Hello & Here Come the Reviews

Hello all - how are you doing this end-of-year? I've been plotting and planning to kick-start the blog in the new year, with a little help from CSN Stores. They have amazing online stores where you can find everything from great cookware to beautiful bedroom furniture to chic lighting pieces -- take a look!

Hope you're all enjoying your winter break, I'll be back shortly with loads of new content and reviews. You can also check out my Best of 2010 at my other blog, Uncultured Critic.

Nicola

Quotations, Quotations, Quotations

I have returned from the deep dark depths of the internet (aka my other blog, Uncultured Critic) to share with you some of my favourite quotes!

I've been loving this website, Quotables, which is a database of quotations. It is a fantastic resource and -- finally -- a place to keep all of my quotes in one place! Full disclosure: I'm interning on the project; but most certainly not for want of a better job. You should also check out the Quotables blog for lots of fun, themed quotations.

These are all my favourite quotes about inspiration, life, and overcoming adversity.

The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job, ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say "no" - they might not be smart enough to say "yes".
— Keith Olbermann

Enjoy what you can, and endure what you must.
— Goethe

Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.
— F. Scott Fitzgerald

What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning.
— Charlie Chaplin

If it is important enough to you, you will find a way. If it is not, you will find an excuse.
— Anonymous

What are your favourite quotes?

Expression

I’ve been thinking - perhaps due to my recent reading of Stephen Fry’s The Liar - about the crossing-over of words between languages. Words like schadenfreude (deriving pleasure from the misfortune of others) and zeitgeist (“the spirit of the times/age”). Words that perfectly encapsulate an idea or a feeling in such a way that they are irreplaceable; no translation necessary.

There are also a number of French words that cross over into English, German, and beyond. Phrases like c’est la vie, je ne sais quoi, and faux pas, and the Italian prima donna. Classics, clichés, and - on the whole - often misspelled. They are ubiquitous in speech yet avoided in type.

I have also been thinking about people who are able to express things in ways that I could never imagine. People with brilliant ideas which they articulate with style. For example...

i live here: SF
A photography project with the aim to, “share the spirit and fascinating layers of this city through the words and faces of those who live here”. It’s like iheartstrangers, but the stories are written by the subject and share their love for the city that calls itself The City. The creator, Julie Michelle, also runs this fantastic personal blog.

Raptitude
David Cain's project for "getting better at being human" is an endless stream of questions. Questions you've asked and never had answered. Questions you ask yourself on a day-to-day basis, but never explore or resolve. Questions you've never even thought of before. Raptitude baffles me daily, often in ways that make me want to close my browser and forget I ever read his words for fear that I will someday have to come face-to-face with my own thoughts. It's pretty invigorating, and a worthwhile challenge.

Keegan Gibbs
A simple photoblog that captures life in a way that I have always wished I could.

The Art of Non-Conformity
Chris Guillebeau is a man who grabs life by the balls. His tenacity knows no bounds, and he doles out advice and encouragement to help others join him in blazing their own trails. It's difficult not to listen to the man who is building an empire, running a marathon each year, and is well on his way to visiting every country in the world before his 35th birthday.

What words are most expressive to you? Is there someone whose creativity you admire?

'Til next time,
Nicola x

[Photo by Julie Michelle.]

Are You Aware of ME?

Earlier this week, I read this honest and touching collaborative blog post from Daisy Hill and Scott Jordan Harris at Touching From a Distance.

M.E., also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a debilitating condition that causes severe and persistent fatigue, headaches, pain, and cognitive difficulties. This is Daisy's video, giving a bit of a description.




At a minimum, M.E. tends to last around 6 months, but can persist for years. The cause is unknown, and there is no known reliable treatment or cure.

M.E. Awareness Week is important to me because my mother has suffered from M.E. for about 13 years now. I was only 9 when the symptoms began, and it was difficult to understand why she had such trouble doing day-to-day tasks and was sleeping all the time. Since I was so young, it because normal to me, I suppose, and I learned to do a lot of things for myself from a young age. Nowadays she is far more adept at handling her symptoms and balancing her day. Over-exertion tends to be a culprit, as it can take a long time to recover from one particularly busy day.

It is not impossible to recover from M.E., but the best many can hope for is improvement. An uncle and a friend of mine have also been affected by M.E. during their lives, and have been able to improve. These are all people who you can help

If you would like to get involved or raise awareness yourself, there are some excellent resources here, here, and here.

Have you, or anyone you know been affected by M.E.?

Until Monday,
Nicola x

[Image from weheartit.]

An Update

Greetings! How are you?

Firstly, I wrote an incredibly silly article for Geeks.co.uk - have a wee look!

I am in Scotland and the sun is shining! Huzzah. It is like a whole new place when the clouds part and we can stop hiding beneath our umbrellas. I always forget how beautiful Glasgow is when the sun is out and the sky is clear and everybody is smiling. Okay, let's not kid ourselves, but they are grumbling significantly less!

So tihs is basically a quick update post. My undisciplined days are coming to an end, and I've decided to commit to a posting schedule. Between here and my film blog, Uncultured Critic, I'm going to post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. This week, I'll be posting here on Tuesday and Friday, and at UC on Monday and Thursday. Naturally, I won't be limiting myself to 2 posts per week, but I decided not to go with a static schedule because every second post would be Things I Love Thursday. Where is the fun in that?!

As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas for something fun and collaborative, give me a shout!

'Til Friday,
Nicola x

[Image by meppol.]

BEDA #30: The End

A month has passed and gosh, it went by quickly! The upside is that I no longer have to worry about scheduling posts around my flights and relocation back to Scotland. Thinking back on the fact that I had originally intended to leave this fine state on the TWELFTH of April is kind of ridiculous. But I like it. A lot.

So, success! This is post number 29. It should have been 30, but I missed day two. Let's go ahead and pretend that didn't happen. There was no way I could have found internet access that day. The process wasn't as difficult I had anticipated, the themes were fun, and reading everyone else's blogs makes it much easier to sustain momentum. Thank you, BEDA Buddies, for making it another fun year! Thanks also to everyone who has commented, I appreciate your input more than you know! I hope you've enjoyed reading these posts as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

The "Official" BEDA is scheduled for August this year - whether or not I will participate is yet to be decided. Who knows what I'll be getting up to by then.

And now, back to your irregularly scheduled programming...

'Til next time,
Nicola x

BEDA #29(!): Things I Love Thursday

This week has been kind of a rerun of last, replete with 30 Rock, late nights doing nothing in particular, writing at the library, and drinking ridiculous amounts of chai tea.

The Best: Chai teas (again & again); NPR; Tumblr; Sprinkle of Ginger; Twitter chats; being too distracted to blog; tracking the Google searches throughout one dinner conversation (Barry Zito & pink satin pillows, scallops, & Van Morrison); looking forward to going home, seeing friends, hugging my mum & dad, & smooshing the cat's face; new developments; big(ish) decisions; BEDA & reading BEDA Buddies' blogs; In-n-Out Double Doubles & shakes; waiting til the last minute to pack; Jeopardy; upcoming plans; & Evan.

What made you smile this week?

'Til Tomorrow (a.k.a The Last BEDA)!
Nicola x

BEDA #28: Favourites

So here is a quick list I threw together. Most of it is off the top of my head so please don't hold poor choices against me in 10 years(!)

Novel: The Book Thief
Book (Non-Fiction): The Demon-Haunted World - Carl Sagan
Author: Haruki Murakami
Writer: Dave Eggers, Augusten Burroughs
Play (Seen): National Anthems by Dennis McIntyre (at the Old Vic w/Kevin Spacey & Mary Stuart Masterson)
Play (Read): The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Musical: Little Shop of Horrors

Band (Currently): Vampire Weekend
Band (All-Time): Belle & Sebastian
Artist (Currently): Regina Spektor & Ben Folds
Artist (All-Time): Andrew Bird, Jeff Buckley
Song (Current): Brandy Alexander by Feist
Song (All-Time): Van Morrison's cover of Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman & Wild Mountain Thyme


Film: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Director: Michel Gondry, Cameron Crowe, Chaplin, Keaton
Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman
Actor: Kevin Spacey, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio
Actress: Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson
Animation: Wall-E
TV Show: 30 Rock
Late-Night Host: TV's Craig Ferguson
Comedian: Mitch Hedberg

Website: Google (Mail, Reader, the gateway to the universe.)
Blog: In the interest of not repeating myself, The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau Blogger: NTKOG
Tumblr: 52 Books, oldfilmsflicker
YouTube Video: Hank Being Weird in the Airport cracks me up every time.
Magazine: Empire
Food: Nutella on toast
Hot Drink: English Breakfast Tea
Cold Drink: Iced Chai Latte
Alcoholic Drink: Gin & Tonic, lots of lime.

Twitter User: Changes week-to-week. @jianghomeshi tends to be interesting.

Feel free to put yours in the comments or blog it & link it! What are your favourite favourites?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #27: Addictions

A List Addict's List of Addictions II
I did something similar to this last year. Most of these aren't so much "addictions" as "things I do a lot". Either way, they vary depending on where I am. Let's break this down.

Current addictions:

• 30 Rock - Surely this doesn't require much explanation. It's fun to watch, it has great characters, an amazing ensemble cast, and clever writing. It has to be the most hilarious show I've ever watched. We actually finished Season 3 last night and, to be honest, I'm getting a little burnt out. The plan is to save Season 4 until it airs on UK television.

• Chai tea: Thanks to Steven, who recommended it when I met up with him in Santa Barbara about a month ago. I still haven't been able to make it the way I like with a tea bag, but hot and iced versions from the coffee shop are tasty and extremely addictive.

• Nutella Sandwiches - Partly a symptom of being skint, and partly because I don't have to ask my mum to buy it and suffer her judgemental stare when she notes that it's the 3rd new jar in 4 weeks.

• Blogging - Can you tell? I've actually found BEDA to be surprisingly easy this year. With only 4 days left (including today), I have to say I think I will actually miss it. Uncultured Critic has suffered a little in the process, but there have only been a few days where I really didn't feel like blogging. Great success!

• California - I was meant to be here for 4 weeks, now it's going on 7. Sincere thanks to Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic volcano responsible for keeping me here. Seeing palm trees, sunshine, and my boyfriend every day makes me happy.

At-home addictions:

• Tea - A home-made mug of classic English Breakfast tea with a splash of milk. Deeelish.

• Cinema-going - I can't wait to get home to my Unlimited card and friends who want to see all of the films that are currently out! There are a few out at home that I missed here, and a few releases in the coming weeks that I want to catch.

• Coffee Dates - My friends are making a mass emigration into the city centre and west end, so I think the number of these can only increase once I return home. There's nothing I enjoy more than sipping a tea or coffee and having a blether, and accompanied with a wander around town and the bookshop complement these outings perfectly. I have loads of people to catch up with so hopefully there will be lots of these to come.

Other little things: Twitter; Google Reader; watching Gilmore Girls re-runs; Glee; baseball (for now); taking the train; In-n-Out burger; comedy shows; pub quizes with friends.

What are your addictions?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #26: Quotations

For years, I've been a collector of quotations for years. I used to sit up late scouring quotedb.com looking for gems, and one of my favourite books is my Bartlett's. These are a few favourites that I've scribbled in my notebook. Enjoy.

Life:

"Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."
— Mark Twain

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."
— Charlie Chaplin 

"Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is by far the best ending for one."
— Oscar Wilde

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
— Voltaire

"Wisdom begins in wonder."
— Socrates

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers."
— Charles W. Eliot

"Obstacles are those frightening things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
— Henry Ford

"The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job, ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say "no" -- they may not be smart enough to say "yes"."
— Keith Olbermann

Literary:

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.
— Alexander Pope; Eloisa to Alebard 

Half the night I waste in sighs,
Half in dreams I sorrow after
The delight of early skies;
In a wakeful doze I sorrow

For the hand, the lips, the eyes,
For the meeting of the morrow,
The delight of happy laughter,
The delight of low replies.
— Lord Alfred Tennyson; Maud: A Monodrama (Part II) 

A pain stabbed my heart as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world.
— Jack Kerouac; On The Road

Film:
 
I was one of the insatiables. The ones you’d always find sitting closest to the screen. Why do we sit so close? Maybe it was because we wanted to receive the images first. When they were still new, still fresh. Before they cleared the hurdles of the rows behind us. Before they’d been relayed back from row to row, spectator to spectator; until worn out, second-hand, the size of a postage stamp, it returned to the projectionist’s cabin. Maybe, too, the screen was really a screen. It screened us… from the world.— The Dreamers

What are your favourite quotations?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #25: Weekly Wrap-Up

Before beginning to type, I was thinking about how my week did not begin well while browsing my Tumblr dashboard. This one popped up and is surprisingly appropriate. This also sums up a great deal.

Monday was pretty much consumed with worry, stress, and BA's on-hold music. (Which, incidentally, is the same music they play during the on-board safety videos. Is this all a cruel joke to you, British Airways?!) Since then, I've mostly been hanging out with Evan, watching 30 Rock, and writing at the bookshop. On Wednesday we went to the local microbrewery for dinner and drinks, then to a local restaurant-bar for a local comedy night. The "comedy" was terrible but we had a fun night regardless. My brother is currently here to visit -- after this weekend we may not cross paths again until August. We've mostly been eating and hanging out.

This week I have been mostly...

Watching: 30 Rock (we're almost finished season 3!); glimpses of baseball games at restaurants (Friday's game wasn't on satellite); and In The Loop.


Reading: Books: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (finally finished it), and You Shall Know Our Velocity! by Dave Eggers (which I keep reading 10 pages at a time & am trying to finish by this weekend). Magazines: Entertainment Weekly, Time, Total Film, & Cineaste.

Eating: Cheeseburgers, burritos, nutella sandwiches & a big breakfast.

Et al: Enjoying the gorgeous weather; paying for coffee & staying to read magazines; contemplating buying an iPad; knowing that would be a ridiculous thing to do; trying to catch up on the UK election; writing; napping; and catching up with friends.

How was your week?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #24: Favourite Childhood Books

 

I was a pretty voracious reader as a kid. From picking out big shiny picture books at the library to holding my battered paperbacks up to the window to catch rogue rays of streetlight after bedtime, I was always reading. Even if it was the same thing over and over. I was oddly picky - reading only Chapter 20: The Vixen in the Animals of Farthing Wood, or preferring The Giraffe & The Pelly & Me a fourth time over to the newest Goosebumps. Some stick out in my memory more than others. These are some of my all-time favourites.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This is one of those books that has all sorts of pull-out sections and folding parts to enhance the story. It has had a recent surge of popularity in recent years and seems to be re-appearing at a lot of bookshops. There are new versions, but I like to think that mine was the original and best (despite the fact that it was first published in 1969). It still gets quoted in my house, "but he was stiiiiill hungry!"




The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

I'm not sure I ever actually owned this book - maybe I loaned it from the library a lot. I love tigers and I love tea, so perhaps this book shaped me in more ways than I will ever truly know. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, and I love the simplicity of the story despite the inherent implications in inter-species dining. This book is currently on sale at Fopp; I've been meaning to pick it up. For old times' sake.


Everything by Roald Dahl
My favourites, in rough order: Danny, The Champion of the World; The Giraffe &; the Pelly &; Me; James &; the Giant Peach; Charlie & the Chocolate Factory; Fantastic Mr Fox; The BFG; Matilda; George's Marvellous Medicine; The Twits. There are only 3 of his children's books that I haven't read. I've been meaning to revisit his autobiographies, which I didn't understand growing up: Boy - Tales of Childhood and Going Solo. I don't have to tell you why Roald Dahl was amazing.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
I've read this book tens of times and never tired of it. I must have started young, because I remember feeling much younger than Fern's 8 years, and thinking back on it when I read it again (and again and again) when I was 9 or 10. It's an undisputed classic and I have some great memories of reading this book. I still have the same old battered copy, of which I tried and failed to find a representative picture. This is one of the film posters, but it's modelled on the cover I own. What a great book.

Anything by Jacqueline Wilson
The Illustrated Mum; The Bed &; Breakfast Star; Double Act; Girls...; The Suitcase Kid… the list goes on. Pretty much anything published by ol' Jacquie up until the third "Girls" book, when I graduated on to Louise Rennison's classic Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series -- which I count as being too old to be considered children's books. The best thing about Jacqueline Wilson books was that they were often published with two novels in one physical book. Result!

Also, you should check out this fantastic new children's book blog called Book Scout by Andrea, a former librarian children's bookseller.

What were your favourite books growing up?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

[Images from weheartit, Wikipedia & here.]

BEDA #23: The Misadventure Continues

The theme for today is weather stories. I live in Scotland, which rarely experiences extreme weather, so I don't have any good ones. The heating in my house broke this winter, while it was -8C outdoors, but other than that, all I can say is that it rains a lot. There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes. I'm looking forward to yours, Becky!

My flights this week were volcanoed, so I'm still in sunny California. It's a beautiful 20C/74F at the moment. My brother's coming up for the weekend, I'm picking him up from the train station in about half an hour. I leave on Saturday (volcano permitting), so this is my last weekend here. Again! I believe it's my third "last weekend" since I arrived mid-March. Life is funny like that.

Today I received my press registration for Edinburgh Film Festival & Comic Con 2010, as well as a call that I'm excited about and need to return this Monday. Nothing like some plans to get you re-energised! I was getting lazy, so it's good to have some new things to look forward to.

Do you have any crazy weather stories?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #22: Things I Love Thursday

Rainy day walks; coffee-fuelled blogging sessions at the bookshop; reading new magazines I normally wouldn't purchase; rewatching & quoting In The Loop; Peter Capaldi (ifb); dinner & drinks with Evan, Callie, & Erin; forthcoming visit of the wee brother; contemplating the re-instatement of his childhood nickname, "The Monkey (Boy)" without warning; chai teas; anticipating sunshine & clear skies; In-n-Out; 30 Rock in general, classic Jack McBrayer moments in particular; attempting impressions of Will Arnett, "I'm gonna make your heart explode!"; inventing horrendous puns; The Habit; turning stubborn Amurrcans into habitual tea-drinkers; nutella sandwiches; the questionable feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing a book that you weren't particularly enjoying; refusing to unpack; burritos; re-heated burrito leftovers when tipsy; "You'll all have chins!"; Skyping with mi madre; "Coffee mit sexy!"; smiles; and laughing.

BEDA #21: What's Up?

Hello blogland,

How are you? What have you been up to lately?

Me? Not much at all. My flights out of the US were cancelled on Monday, so I'll be here for another week and a bit. There are worst places to be stuck, but since I was all packed and ready to go, I feel a little bit homesick now. On the plus side my wee brother, whom I went to visit a few weeks ago, is coming up for the weekend to hang out and probably go to a baseball game, eat pizza, make late-night trips to Coldstones and sit around reading magazines at the bookshop.

Tonight, I'm going out to a local microbrewery for dinner and drinks, then to an amateur comedy night. Should be fun!

What are your plans for this week?

'Til Tomorrow,
Nicola x

BEDA #20: Dreams

I wasn't particularly ambitious as a child. Like most 8 year-olds, I wanted to be a vet for a few  years, a marine biologist, a singer. My sister and I would bandage up our soft toys and turn our room into an animal hospital and I would be the receptionist who checked in each pet, using a plastic toy ironing board and as my desk. In a way I suppose we were both destined to end up studying film, since my dad would film us, documentary-style, as we introduced him to the inner workings of our surgery. Other than that, I would mostly aimlessly wander around with a clipboard and pen, or scribble idly in old desk planners. You could say I was highly organised with a lack of things to organise.

I'm still kind of lacking in direction, but I try. Lately I've been working towards film journalism. Covering events, reviewing films, writing small feature articles and making some contacts. In September, I'm most likely going back to university to do a masters in Film Journalism, which will balance vocational practice with academia. I guess my dream situation would be something like editor of Sight & Sound and visiting lecturer at a good university. Or lecturer at a good university and editor of an academic film journal. Maybe I just like the words "film", "journal", "journalism", and "academic".

My absolute dream job is Story Supervisor at Pixar. I'm not sure that they hire people who can't draw, but a girl can dream, right?

Ideally, all I want in life is to have a job I'm happy in, that makes decent money, to have amazing people in my life, to live and eat well, to read and write and watch lots of films, and to travel.

What are your dreams? Are they based around a job or something different?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

[Photo by Lissy Elle.]

BEDA #19: Timewasters

I've been a total internet addict since I was about 12. Needless to say, it's where I spend most of my "wasted" time. I've always been pretty into social networking, even though the term has so many diverse meanings now. I used to frequent the message board for my favourite band (where I met a lot of my first, and current, e-friends and people who are important in my life), and updated my LiveJournal multiple times a day for about 2 years. I'd like to say that my online participation has dwindled since then, but it would be more accurate to describe it as having proliferated.

Some of my favourite online time-wasters. The sites will be nothing new to you, but I hope you enjoy the links!

• YouTube - I used to spend a lot of time watching make-up tutorial videos, before progressing onto vlogbrothers (still an obvious favourite!) and a bunch of other collab channels. My current favourites are news/entertainment channels like Rocketboom, PhilipDeFranco, and communitychannel.

• Twitter - Despite all of the press it has been getting and its exponential growth, Twitter still seems to be pretty misunderstood. I remember almost signing up a long while ago when there was a small surge in popularity. I've been a member and user now since July 2008. It's a great tool for meeting people, sharing funny/interesting thing online, and - this week especially - for news. I started following HeathrowAirport and got a lot of crucial updates these past couple of days. Awesome. You can find my Twitter here.

• Tumblr - Tumblr, like Twitter, seems to take some getting used to. I haven't been using it a great deal for the past month or so, but it's amazing for finding images, interesting news articles, following bloggers (particularly photo-bloggers), and sharing. There are a few users I follow who are really sweet and always reblog or like posts and give comments and feedback despite the lack of a comments page, so that's always amazing. Especially this guy. Some other favourites: fuckyeahscottishconanguy, whytheyrehot, oldfilmsflicker, papertissue, filmquotes, scout, & 52 Books. You can find my Tumblr here.

• Blogs! - If you ever catch me squinting at my iPod, I'm probably reading blogs. Naturally, there are my BEDA buddies, who are all listed in the blogroll on the right. Some of my other regular favourites are: 
• I Heart Strangers - A photographer in Denver who photographs a stranger every day.
• Not That Kind of Girl - This young lady decided to do 250 out-of-character things for a year and blog about it. She's hilarious and brilliant - I can't recommend this blog enough.
• Misfortune Cookie Blog - Lots of intelligent film discussion.
• Yes & Yes - Sarah Von pretty much takes on the world and wins.
• Secret Society of List Addicts - A collab blog with a pretty self-explanatory title.
• Book Travellers - 2 friends, again, pretty self-explanatory!

Offline, I watch a little TV (primarily Gilmore Girls, 30 Rock, & Glee); read books and magazines (especially Empire, Sight & Sound, & Nylon); write; watch films; sleep in; go to the cinema; ride trains & planes, & see my friends.

What are your biggest or favourite timewasters?

'Til Tomorrow (Dreams)!
Nicola x

BEDA #18: Weekly Wrap-Up

This week I have been mostly...

Sleeping in, eating cheeseburgers & burritos, drinking tea, going to the cinema, hanging out with the guys, getting tipsy, and packing. On Friday I went to the opening night for the baseball AAA-team, the Grizzlies, with Evan and his family. Grizzlies won 2-1! I am supposed to be heading home tomorrow, but since Heathrow has been closed for the past 4 days it doesn't seem likely. It's little more then 24 hours til my flight is scheduled to depart from LAX, so all we can do is wait.

Watching: Giants baseball games, Date Night, Kick-Ass, I'm Reed Fish, 10 Things I Hate About You (Evan had never seen it!), Training Day, & non-stop 30 Rock. 

Reading: Blogs; NATS & Heathrow Airport flight schedule updates; Time magazine; Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Best Tweets of the Week: @theashcloud is a little worried that because I am not from the EU my dust will not be allowed to settle in the UK; #bodypartactors

BEDA #17: Books

At last, my favourite BEDA topic. Books!

As you may know, I have been doing the 50 Book Challenge for the past couple of years. I'm currently working my way through You Shall Know Our Velocity! by Dave Eggers and Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I've been on a pretty heavy Augusten Burroughs kick of late. At the beginning of the year I was working two jobs and wanted to read some easy rubbish, so please don't judge me when you see what follows: a list of the books I've read so far this year.

1. Are You Dave Gorman? - Dave Gorman & Danny Wallace
2. Magical Thinking - Augusten Burroughs
3. Yes Man - Danny Wallace
4. Stephen Fry in America - Stephen Fry
5. Straight Man - Richard Russo
6. It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive - Mark Kermode
7. Possible Side Effects - Augusten Burroughs
8. Embroideries - Marjane Satrapi
9. For Esme ~ With Love & Squalor (a.k.a. Nine Stories) - J.D. Salinger
10. Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
11. The Confessions of Max Tivoli - Andrew Sean Greer
12. Suite Française - Irène Némirovsky
13. Will Grayson Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan

We're coming to the end of week 15 of 2010, so I'm actually a little behind the target of 1 per week at the moment.


If you have any book recommendations for me, please let me know!

What are you reading?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

[Photo from ABC.]

BEDA #16: Collections

Hello, all!

Okay, this is late, and I apologise. I meant to post before going out tonight, but blatantly forgot. It's now 13 minutes past midnight so... I guess in Hawaii it's on time. Right?!

I had originally planned the Collections theme for today because I thought I would be home and would be able to photograph some of my collections. Unfortunately that is no longer the case, but I will share as best I can.

The main things I collect are cinema ticket stubs and tickets for plays, events, visits, some trains and planes, and anything else memorable. I also "collect" Moleskines (mainly because I use so many of them and have no reason to throw them away); make-up brushes (useful!); magazines (lest I decide to catch up on something a few months late); books, and - to an extent - DVDs.

This is a photobooth picture that I took quite awhile ago to show someone my movie ticket collection. It's over a year old so as you can imagine it has increased in size since then. One of my pet hates is those paper tickets you get nowadays at cinemas -- what a jip! If I'm paying £7 or $11 to see a film, I expect a real ticket, damnit!

Other than that, I don't have any special collections. If you ask nicely, though, I may take some new pictures of my movie stub collection and some other tickets once I return home.

Have a great weekend!

'Til Tomorrow (techincally later today)!
Nicola x

BEDA #16: Things I Love Thursday

Happy Thursday!

• Sunny California - Again, and always. There was a storm and a fair bit of rain earlier in the week, but it brightened up and is now back  to its former 23C glory. When i get home next week, it's probably going to be about 12C and raining, so I'm enjoying this as much as I can, while I can. It's making me wish I could stay longer. Next time I'm here it'll be in the region of 35C, smoggy, and dry.

• Baseball - The Giants are playing well, and it has been a lot of fun to watch. We change it up between watching at home and going to Evan's dad's house to watch it with his family. The current record is 7-2 (wins-losses) so it has been a great early season so far! We're not accustomed to the Giants winning so much. The local AAA league team, the Fresno Grizzlies, is the Giants' little brother team, and their season starts tomorrow. A couple of the Giants' rising stars are playing, including Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner (some names, huh!),  so we're going to the opening game. I can't wait to watch the setting sun, eat hot dogs and watch my last live game for a few months.

• Bookshop Cafés - I've been stealing away to Barnes & Noble to focus, sip tea, and write. To my astonishment I've been getting a lot done. It should be a given, but it still surprises me how much I can get done before my netbook battery dies when I'd usually be distracted, checking Twitter and emails and looking up every insignificant detail of which I'm unsure. It made me think, too. If you're a freelance writer or graphic designer or whatever and only need a computer to work but have trouble knucking down at home; is the bi-hourly purchase of coffee comparable to paying rent on an office? I wonder.

Little loves: Iced vanilla lattes in the sunshine; sitting on the back porch at night with Evan and his sister; catching up on 30 Rock; long lies; walking ; Glee (I know); Netflix live stream; the usual suspects!

What's brightening up your Thursday?

[Photo by Richard Herrmann - It's a Mola Mola, the largest fish in the world.]

BEDA #14: Travel

It's hard to say whether or not I travel a lot. I do and I don't. I share my time between home: Scotland, and home-from-home: California. The amount of time spent in each place varies, but I guess you could say I live in both. In that respect, you could say I don't travel very much at all.

I do love it, though. I'm extremely lucky to be able to go back and forth as much as I do, and for all of the trips that I take in-between. Some of my favourite places to visit are:

• Glasgow: Naturally. It can be a dour place at times but when it's a clear day and you can see a long way, or pass all of the beautiful old buildings, or take a stroll through the West End on a sunny day, it's lovely. We have amazing old theatres and cinemas, lots of bars and coffee shops, and, of course, lots of great people. No matter where I end up, it will always be "home".

• Santa Barbara: I lived in Santa Barbara for a school year, about 9 months. It's difficult to get around if you don't drive, but it's absolutely gorgeous. Lots of beaches, palm trees everywhere, sunshine, clear skies (even after a morning of rolling fog), beautiful Spanish Mission-style buildings, and the Sierra Nevada.

• Vancouver: I only ever spent a few days in Vancouver, but it's somewhere I wish I could live. The contrast between the tall buildings and the lovely plush greens of Stanley Park, the bridges and harbour and the hilly streets, made me think of San Francisco and Glasgow mooshed together into one super-city. The people were ultra-friendly, the public transport easy to navigate, the streets are clean, the sun shines all spring, the food we ate was amazing, and the bars were fantastic. They even close the bar-friendly streets off from traffic to keep the pedestrians safe. Where else do you see that?!

• San Francisco: A little big and intimidating for my tastes, but I love to spend a weekend here. The hills, the bay breeze, and the baseball park are the best. I'm pretty sure I went on and on about it on Day 4.

What are your favourite cities to visit?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

P.S. There are some new posts at Uncultured Critic: Here, here, and here. Enjoy!

BEDA #13: Unique Skills?

Today's theme is Unique Skills, but I'm not sure that I have any. I don't have a party trick, I'm not double jointed, and I can't make any weird shapes with my tongue. I can touch-type like a pro (88wpm with 2 errors last I tested it), remember the words to probably about 2/3rds of all mid-late-1990s UK number ones, and quote the entire scrips of Clueless and Pirates of the Caribbean (even though I haven't really watched either film since I was about 15)... but I doubt those are particularly unique.

I do have some quirks, though, I suppose. I like making up schedules (totally miss university in the US for this reason), colour-coding my diary, and making lists of everything from what to pack for a 12-hour flight with 2 connections to book-to-film adaptations that I need to read and/or see. There was a guy on Jeopardy the other day who said he liked to make lists of weird and interesting things. His example was that he found out Brian May of Queen has a PHd, so he made a list of "super-educated rock stars". Before I even had time to react, Evan nudged me and said, "You guys must be soulmates!".

Do you have any weird, unusual, or truly unique skills?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

[Image by Sonja Vordermaier.]

BEDA #12:Daily Routines, a.k.a. Wharrgarrblll

I don't know about you, ladies, but it is Day 12 and I am feeling the burn. It probably doesn't help that I slept for maybe 5 hours and got up early this morning to shock myself out of my horrible sleeping schedule.

Which pretty much sets us up for today's theme: Daily Routines.

I'm pretty sure this one was my idea, but I forget why. I haven't had a set daily routine for... oh, probably about 2 years. My final year at uni involved a semester of film production, during which I rose at various times depending on our shooting schedule, and only had to attend one lecture and one workshop per week. In my final semester, I had 2 classes (meaning 2 lectures of 1 hour each, 5 weeks apart, not 2 per week!), and the rest of the time was devoted to writing my dissertation, eating nutella straight from the jar, making cups of tea, surfing Tumblr, and watching Gilmore Girls while making filled pasta. It was a good semester!

I've been kind-of trying to emulate that lifestyle since then. Since the beginning of 2010, I've had 2 jobs at once, one online job for a few weeks, been unemployed, and covered a couple of events. It's difficult to gain momentum, which is part of why I'm running two blogs, BEDA, and getting out of bed to sit in a room where people are actually studying instead of refreshing Twitter and Facebook until I realise that social networking websites are not a good enough reason to be out of bed before noon.

There are some things I try to do every day, though. Par example:

• Wake up at a reasonable hour. (i.e. Before noon.)
• Drink lots of water.
• Watch a film (or something visually interesting/stimulating).
• Write something, usually try to devote at least an hour.
• Chat to Evan (easy for now!)
• Read: a book, some blogs, an informative website.

 That's about it, really! No doubt this will all change significantly when I go back to do my Masters in September and have to wake up and travel 15 miles for 9am-2pm classes. Eep!

What are your daily routines?

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #11: Weekly Wrap-Up

This week I have been mostly...

Writing blog posts and coverage, sleeping, watching TV and movies on Netflix. Spending far too much time on the computer, hanging out with Evan and his family and friends. Scribbling and playing Bejewelled. Eating far too much chocolate, going to the cinema, and plotting for the week ahead.

Watching: College, Jerry Maguire, Moon, How to Train Your Dragon, Gilmore Girls, 30 Rock, and Baseball (Go Giants!), SNL, and YouTube.

Reading: Will Grayson Will Grayson, Blogs, and just about anything I find lying around.

Listening to: WonderCon recordings, Evan singing The Strokes, NPR on the radio, and everything on shuffle.




It has been a long-short week. Lots of writing, not much reading, and on-and-off watching habits have ensued. Highlights include bylines, sushi, cinema-going (always, always), hanging out with Callie, barbecuing, and rainy days interspersed with sunny ones.

What did you get up to this week?

BEDA #10: Shopping Kryptonite

I can resist anything… except temptation to impulse-buy books, Moleskines, souvenir t-shirts, coffee, more books, special edition magazines, cute pouches, handbags, and anything that involves upgrading my computer, iPod, etc. Naturally, plane tickets and travel insurance make a pretty big dent in my finances.

I have a system when it comes to buying things that I know I shouldn't allow myself to buy. It's the cost-per-wear argument, adapted to entertainment. I buy far more books than is reasonable, so I need to find a way to justify my purchases. It breaks down like this: a cinema ticket costs around £6 - £7; a book at Fopp (or anywhere else that sells below RRP) tends to be in the region of £3 - 6. There is also added risk, since I may not actually read it when something better comes along or I lose interest in reading for awhile. However, I estimate that I read about 50 books per 1 hour, so a 3-400-page book tends to be around 6-8 hours entertainment, at 50p-£2 per hour. My math may be more than a little bit dodgy, but it works for me!

How do you move the goal-posts to allow yourself a little somethin' somethin'?

'Til Tomorrow (Wrap-up Sunday)!
Nicola x

BEDA #9: Not Even Trying

Let me be straight with you guys. I lazed around all day, and I didn't blog.

I'm actually kinda drunk right now.

So, to make up for it... here you are.



This video pretty much says it all.

'Til Tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #8: Things I Love Thursday

Welcome to the official day of weekly glee! Since it has been awhile since I mentioned her, Gala Darling is the pioneer of Things I Love Thursdays, bringing a dose of happiness to your week, every week, for over 2 years.

WonderCon2010

• I do go on, but I had such a blast this weekend with all the Disney & Pixar-induced fun, reporting, and sublime geekery that goes on at these conventions.

California

• California, I love you. you are so sunny and filled with my favourite things: blue skies, sunshine, palm trees, and mountain views.

Chai Tea

• Okay, so I'm a little late to the party. I was never sure what to expect form chai, but after a heartfelt recommendation I decided to try it and now I'm addicted. How do you prepare yours? It's great from the coffee shop (despite being some kind of syrupy elixir) but my kitchen experimentations have yet to yield the perfect cup!

Buster Keaton

• We finally got the instant queue set up on the X-Box, and OMGitisthebestthingever. Finally, a pool of silent comedies without having to wait months for the DVDs! I've been watching upwards of 3 films per day, and a whole bunch of 30 Rock. I'm going to be pretty sad when I go back to LoveFilm (UK Netflix)!

The little things…

• Scrabble outrage; extending my trip; new books; home-made iced green tea with honey; scribbling notes on hotel stationery; chips & salsa; watching film after film after film; chai tea, again; hot dogs at the ballgame; BA phone staff; Moon/Sam Rockwell/Kevin Spacey; obsessive list-making; more tea; updating Uncultured Critic; bylines; shoutouts from @radicalaxis, and Will Grayson Will Grayson anticipation.

BEDA #7: Crushes

Now here's a fun theme.

When I was young, I fancied a lot of popstars. I like to think my taste has improved, but who knows. My boyfriend and I made those fun little lists of 5 people we're allowed to sleep with. You know the type. My original list is a bit of a blur, but it was something like: James Marsden, James McAvoy, Andy Samberg, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jay Baruchel. I actually think James Franco was on there at one point - so this weekend I felt a bit like Ross with Isabella Rossellini in that episode of Friends...

Why? Because this weekend I actually met the last two! I was scatterbrained and didn't get a chance to get a picture with Jay Baruchel before he tottered off to his next interview, but I did get one with Jake...

What a handsome man. He was beating them off with a stick all weekend.

Which reminds me, I still have a lot of work to do, so...

'Til tomorrow (Things I Love Thursday)!
Nicola x

BEDA #6: 'Styles

Today's theme is History of Hairstyles.

I've been watching a lot of silent comedies lately, and Buster Keaton's 1926-28 films in particular. One of my favourite things about his films are the costumes. From his massive shoes to his baggy trousers and flat-top hats, they're always perfectly tailored and complement the kind of tricks and tumbling that ensues.

But he's not the only one who always looks good...

The girls always look equisite too. While watching Steamboat Bill Jr. a few days ago, I must have exclaimed, "I love that haircut!" and "I wish I had one of those hats!" about 15 times. Isn't she adorable?

 Look at the dress on this girl (I couldn't find a free-to-use version, please don't judge me!):

I wish 1920s style would make a comeback. Tights with seams up the back (or, even better, spray-on with a drawn on seam like during rationing!), bobbed curly hair with hairbands and those little hats, and flapper dresses. You know you want it...

What's your favourite era in fashion?


'Til tomorrow!
Nicola x

P.S. Toy Story 3 is now up!
P.P.S. This is (at long last) post #100 on Synecdoche, Nicola!

BEDA #5: Sports

Giants Park

It's Sports Day! Ahh, the relief that comes after making that statement and remembering that you're no longer in school will never get old.

I'll be honest, I was a little bit sneaky when it came to laying out our themes and dates. One of my favourite sports is baseball. Yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that I have an American boyfriend who adores it, and whose dad invites us over to watch it several times a week when it's baseball season. My team - their team - our team, is the San Francisco Giants.

Grizzy Park

My first baseball game was during summer of 2006, when I first visited California. We went to a AAA game, which is kind of like 1st division in British football leagues. It's the lower skill level, like the little brother team to the Giants, and the team is called the Fresno Grizzlies. Amidst his explanation of the rules, Evan quickly realised that anyone who could hear our conversation would know I'm "not from 'round 'ere!" Baseball is the quintessential American sport. Although I don't always have the patience to sit through an entire match, I love to go to games for the hot dogs and the atmosphere.

We went to see the Giants at a Spring training game yesterday in San Francisco. Unfortunately it was absolutely pissing down rain and the Mariners won by a large margin. It was fun, but a wee bit of a shame since we had such good seats. Maybe next time!

In other news, I've spent all day writing up my WonderCon coverage. The first is on Radical Axis Studios, and is live at Uncultured Critic. Toy Story 3 coverage will be live tomorrow!

'Til tomorrow!

Nicola x

BEDA #4: A Celeberiffic WonderCon

Yesterday I spent the entire day at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco for WonderCon. I attended press conferences and panels for Disney's big summer releases: Prince of Persia, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Toy Story 3. I also interviewed Jay Baruchel for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. He's twice as adorable in person and supports Celtic! You can't say much fairer than that. I don't want to spoil it all, so you'll have to wait for my coverage at Obsessed With Film and Geeks.co.uk. As always, it'll be posted first at my film blog, Uncultured Critic.

Oh! And since I know you BEDA girls will know who I'm talking about - I saw Natalie Tran (communitychannel on YouTube)! She was at the first press conference. I wanted to go over and say hi but she was on the phone and then I had to leave early to make my interview appointment.

After all of the Disney stuff, I met up with Evan and we caught the end of the panel for Inception, Trailer Park (a bunch of new film previews), and the Kick-Ass panel. Afterwards, we got up to leave and saw Jonathan Ross sitting behind us! I went over and said hello, and he was really excited to have just watched his wife at a WonderCon panel -- she wrote the screenplay for Kick-Ass. Pretty cool!

The highlight of the day, though, was the Disney-hosted cocktail reception at Roe. I went along and met a bunch of other film writers, including Ed from Coming Soon and Sharon from Audio Hollywood. Ed was kind enough to introduce me to everyone, including the man of the day, Jake Gyllenhaal! I got a picture with him and I told him that I loved the Giving Up the Gun video, so we chatted about Vampire Weekend.

Jay Baruchel, Lee Unkrich, Jonathan Ross, and Jake Gyllenhaal in one day.

Best. Weekend. Ever.

BEDA #2 & #3: Playing Catch-Up

This is late. Very late. So it's kind of shameful that I missed days 2 and 3, especially after all of those posts about self-determination and being excited about BEDA... but I was busy, out of town, and the only internet connection I could get was spotty 3G through my boyfriend's iphone. I didn't want to be sloppy about it.

To make up for this weekend, I blogged about my day at WonderCon on Friday. It consisted of brunch at a French Café and a few panels. You can find my post on Obsessed With Film, and on my other blog, Uncultured Critic.

BEDA #1: Introductions

 

Oh, hai!

Name: Nicola

Age: 22 (oh, woe, I so liked being 21!)

Where I live: Glasgow, though I'm currently in California.

Where I call "home": Glasgow. California has become something of a home-from-home, though.

Why I blog:

• I've had blogs since I was about 13 or 14, so it feels natural to write online. I blog for fun, self-expression, and because it seems redundant to type and save files on the computer rather than getting them out there. It's also a great way to connect with people and make e-friends; I love the social aspect of blogging.

What part of BEDA I'm most excited about:

• I'm really pleased that we came up with so many themes and ideas this time around. Last year, we fed off one another for ideas and inspiration, but i feel a lot more prepared this time around. I also love that we have so many friends involved - I can't wait to read everyone's posts.

Why I'm doing BEDA again:

• Last year I didn't quite manage every day, but it did force me to think up ideas and sit down to write every day, even when I didn't feel like it. I like that, and I've been trying to blog frequently, so I know BEDA will keep me motivated!

How I first discovered Maureen Johnson & BEDA:

• I think I was following MJ on Twitter at the time and thought, what the hell! I'm always jealous when NaNoWriMo rolls around because I don't write fiction, so I must have seen BEDA as a sort of blogger's version of that. I'm so glad I did it!

Something other BEDA people might not know about me:

• Gosh, I haven't the slightest! I feel like I say a lot about myself on this blog, and I use Twitter, so I'm never sure. 

Another blog I follow:

• Sarah Von's Yes and Yes is a must-read.

A writer who inspires me:

• Not That Kind of Girl is a fairly new blog to me, but she's an absolutely incredible writing. Really sharp, witty, and endlessly fascinating.

A YouTube channel I love:

• Rocketboom! I'm addicted, it's like the Wikipedia page of the day and the wackiest news stories imaginable rolled into one. It's also associated with Know Your Meme. Enough said!

A favourite quote:

• "Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof & instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards; to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives… and to the "good life", whatever it is & wherever it happens to be."
  -- Hunter S. Thompson

Fel free to post this in your own blog & send the link in a comment!


'Til tomorrow,
Nicola x

Blog Every Day April: The Return

I can’t believe it has been a full year! As I’m sure you won’t know, BEDA stands for Blog Every Day April. The project was conceived by Young Adult author and general internet funnywoman Maureen Johnson. After announcing her plans over Twitter and the Maureen Johnson Ning, it became something of a collaborative Nerdfighter blogging project.

To keep us motivated, Maureen hooked up the willing with blogging partners, or BEDA Buddies, in sets of four. I was grouped in with a lovely bunch: Becky, Christina, and Autumn, and we’ve remained e-buddies ever since. My unofficial BEDA buddy Ana Lórena (best known as Ló) is also taking part again this year. We decided to carry on the tradition by ourselves, and I’m sure many other groups of BEDA buddies who have stuck together will also have done so. Maybe we’ll find them throughout the course of the month!

The idea is (as if you hadn’t guessed already!) to blog every day for the entire month of April. It’s no easy feat, and last year I only managed 23 out of 30 days, due to food poisoning and a few lost days. Having BEDA buddies makes the whole process easier and more fun, and this year we're going into it with an arsenal of ideas.

So there you have it! My posts will most likely be shared between this blog and my film blog, Uncultured Critic, which I will link to when I publish BEDA posts.

If you have any questions, ideas, or - best of all - want to join us!; leave a comment and let us know!

‘Til next time,

Nicola x

Announcing... Uncultured Critic

Hello, dear readers!

As you may or may not know, I am a Film & Media graduate. I'm not a particularly good one, to be honest. There are far too many films that I haven't seen and directors whose names I have not yet learned. To rectify this, I've started a new blog. It will chronicle my forays into watching more classics, attending events, and featuring some of the great independent filmmaking that can be found on the interwebs.

Please check it out, leave a comment, let me know what you think. Comments, criticisms, and ideas are most welcome.

http://unculturedcritic.blogspot.com

Until next time!

Nicola x

Help Haiti

You can help heal Haiti by buying cute clothing! Head on over to .Free Clothing Co and pick one up for yourself.

I went for the simple pullover:



There are lots of styles to choose from, the postage is cheap, and all proceeds go to the Haiti relief fund.

Happy shopping!

50 Books: Mission Accomplished!

A symptom of failing to write in one's blog until 25 days into the new year is that now you'll have to put up with end-of-year recaps such as this one. But don't let that put you off.

So, in 2009, I successfully read 50 Books! My mission was originally to read as many authors as possible, but as the year wore on I found myself hooked on certain authors (Jeffrey Eugenides, Ernest Hemingway, and a couple of brief flirtations!) Allow me to bore you with a long, but not wholly unnecessary, list. (The ones in bold are my favourites, and highly recommended!)

1. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

2. Bird by Bird - Ann Lamott

3. Animal Farm - George Orwell

4. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson

5. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

6. Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger

7. Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson

8. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

9. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi

10. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

11. Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie

12. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

13. Violet & Claire - Francesca Lia Block

14. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

15. Naive. Super - Erland Loe

16. The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

17. Moab Is My Washpot - Stephen Fry

18. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

19. The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett

20. The Geography of Bliss - Eric Weiner

21. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

22. Drown - Junot Díaz

23. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

24. The History of Love - Nicole Krauss

25. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates

26. Between the Bridge and the River - Craig Ferguson

27. Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen

28. The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

29. My Booky Wook - Russell Brand

30. Into the Wild - John Krakauer

31. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

32. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

33. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

34. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

35. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

36. Getting the Girl - Markus Zusak

37. A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway

38. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

39. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

40. Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

41. American on Purpose - Craig Ferguson

42. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction - J.D. Salinger

43. A Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

44. The Demon-Haunted World - Carl Sagan

45. When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

46. No one belongs here more than you. - Miranda July

47. Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim - David Sedaris

48. Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg

49. The Best Creative Non-Fiction (Vol. 1) - ed. Lee Gutkind

50. The Old Man & the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

So that's...
24 Novels
1 Graphic Novel
5 Novellas (in 4 books)
9 Autobiography/Memoirs
9 Other Non-Fiction
2 Short Story Anthologies

Books left unfinished at the end of the year:
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead - ed. Jeffrey Eugenides

So far, it looks like this year will be chock-full of humour memoirs, travel books, and other non-fiction. But I'll throw in a novel once in awhile to mix things up.

Well that was fun! What did you read this year? Do you have a mission statement for this year?

Further reading: Stereotyping People By Their Favourite Author (made me giggle!)

Hello.

Returning to blogging after a 6-week absence is like running into that girl you were acquaintances with in high school. You spent a lot of time in the same physical space, but you don't really know what to say.

Although I prefer to skip the excuses, I'll tell you what I've been up to.

First off, I became a Scout for Yelp. Since writing has been my part-time job, I kind of forgot about this whole "writing for fun" thing that you people out there in the blogosphere so enjoy.

I also spent 6 weeks working the best job I've ever had, at my favourite theatre in Glasgow. It was panto season, and I must have seen the show about 25 times. I loved it, though.

Sort-term future plans include applying for more paid writing work, being involved in Glasgow Film Festival, and starting the Masters application process (scary business!)

How are you all?

Nicola x

Photo by muxu.