazi Germany and focuses on Liesel's relationship with her foster parents, residents in her neighbourhood, and Max a man who hides in her family's basement during the escalation of World War II. Liesel is the protagonist of the story and despite being uneducated in the beginning and not knowing how to read and write very well, she steals a book from the burial grounds of her younger brother called The Grave Diggers Handbook, her first of many book stealing encounters. Liesel struggles with regular nightmares and it is her foster father Hans who helps get her through the nights by teaching her how to read and write. Liesel is later invited to the Mayor's wife's library and starts to steal books from it by climbing through the window. Eventually Liesel starts to write the story of her own life.

Throughout the book, Liesel and Max share a very special bond with books and words. It's a powerful story with brilliant character narration and through her extraordinary friendships and love of books; it was hard to resist Liesel.

5. Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code

Despite the hype and constant criticisms of The Da Vinci Code, it really is one of my favourite books. After reading it years ago, I became so obsessed with Dan Brown that I looked up his website everyday! The storyline is a complex exploration of religious theory and history that delves in and out of conspiracy theories at lightening speed. I remember when reading it, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! The story is set in some of the most beautiful cities in the world and despite controversies of the subject matter, namely Mary Magdalene and The Holy Grail, the book lives up to its reputation as one of the best. And I believe that the creation of Robert Langdon is a big part of this.

A Harvard University Professor of Symbology with a brilliant problem-solving mind and more than a hint of genius in him, what's not to love about Robert Langdon? From his tweed jacket to his loafers, he is the very essence of a college professor and I may have had just a hint of a crush on him... his enthusiasm for symbology is infectious and I could easily spend my days racing around the world with him solving puzzles and mysteries! And on a separate note, I also thought Tom Hanks was a great choice to play his part - he suited the character to perfection in the movie adaptations!

Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in the film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code

In Pictures: Beautiful Bookcases

2011-12-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

I think it's a natural progression for anybody who loves books to also love bookcases as well. A bookcase filled with lots of beautiful books brightens up any room and can be a style statement in its own right. I still don't have my dream bookcases up in my own home yet but one day they'll be there! For the time being though, here's some amazing pictures that I love to look at for inspiration. To me, no home would be complete without an awesome bookcase at the centre of it as these pictures show...

I love the look of bookcases going over the door-way, even under window-sills looks great as well.

I love the look of this curtain, but why would you want to cover those books up?!

This would've been my dream bedroom when I was younger and sharing a room with my sister...

What a beautiful office! He looks right at home sitting there.

I think this is a unique concept, incorporating a favourite picture into your love of books.

I love this couch! How wonderful it would be to curl up there to read and dream away...

This looks like an eclectic mish-mash of books, music and pictures. Love it!

Wow - love everything about this room, the couch, the bookcase and of course the pink skirt!

I love how the books are colour-coordinated against the white back-drop...

This chair looks like it would be amazing to sink into... I don't think I'd be able to get up!

Classic white - simply beautiful!

I love the look of these three different cases sitting together. They look like they'd be right at home in a cozy little cottage...

I think I'd prefer this one in white but the black does create a glamorous gothic effect...

I love this picture! Kind of reminds me of Mary Poppins and The Nanny Diaries.

I love the contrast of the white bookcase with the black door here, very striking!

Love the ladder and I love the dress! In fact the whole picture makes me think of the book I just finished reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This girl would fit right in with the Circus of Dreams...

Another classic white display of perfection... Can you tell that I'm a little partial to the colour white?

I reckon this picture is my favourite! I love the colour of the paint and whoever thought to turn a door into a bookcase is a genius! Absolutely beautiful...

This bookcase goes on forever, it's hard to tell where it starts. But I gotta say I'm in envy of all those books!

This has a real old-fashioned library effect. Imagine climbing that ladder...

Hope you enjoyed looking at these pictures as much as I do! When my husband and I do get around to putting some cases up in our home I'll post a picture! Hope you all have a great weekend filled with lots of reading :)

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2011-12-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's the books I love that are the hardest to review... and this is exactly what's happening with The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I simply do not know where to start with this book... it's a knock-out and to describe it effectively is a little challenging. The time I've spent with this book has been a bit of a journey so I guess I'll start at the beginning.

I knew as soon as I saw the cover of this book that I had to read it. Not only was it beautiful to look at (and I am a sucker for pretty covers), but it had a personal recommendation from Audrey Niffenegger, probably my favourite author ever and writer of The Time Traveler's Wife (definitely my favourite book). The Time Traveler's Wife is one of the most creative love stories ever written so when I read that The Night Circus also had a similarly strange love story it sucked me in big time.

Written as a historical novel set in the late 1800's The Night Circus tells of a mysterious travelling circus that becomes an overnight sensation in every city it visits. Open from dusk till dawn, it's constructed entirely in black and white and is powered by a bonfire. Drawn into its circular paths, visitors can wander about taking in different displays of acrobats, fortune-tellers, contortionists, ice gardens and falling clouds.

Le Cirque des Reves (the Circus of Dreams) is no conventional parade. The circus seems to cast a spell upon all who dwell there, creating a loyal following in its aficionados who call themselves the reveurs (dreamers). And at the heart of the story lies two star-crossed lovers, young magicians Celia and Marco, who are locked in a deadly contest between their masters and forced to test the very limits of their imagination and love for each other.

Maybe it's the elements of magic... or maybe it's the hypnotic illusions of the storyline... but either way I fell completely in love with this book. I've always been fascinated by magic and not just in the act itself of trickery and illusion, but more in the sense that it's been around forever and yet still captures an audience with its tempting essence. I remember being in South Korea a few years ago and I was completely entranced by two magicians. Their act was simple and certainly not complex, yet still managed to have me on the edge of my seat marvelling at their creativity. I also saw David Copperfield a few years ago and again, I was hypnotised right from the start and totally in awe of what I was seeing... or not seeing. His talent with magic is phenomenal and for days after I was still shaking my head with wonder at what he was capable of. Was it really magic that I had witnessed? How could one man on a stage do what he did?? My mind raced with questions for months. And then just this past week, I met my husband during my lunch break at work and took a walk down Rundle Mall. While there we stopped and watched a young boy doing some magic tricks and again I was completely immersed in what he was doing. I was so enthusiastic about his performance, clapping the loudest and dropping a big chunk of change in his magician's hat that he gave me a book of magic tricks! I think I'll treasure it forever :) Maybe David Copperfield has some upcoming competition... I hope so, the little magician was adorable!

But back to the book - although it deals largely with magic, it's not the type of magic we know. Instead it fuels on the reader's imagination and creates both a disturbingly dark world that is contradicted with elements of light. The circus takes place at night, and yet is illuminated with fire, stars, and twinkling fireflies. The atmosphere that Morgenstern creates is sublime. In fact, one whole chapter is dedicated to the allure of atmosphere through her descriptions of midnight dinners that take place with the circus owner, Chandresh. When describing Chandresh as having a flair for the unusual and curious, and understanding the power of atmosphere, Morgenstern could indeed have been talking about herself. This is one of the most atmospheric books I have ever read and at times it even felt like I was watching it rather than reading it. Every element and object discussed created a clear picture in my mind and all I kept thinking was, 'man this would make a good movie.'

In another similarity to The Time Traveler's Wife, the story is written in a non-linear progression. Some chapters start with years ahead or behind certain events that took place. This sometimes got a bit confusing to read but really it just added to the fun and spontaneity of it all. And isn't that what circuses are all about, lots of twists and turns and mis-matched scenery? It helped add to the concept of atmosphere, transporting the reader right there into the middle of the action, wandering the lanes and pathways of the circus, looking into the bonfire, sipping warm apple cider and eating caramel popcorn and chocolate mice. And lets not forget the books and journals, the carousel and willow tree, antique clocks and trains, ball gowns and tuxedos, wizards and alchemists, roses and chandeliers, London, Paris and New York... the list is endless of the wonderful subjects that the story contains.

If you're looking to escape and get caught up in some beautiful magic then this is the book for you. I'd say hands down it's one of the best books I've read this year. And despite the magical surrealism of it all, the story does focus on some pretty heavy themes, namely forbidden love, good versus evil, the concept of natural talent versus book-smarts, and especially that fairytale notion of finding ourselves in an otherwise lost and unfamiliar world.

Oh, and when looking up this book for reference I came across this word to describe it - phantasmagorical. Yes, it is a real word and means a random series of events or figures in a fantasy or dream like state. According to Urban Dictionary it means - used now to define a night out, normally substance fuelled that leads to lots of strange, weird, wonderful and damn right crazy things taking place around you as you try, and fail, to make sense of exactly what is going on. Hmmm maybe I should've used this as the description right from the beginning. I've just looked back over what I've written and there's a lot of text here! It's late and I'm delirious, time to go to bed and have some phantasmagorical dreams I think...

Publisher: Doubleday, September 2011
Source: Bookshop
Rating: 5/5 stars

Wishlist Wednesday: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

2011-12-06T22:29:00.000-08:00

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, is a weekly meme that keeps track of the books we want to read!

This week I've chosen Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver. I first heard about this book after reading a review on The Little Reader Library blog. I've always loved the name Liesl (yep, big Sound of Music fan) so of course the title captured my attention right away. I then saw it again in a bookshop and was going to buy it but didn't. Now I wish that I had because it sounds like it would be a great story.

Here's what it's about:

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice - until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone. That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidely less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey. From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places. ~ Amazon, Editorial review.

It sounds like such a cute story that I can't help but want to read it! Hope I can get to it one of these days...

Guest Post: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Versus the Movie Adaptation

2011-12-06T01:24:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago an opportunity came up for me to write a guest post for a blog called Book or Big Screen. It's a fairly new site and the blog's owner Danielle focuses all of her posts on whether a book is better than the movie or vice versa. It's an interesting concept and she has some good insights into what works better etc.

For my guest post I decided to write about The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks because although I love the book, I love the movie a whole lot better! In fact, I'd even say it's one of my all-time favourites! So I thought it would be a good chance to put my thoughts into perspective on why this is the case.

If you're a fan of The Notebook, and I do mean both written and visual versions, then you can read my post here. Hope you enjoy it!

Author Interview: Melissa Ann Goodwin

2011-12-05T02:42:00.000-08:00

Continuing on with the book tour for The Christmas Village, Melissa Ann Goodwin has agreed to let me interview her! So far I've written a review of the book and Melissa has also written a guest post about one of her favourite Christmas memories involving pudding! Now it's time to find out a little about the author herself:

1. Where did you get the idea for The Christmas Village?

I actually have my own Christmas Village. It's a small one, and it's a mish-mash of pieces from different village collections, but it's still very pretty. One night I just started imagining what it would be like to live there. I started asking myself "I wonder who lives in that house over there? I wonder what song the carolers are singing? I wonder who the skaters on the pond are?" Then the seed of an idea came to me about a little boy whose life had turned upside down and wished that he could escape into the perfect little village... and it just took off from there.

2. What is your ideal writing environment?

I need quiet. I usually sit in my comfy wing-back chair (it belonged to my grandmother, the one from my Christmas Pudding story) and type away on my laptop. I'm not the kind who would go to a coffee shop with my notebook to write; I need to be more solitary about it. I sit with my eyes closed for about 15 minutes before I start writing, and try to first empty my mind and then start to "see" my story. I'm very visual about it and actually see the story almost like a movie. Sometimes I'll actually write with my eyes closed because I see the scene better that way. So, it's best that I do things like that in the privacy of my own home!

3. Are you influenced or inspired by other authors and if so, whom?

I am like a sponge - I think I've been inspired by every writer I've ever read! But I especially love writers like Mary Stewart and Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde pilcher, who weave lovely stories with characters that feel warm and real.

4. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

I really and truly believe that if you follow your heart, you will succeed. It will take time, but it will take time whether you do that or not, and wouldn't you rather be appreciated for who you are and what you really want to give to the world than to have success that doesn't feel authentic? So I'd say this: "Listen to your heart. Don't write what you think the world wants to hear, write what YOU want to say. Be who you really are and let your readers find you. They will!!"

5. What is your favourite book?

My favorite grown-up book is To Kill a Mockingbird and my favorite children's book is The Secret Garden.

6. What are you currently reading?

Oh! I am reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. A friend recommended it and it's quite engrossing! I wasn't sure I'd like it, because I'm not usually that big on witches and vampires. But it's very well-written and there's an intelligent story and mystery and romance that's totally sucked me in!

7. Which authors do you think are either too overrated/underrated?

This question really made me think before I speak! It takes a lot of effort and a certain amount of courage to put your writing out into the world, so I don't think that I could ever say that anyone who has put in that effort and shown that courage is overrated! Of course, there are writers that I liked early on who seemed to become formulaic later, and I think that's when they start to seem overrated. I don't need to name names - we can all think of some. I see a trend in books that seems similar to movies - the tendency toward the "blockbuster" that really isn't all that intelligent or good. I would love to see more appreciation for wonderful "smaller" books like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

8. Outside of writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I am also a yoga teacher! I took a sabbatical from teaching last year so that I could write The Christmas Village, and I am just starting to teach again. My specialty is restorative yoga, which is a very healing and nurturing practice. I love yoga - it's the only thing besides writing that has been with me almost my whole life.

I could spend all day walking on or sitting on beaches. And I love to decorate! And redecorate! Of course, I love to read. I still love more than anything to get lost in a world that someone else has created for me.

9. What is your favourite TV show?

I love the Good Wife and Blue Bloods. I also like cooking shows and would love for Ina Garten to adopt me and feed me all her beautiful food. And I love the show Chopped! where the chefs compete, having to use all sorts of oddball ingrediants. Oh! And I CANNOT WAIT for the return of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theatre next month!!

10. Who are some of your favourite singers/bands?

Oh gosh, I'm stuck in the music of my youth. I still love James Taylor with all my heart, and his voice is the one I want to hear singing when I get to heaven. I've always been more "Peter, Paul & Mary" than "Rolling Stones." Okay, a little more up to date, I like the country music bands Sugarland and Lady Antebellum very much.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and advice with us Melissa! I actually bought The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society book just last week and am really looking forward to reading it! And the way you feel about James Taylor is exactly how I feel about Van Morrison :)

Guest Post: It's Not Christmas Without the Christmas Pudding by Melissa Ann Goodwin

2011-12-02T01:08:00.000-08:00

I was really excited to be asked to be part of the blog tour for Melissa Ann Goodwin's delightful children's story The Christmas Village. In addition to me writing a review for the book, Melissa has written a guest post for my blog focusing on something christmassy of course! I hope you enjoy reading the following anecdote from one of Melissa's Christmas memories. I certainly did!

“A smell like a washing-day. That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and a pastry cook's next door to each other, with a laundress's next door to that. That was the pudding. In half a minute Mrs Cratchit entered -- flushed, but smiling proudly -- with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top.“ ~ From A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

I may be a Yankee from Massachusetts, but growing up, Christmas Pudding was a big part of our holiday tradition. I remember its dramatic entrance, displayed like the Crown Jewels on a platter, glorious and flamboyant and reveling in its 15 seconds of fiery fame.

All too quickly, the brandy burned off, returning the pudding to its modest natural state, like Cinderella after the ball. Without the flames, it was just a homely brown orb made from a conglomeration of God-knows-what, smooshed together and held in place with – of all things – suet. I remember tentatively poking it with the tip of my fork, hoping to avoid, well, pretty much anything but the hard sauce. I’d lightly touch the fork to my tongue, grimace and ask to be excused. The only things about Christmas Pudding that appealed to me were the dramatic entrance and the fact that hidden in it somewhere was a coin. Everybody wanted to get the slice with the hidden coin.

We had my Grandma Harris to thank for the Christmas Pudding. She was born Gertrude Waghorn, near
Chester England, in 1899, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1920. Grandma stood only five-foot-two, but she was a like a tornado crossed with a hurricane, a dervish of spectacle, drama and emotion. She was born to ordinary country folk, but after a few minutes conversation, you’d be convinced she was a full-blooded Tudor. Grandma could be the life of the party or the death of it. More often than not, she was both.

She was the oldest of seven children who became fatherless at a young age. Grandma developed a tough skin then, I think, and assumed an exaggerated sense of pride as a defense against anyone who might look down on her. Two of her brothers died in World War II, and the rest of the family dispersed all over the globe. She missed them terribly, and clung to her memories of the past like a toddler to its snuggy blanket. Traditions came to mean everything to her, and the Christmas Pudding was among her favorites.

We – myself and my sister and brother – were children of the 1950’s and 60’s. We engaged in significant eye-rolling at Grandma’s expense, and never more than when that pudding made its entrance. But Mom’s glare said, “Eat some,” and so we did.

The first Christmas after Grandma died, we were relieved that we would no longer be subjected to the pud. On Christmas Eve, I did some last minute shopping at a local gourmet shop. While I was checking out, I spotted some rather cute miniature Christmas Puddings, only about three inches in diameter, wrapped in cellophane, tied with red ribbon and sporting a holly sprig. I bought one.

At home, I snuck over to the sideboard, thinking I would hide my Christmas Pudding surprise there until later. That’s when I spotted them, sitting smartly on the cake platter with the petit fours – two more tiny Christmas Puddings like the one I’d gotten. Smiling, I placed my little pudding between the ones my sister and brother had each put there.

Families are funny like that. Even when your grandmother is a holy terror, she’s still your grandmother. When she’s gone, the things you associate so strongly with her, like the pudding, take on a certain nostalgic poignancy. You remember the sweet hard sauce and forget about the dried currants and chewy pieces of mincemeat. Families are a lot like Christmas pudding when you think about it. They’re a mishmash of tough bits and sweetness; they flame up and then settle back down; they’re filled with surprises like the hidden coin, and held firmly together with an indestructible glue, like suet.

Thanks Melissa for sharing this beautiful story with us!

Book Review: The Christmas Village by Melissa Ann Goodwin

2011-12-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I was asked to participate in a blog tour for Melissa Ann Goodwin's lovely children's book The Christmas Village. As part of the tour to help promote the book Melissa will be writing a guest post on my blog which I will publish tonight (hopefully the timing works out, the difference between Australia and America still confuses me a little!). But before I publish her guest post, I want to write a review of the book itself. I'm so glad I was asked to be a part of this tour because otherwise I may never have discovered this beautiful little book!

It tells the story of a young boy called Jamie who is visiting his grandparents in Vermont for Christmas. His father recently left his mother and the whole town in which he lives is involved in gossip and speculation about what took place. Jamie is angry at his dad and takes out his anger on his mum, who is also suffering in her own silent way.

While at his grandparents house, Jamie is drawn to a miniature christmas village which his grandma sets out in the living room for decoration. In his depression, he starts to wish he lived in the fictional christmas village where he imagines life would be so much easier. The old saying, be careful what you wish for couldn't be more true in this case as suddenly Jamie finds himself transported back to the year 1932 into a town called Canterbury.

This is how I imagined Canterbury to look like...

Once there he finds himself in the midst of danger, where he confronts the antagonist of the story, a man called Jim and races against the clock to try to get back home by midnight of Christmas Eve. In the process of solving mysteries and trying to figure out how to get back to his mum, Jamie makes friends with two very special people, a brother and sister who are the children of the town's banker Mr Pennysworth. With this friendship comes great understanding of a few things in Jamie's life. He starts to evaluate his behaviour toward his mum and also starts to realise the importance of home and family.

I absolutely loved this book! It captured the Christmas spirit beautifully and had a good message behind the story. With a few twists and turns thrown in, and a bit of riveting mystery it really was a great read. But it was the setting and characters that I loved the most. The friendship between Jamie, Chris and Kelly was very touching and of course Ida, the lady who ran the old boarding house and who took Jamie in was delightful. The town of Canterbury itself was described in great detail and made me wish I could time-travel there myself! Snow, chimneys, christmas carols, cinnamon cookies, mittens and scarves and ice skating and cider... this book has it all! It's the kind of Christmas I've always wanted to experience and it's almost like Melissa had wrapped up all my imaginings and dreams and turned them into this wonderful story. It brings to life what Christmas is all about, and definitely got me in the festive mood.

If only Australia could experience a snow-filled Christmas like this one in Vermont, I would be sooo happy! But I guess that's the beauty of books, and especially this one, they take you away into beautiful places and let you experience and enjoy these illusory worlds. Thanks Melissa for writing about the Christmas I've always wanted! This book is a treasure.

Publisher: CreateSpace October, 2011
Source: Received for review by author
Rating: 5/5 stars

Wishlist Wednesday: The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman

2011-11-23T03:57:00.000-08:00

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, is a weekly meme that keeps track of the books we want to read!

This week I've chosen The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman.

Here's what it's about:

A magical short novel from the author of All My Friends Are Superheroes. A robber charges into a bank with a loaded gun, but instead of taking any money he steals an item of sentimental value from each person. Once he has made his escape, strange things start to happen to the victims. A tattoo comes to life, a husband turns into a snowman, a baby starts to shit money. and Stacey Hinterland discovers that she's shrinking, a little every day, and there is seemingly nothing that she or her husband can do to reverse the process. Can Stacey and the other victims find a solution before it is too late? The tiny wife is a weird and wonderful modern fable. Small, but perfectly formed, it will charm, delight and unnerve in equal measure. ~ Amazon, Editorial Review.

This book has had some great reviews on Amazon and is described as an adult whimsical fairytale. Apparently it's written in the style of a fable and has some great lessons to tell. I'm really looking forward to reading this one!

In Pictures: Vintage Storybook Covers

2011-11-22T02:25:00.000-08:00

I was very touched this week to receive another blogger award, this time the One Lovely Blog Award from the lovely Barbara Anne Fisher from March House Book Blogs.

For anybody who hasn't checked out her blog yet, you really should. I only discovered it a couple of months ago and already I'm addicted! She has an online store that stocks children's and illustrated books and often features old and out-of-print books on her blog. It's the pictures I love looking at though! Her site is filled with beautiful vintage images and I could (and do) spend hours scrolling through them all.

So today I thought it would be nice to dedicate this post to all things vintage and storybook. I hope you enjoy looking at the following pictures and please make sure to check out Barbara's site too!

Childhood Classic: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

2011-11-18T23:33:00.000-08:00

It's creeping up closer to my favourite time of the year again so I thought I would dedicate this post to something Christmassy! This year Christmas is pretty exciting for me because it's mine and my husband's first real Christmas together in our house. I've just finished decorating our first tree (I'll post a photo at the end of the review), the scent of my cinnamon candle is in the air and I've got Charles Dickens's book A Christmas Carol sitting next to me on the couch. So all in all, there's definitely a Christmas vibe in the air!

I first read A Christmas Carol a few years ago but flicked through it again this morning. It's actually my first and only Dickens book I've ever read and thinking about this makes me a little sad. I really, really, really want to read Oliver Twist because I love the movie so much and even bought a beautiful hard-cover version of the book but it's still sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. I'll get to it one of these days...

But back to the book I want to discuss: A Christmas Carol. Written as a novella back in the 1800's, it tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy and stingy businessman who hates Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts each one representing a period from Christmas past, present and future. Each ghost takes Scrooge through various scenes of his life all in the hope of transforming him from the mean-spirited person he is to a more generous and giving character.

Scrooge visits his childhood self and is stirred by nostalgic emotions of a time when he was young and innocent. He then visits scenes in his present, in particular a fellow employee of his called Bob whose family is extremely poor and impoverished yet still manages to get together and put on a happy feast, and finally he visits his depicted future, a bitter look at what will happen if he doesn't change his ways.

By visiting the various chapters of his life, Scrooge does indeed wake up and realise that he has become a miserable human being. He vows to turn over a new leaf and with the guided help of the ghosts he becomes a new man embodying the complete wisdom of the Christmas spirit.

This simple story is a wonderful read, not just for the moral significance of what it represents but also in introducing the typical Christmas values we all share today, particularly family gatherings, turkey being the seasonal food and the generosity of the Christmas spirit via gift giving.

Perhaps though, the true wonder of this story is the banishment of judgement on those less fortunate than ourselves. It heightens the importance of helping those in need and certainly illustrates that we shouldn't take anything for granted. Basically if you're fortunate in life, appreciate it and let go of the cynicism.

Interestingly, when doing some research on this book I read that many important businesses and organisations regarded it as a legacy and because of the themes and subject matter it touches upon has been the reason for many generous acts across the world. Of course we are talking early nineteenth century here, but had it not been for the popularity of this book perhaps the wide-spread charity influence we see today would not be quite as strong. So next time your work company gives you a Christmas ham or turkey or better yet a bonus (!), just remember that good ole Charles Dickens was probably the original influence behind it!

And now, as promised here is a picture of our Christmas tree:

We decided to go with a blue, purple and pink theme. Seu wanted more blue but I wanted more pink so we compromised with the purple. Now I just have to buy some presents to actually put under the tree! It's looking a bit lonely without them.

And lastly, there's plenty more Christmas posts coming up! I'm currently reading a beautiful children's Christmas story given to me for review by the author and I absolutely cannot wait to review it soon! Stay tuned...

Wishlist Wednesday: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

2011-11-16T02:52:00.000-08:00

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, is a weekly meme that keeps track of the books we want to read!

This week I am wanting to read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami! Here's what it's about:

Two stories and two fascinating characters. The year is 1984, and Murakami fashions a magnificent thriller and love story as an ode to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. 1Q84 is a magnificent and fully-imagined work of fiction, creating a world from which the reader emerges stunned and altered. - Summer Reading Guide, The Independent Booksellers.

I'm a little ashamed to admit this but to be honest I haven't even read Nineteen Eighty-Four yet! Maybe I should've put this one on the wishlist first... I've wanted to read it for so many years now and I can't believe I still haven't. Maybe it's just as well that this book has come out because it's a good excuse to get me to read the inspiration for it first. Either way, they both sound like great books and I can't wait to add them both to the collection.

Top Five: Libraries I'd Love to Visit

2011-11-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

1. New York Public Library

Described as being one of the most important libraries in the world, the New York Public Library is at the top of my wishlist of libraries to visit. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it’s been featured in so many books, movies and TV shows that it feels familiar but I just wanna see this gem in the flesh. This is the place where the ghostly librarian Eleanor Twitty was found in Ghostbusters, where Carrie Bradshaw planned her dream wedding to Big in Sex and the City, where Jerry Seinfeld was accosted by a library cop in Seinfeld and where the main character of Jeffrey Eugenides’Middlesex, Calliope, finds out what her condition is after a visit through its famous doors… the list goes on and on and one day I hope to experience it in reality and not just through my love of reading and watching movies!

2. The British Library and British Museum Reading Room

The British Library is the world’s largest library in terms of total number of items and currently holds the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf! An old boss of mine once told me that I have to visit it and I’m so ashamed to say that when I did visit London earlier this year I didn’t get around to seeing it. I was only there for a few days and unfortunately time didn’t allow it. But hopefully one day, I’ll be back there to explore it! It used to be a part of the British Museum and once occupied the famous circular British Museum Reading Room. They became separate in 1973. The Reading Room used to have restricted access back in the day and was frequented by famous writers such as Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, George Orwell and Mark Twain! Luckily for us, nowadays anyone can visit it.

3. Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

The University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has the largest collection of rare books and manuscripts available to the public in Canada. I love old and rare books but apparently this place also has an extensive collection of Lewis Carroll first editions (wow!), biographical material, and photography. Ok, anyone who has read this blog before knows that I loooove Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland so to see these old collections would be A-MAZ-ING!

4. Salt Lake City Public Library

The Salt Lake City Public Library located in Utah in the United States, has actually won an award for Library of the Year and it’s not hard to see why. The unique design of the five story building contains a rooftop garden where a café is located, fireplaces, an art gallery and a spiraling grand staircase. Apparently they also play different types of music on each of the levels and nobody is ever shushed at! It certainly doesn’t stick to the same rules as a “normal” library and perhaps this is why it’s so popular… As far as I’m concerned, any library that plays music has gotta be doing something right in my book. I only wish they all took on board that same rule. Books and music… surely the two go hand in hand, and finally a library has realised it!

5. Belle’s Library from Beauty and the Beast

Ok, I know that this library doesn’t really exist but I had to include it in this list anyway because I love it, even if it isn’t real. Beauty and the Beast is probably my favourite Disney movie of all time and the beast is certainly my favourite prince. After all, he gives Belle, the girl he loves, an entire LIBRARY as a gift! That has got to be one of the best presents ever, and the library is beautiful. It has floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with colourful books, gold spiraling staircases, a fireplace and ladders to reach the top of the shelves. Of course Belle, being the little bookworm that she is, simply falls in love with the library and in turn with the man who gave it to her. A beautiful movie, beautiful story, beautiful books… I could do an entire post on this one movie alone. I want this library!

Wishlist Wednesday: The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons

2011-11-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, is a weekly meme that keeps track of the books we want to read!

This week I've chosen The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons. I've come across this book a few times in bookshops and every time I see it I always pick it up but so far haven't bought it yet. The book has a beautiful old-fashioned quality to it and the story sounds so lovely.

Here's what it's about:

In the spring of 1938 Elise Landau arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay. A bright young thing from Vienna forced to become a parlour-maid, she knows nothing about England, except that she won't like it. As servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn, Elise wears her mother's pearls beneath her uniform, and causes outrage by dancing with a boy called Kit. But war is coming and the world is changing. And Elise must change with it. At Tyneford she learns that you can be more than one person. And that you can love more than one person.

Hmmm, sounds like there's traces of The Notebook there... Can't wait to read this one!

In Pictures: Colourful Books

2011-11-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

Monday mornings are always hard for me. It's time to say good bye to the weekend and hello to a brand new week... which always brings on the blues for some reason. What can I say, I love weekends!

If you're like me and approach Mondays with caution you might enjoy these images of colourful books to help brighten up your day!

Notes: Love the Smell of Books?

2011-11-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've talked about my love for the smell of books before on this blog so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone when I say that I was really excited to stumble upon some books scented candles! I love books and I love candles so could this possibly be the greatest invention ever? Book stores and libraries should be taking note...

The candles are available online at Assouline, an online bookstore that goes beyond just books.

This is the description of the candles on their website (and what made me fall in love with them).

The thought of serenity in a leather armchair while getting engrossed in a classic novella has just become even more appealing with Assouline's range of Books Scented Candles. Created by one of the world's sensory experts, the light and fine perfumes of Bibliotheque, Wood and Leather candles evoke the fragrance and atmosphere of a fantasy library. They perfectly encapsulate the pleasure of reading through the enigmatic scent of the paper of an old manuscript, the warm distilled scent of red cedar wood bookshelves, and the soft smell of comfortable leather couches and book covers.

I also found an interesting note on the Facebook page for Random House Books that explains why the old book smell is so pleasing to the senses.

Well, at least my behaviour of smelling books can be explained now. But is it weird that I do the same thing with chocolate...?

Top Five: Books I Thought I'd Love... but Didn't

2011-11-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

I feel a bit bad doing this post because I really do love most books I read. The time, the effort, and the talent that goes into producing most books does nothing short of amaze me. Most authors I could never fault, mostly because they have accomplished the one thing I would love to do but so far haven't: finish writing a book! I live in daily awe of most of them... The following novels are just highlighted examples of stories that I thought I would love (mainly because they are all so popular), but unfortunately didn't. These are a reflection of my personal thoughts and opinions and I understand that not everybody would feel the same way.

1. Eat Pray Love

I know that many people love this book but I just couldn't get into it. Apart from the bit where she travelled to Italy (eating pasta all day long for 24/7 would be a dream for me too), the book was a bore. Based on a memoir of the author's life experiences, it tells the story of Elizabeth Gilbert, a newly-divorced, very privileged woman who loves wallowing in self-pity. She lives a glamorous life as a writer living in New York City, owns two houses and yet is so miserable and sad about life that she sets off in search of something to make her happy overseas. She eats and gets fat in Italy; she meditates and tries to find spiritual peace in India, before eventually landing in Bali to miraculously find love. The problems I had with this book were that she just came across as a spoiled brat who only cared about herself. The countries she visits have some enormous social and economic problems that far outweigh her own, yet these aren't even discussed or acknowledged in any way whatsoever. I have visited Bali myself and there's no way I could record a story of my experience there without acknowledging the very sad things I saw. There was one endearing act that took place in Bali within the story, but besides this, the whole novel is completely centred around her own misery and getting over her marriage (which I also thought she approached with selfishness). I haven't bothered watching the movie either because as much as I love Julia Roberts, it will no doubt be worse than the book.

2. The Bride Stripped Bare

Words can't describe how much I disliked this book! First written anonymously, the author later revealed herself as Nikki Gemmell. It tells the story of a young wife who has disappeared and left behind a diary chronicalling her affair with a younger man she met at a library group. To all who knew her, she was a happy, content and "normal" housewife. But inside, she harbored desires and fantasies that bordered on just plain weird. Apparently Gemmell wanted to remain anonymous so that she could feel free to explore a woman's inner world and sexuality. The character basically lived a double life and was a completely different person under people's perceptions of her. The narrative is messy and I found the writing style disturbing. Instead of sticking to first-person and third-person naration as is seen in most fiction books, she instead decided to go with a second-person narrative where the main character was described as "you". It was annoying to read and reeked of her trying too hard to be clever. A sequel to this story has recently been released and I'm happy to say I certainly won't be reading it!

3. Wicked

I wanted to read this book because I had heard such good things about the stage production so wanted to read it before I saw it. Written by Gregory Maguire as a parallel novel to L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and how she came to be that way. It looks at the land and characters of Oz, and unlike the popular book and movie, this novel is not directed at children, and contains adult language and content including violent imagery and sexual situations. Although I didn't hate this book, I certainly didn't love it like I thought I would. I'm a big fan of L. Frank Baum's work and I think I prefer it when this fantasy world of Oz is depicted through a child-like lens rather than that of an adult. The story does cast a sympathetic shadow over the herione of the novel, the Wicked Witch, and we do get to see a different side to her but I must say that the brilliance of the book is in its description of politics and the alluded references it contains to our real-life world. That being said though, I still found it to be a bit of a drab read...

4. Brother Odd

I do like me some horror every now and then and when the mood strikes I rarely venture further than Stephen King or Dean Koontz. The two alone pretty much have the genre covered and both author's books I have enjoyed immensely. This one however by Dean Koontz was quite simply nothing short of boring with a capital B. It tells the story of Odd Thomas who has been a guest at St. Bartholomew's Abbey for seven months to seek peace and understanding. It takes place after the book Forever Odd (which I haven't read and may explain why I didn't understand this book). The gist of the story is that Odd Thomas sees a bodach (a mythical creature like the bogeyman) which means great doom for the abbey. He's warned about something called the "Neverwas" and pretty soon the bodachs are multiplying and Brother Odd, with the help of the monks, has to try to save the children. After a bizarre killing spree, Odd leaves the abbey and when driving along a dirt road he is visited by the ghost of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Even trying to describe it here, I'm getting confused and to this day, still don't really know what the whole story was about... If anybody else out there has read this book and understands it, feel free to enlighten me!

5. Atonement

This book by Ian McEwan has had so much hype surrounding it and has even been voted by TIME Magazine in its list of All-TIME 100 Greatest Novels. It's been adapted into a successful movie and has spent years on bestseller lists. So for these reasons I thought I'd love the book but unfortunately didn't. It tells of a young girl who on a fateful day makes one mistake that has life-changing effects and consequences on everyone she knows. As a consequence of this, she lives seeking atonement which helps in her aspirations to become a writer. The book explores lots of themes, namely those of love, truth, imagination and the relationship between a book and its author. Although the storyline was interesting and did capture my attention initially, I grew bored with reading it. Interestingly, I read recently that this book is apparently going to be made into an opera... maybe I'll enjoy that more!

Wishlist Wednesday: Tempest by Julie Cross

2011-11-02T03:41:00.000-07:00

Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, is a weekly meme that keeps track of the books we want to read!

This week I have chosen Tempest by Julie Cross after it was recommended to me on Net Galley. It's a YA fantasy book that makes up a trilogy and although it isn't my usual type of book, after reading some reviews I've decided I'd love to read it!

Here's what the book's about:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy... he's in college, has a girlfriend... and he can travel back through time. But it's not like the movies - nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there's no space-time contiuum issues or broken flux capacitors - it's just harmless fun.

That is... until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will sop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit... or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he's willing to go to save Holly... and possibly the entire world. Editorial Review, Amazon.

I've always had a bit of an interest in time travel, especially after reading The Time Traveler's Wife. This book sounds like it would be a whole lot of fun! Can't wait to read it!