B3DA #7: Things I Love Thursday

It's Thursday, and it's been awhile since my last Things I Love Thursday! I have to admit, not a whole lot has changed - but that's not a bad thing. So what's good?

• Big Plans - My man is here for a few weeks, and looking to be here for much longer. Yep, we're finally pulling the trigger on that being together all the time thing. We've got plans in the works. I'm also looking forward to starting my new job early next week.

• Cinema - I had a bit of a dry spell in March, but managed to go to the cinema 4 times in the past week or so - it's been a strong Spring so far. Now that I have some time I was spending at uni freed up It'll be good to get back into the way of reviewing new films as they come out.

• Books - I'm in the middle of reading 3 books right now. So what's new?

• This weekend - Pre-emptive excitement for visiting co-workers from Laandaan, a big fundraiser on Saturday night with loads of friends, and generally cutting loose. Looking forward to it!

Et Aussi - Um, Evan; High Tea at The Butterfly & the Pig; my growing collection of film books (& the wonderfully acerbic reviews they tend to contain); Evan's laugh cutting through a too-serious press screening; buying more books than I can read (including these babies); re-watching Misfits; coffee with friends; coffee with old friends; handing in my portfolio!; getting back into blogging outside of UC and Quotables.

What do you love this Thursday?

'Til tomorrow!
Nicola

Image: Behemoth the Cat by Kris Atomic.

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

Things I Love Thursday: The Return

Photo.


What the hell you guys! Sorry for the sudden departure and lack of updates, I've been very busy trying to sort out my little post-grad life. While I did honestly type a TiLT post last week, it was so lacking in enthusiasm that I gave up. BUT I'm back so HI and READ ON!

Nostalgia - Quick catch up of the past 2 weeks: Graduation! Grad ball! High praise from high people, seeing my friends, reading lots and lots, flying home-from-home with company!, getting back to California, palm trees & blue skies & delirium.

The Gym - Definitely in a respectable place on the list of Things I Thought I'd Never Say Thursday... it's actually great. I've taken yoga, pilates, and completed about 8 miles of cardio work-out in the past week. It feels good!

My Boyyyy - He's awesome, and life is pretty sweet with him around. But I shan't gloat.

New Stuff! - Moving over here has a cloud: lack of stuff, with a silver lining: new stuff! I tend to go a bit overboard, but I feel I've accumulated some good essentials. Gym gear, gym membership, desk & chair, shorts, Reef sandals (my faaavourite, complete with bottle-opener soles!) aaand yeah. Good stuff.

San Franciscooo - How I miss thee. We're departing tomorrow for a Giants game on Friday night and then Andrew Bird & Death Cab for Cutie on Saturday at the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley. I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun! Baseball + Andrew Bird = big time squees. For real.

Living like an Amurrican - 4th of July was pretty fun, we got some fireworks and barbecued and played some drinking games. As always, the food was the best part of the celebration. And that's why I looove Amurrica. Heh. Also, having FINALLY got my social security number in order, I've begun applying for some jobs. Evan calls it "temporary citizenship", hah. We'll see.

& more...
Returning to Chick-fil-A (my favourite fast-food ever!), finally being 21 in the US, Andrew Bird on Saturday!, late-night Scattergories, reading reading reading, Late Night shows, the Daily Show & Jeopardy.

What's making your week explode with awesomeness?!

Dissertation & Wordle

As you may know, I recently finished my dissertation (senior thesis) on anthropomorphism in animation, with a case study on Wall-E. I decided to make a Wordle of it, so here it is!

50 Book Challenge

Photograph by Lightning Seed.

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, and I never made reading enough of a habit to believe that I could read 50 books in one year. However, I figured it was time for a challenge. Rather than January 1st, my personal book club began on a fateful day in May, when an unexpected book-binge transformed me into an all-out bookworm. (Well, almost!)

If you want to recommend a book, please go ahead, I'm very open to suggestions! My preferences include Murakami, semi-autobiographical fiction/memoir/humour, more mature Young Adult lit, and anything a little bit unusual, yet engrossing.

1. *The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Jean-Dominique Bauby
(17/5)

2. 15 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson
(20/5)

3. Candy Girl - Diablo Cody
(21/5 - 22/5)

4. *Looking For Alaska - John Green
(22/5 - 26/5)

5. 24 Stories - Haruki Murakami
(10/5 - ?)

6. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
(26/5 - 30/5)

7. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
(5/6 - 12/6)

8. A Place Called Here - Cecelia Ahern
(17/6 - 23/6)

9. *After Dark - Haruki Murakami
(24/6)

10. This Lullaby - Sarah Dessin
(14/6 - 28/6)

11. Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler
(9/7 - 11/7)

12. Sex & the City - Candace Bushnell
(11/7 3/9 - 8/9)

13. My Horizontal Life - Chelsea Handler
(16/7 - 19/7)

14. *Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
(1/8 - 3/8)

15. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Haruki Murakami
(30/7 - ...)

16. *Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami
(4/8 - 7/8)

17. *Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer
(8/8 - 13/8)

18. The Film Club - David Gilmour
(26/8 - 29/8)

19. South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami
(31/8 - 3/9)

20. *The History Boys - Alan Bennett
(8/9)

21. Slam - Nick Hornby
(8/9 - 9/9)

22. *Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami
(9/9 - 23/9)

23. Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
(2/10 - 9/10)

24. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho
(10/10 - 18/10)

25. * Paper Towns - John Green
(19/10 - 23/10)

26. * The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
(19/10 - 23/10)

27. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
(23/10 - 27/10)

28. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
(27/10 - 29/10)

29. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ - Sue Townsend
(29/10-30/10)

30. * On The Road - Jack Kerouac
(30/10 - ...)

31. Fight Club - Chuck Palaniuk

32. I Am the Messenger - Murkus Zusak

33. Let it Snow - John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

34. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

35. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

36. Bird by Bird - Ann Lamott

37. Animal Farm - George Orwell

38. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson


To-Read List:
The General in His Labyrinth - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Book Thief - Marcus Zuzack
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

* - I recommend this book.
I've read it - this is mostly so that the unfinished ones will look naked and guilt me into finishing them!


If you read, what books have you enjoyed recently? What books are your favourites? What do you recommend?

What have you done to challenge yourself this year?