Top Ten Favorite Book Covers of Books I’ve Read

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
While I don’t own this edition of Little Women this is one of my favorite covers. I love this whole reprint Penguin did of classics. The scissors though, and what they represent? (Remember when Jo chops off her hair?) Understated but beautiful.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson
When I think about books and covers I remember from elementary school this one comes to mind. You’ll probably notice a trend of either summer/water/love related covers attracting my attention. Plus, the pops of color and the fact that it looks like a watercolor artwork or something? Swoon.

The Help by Kathryn Stocket
Kathryn Stockett is a Phi Mu Alumna (my sorority) and our symbol is the quatrefoil. That little purple design the title is in? Love the simplicity of this cover and the fact that everywhere I went while this blew up the best sellers lists, I was reminded of my sisters.

Paper Towns by John Green
Even though Paper Towns isn’t my favorite John Green book, I absolutely love this cover.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
It doesn’t matter that this isn’t really how I picture Belly, Jeremiah, or Conrad in this story. I am a sucker for sun bursts. You know, by this cover that there’s an epic tale of romance brewing underneath and before I read this story every time I walked in a book store or the library I was immediately drawn to the cover.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I love the simplicity of this cover as well. I know that lime green book from anywhere, it’s always easy to snatch it off the shelf too. It may sound stupid but I refuse to buy the edition with the movie poster cover art.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
This screams of the things I’ve already told y’all I love. Bike rides, summer romance, the beach. I pre-ordered this one (not based on cover alone, but my Sarah Dessen love. I admit though that the cover increased by anticipation ten-fold.)

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Clearly

This was one of my favorite books growing up, and so while the cover isn’t anything fantastic, it brings back sweet memories. It was one of my go to stories. Rainboots, hello!

The Jolly Mon by Jimmy Buffet
This story, and Trouble Dolls have some of the coolest illustrations, ever.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

I feel like this is just an iconic cover. I love it and everything it makes me think of as soon as I see it on display.

BONUS because duh!

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
I would love to own like every cover edition of this novel, but luckily I do have one that looks like this old and weathered that I found at a library book sale.

Honorable Mention:
(A few more covers though I can think of about fifty-seven that I want to add!

I was looking for that other Ramona cover and found this, and oh my goodness I’m in love.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Not only is this story incredible, (and has one of my favorite quotes) but the cover has a snow globe!

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Another classic cover. I remember my mom reading this one aloud to us.

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Tera Elan McVoy
I love ice cream, and hot pink and teal are two of my favorite colors. The title involves the word “summer.” This one was a no-brainer.

Bloomability by Sharon Creech
This story holds a dear space in my heart as well, and the cover gives me the warm fuzzies. It SCREAMS adventure!

OK, OK I am limiting myself to just ONE more:To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I imagine Scout looking like this, so I think that’s part of why I’ve always loved this particular cover of TKaMB.

Ask Dad – 66/1 (Bet365)
First up is Ask Dad, who makes his second start for Thomas Carmody, having won twice in Britain for Richard Hannon. He has been a bit of a disappointing sort, only winning twice, and his last win came against Dance With Dragons in a very poor auction race at Windsor, smashing his sole rival by 11 lengths. He disappointed on his sole start for his new trainer and can safely be overlooked here.

First Cornerstone – 33/1 (Boylesports)
First Cornerstone was an impressive Group 2 winner on only his third start, but failed to land a blow against Kingsbarns in last year’s Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, on his first start over a mile. He missed his intended return in the Derrinstown Derby Trial having scoped badly, but he’s reported to have performed well in a handful of racecourse gallops, so he remains an interesting outsider if he’s capable of repeating his old form.

Flying The Flag – 33/1 (Boylesports)
Flying The Flag finished second in a Group 2 behind First Cornerstone on only his second start, before he ran well below bar in the Vincent O’Brien Stakes over 7 furlongs last September, finishing well behind winner Dawn Approach. He failed to land a blow when he went off as an outsider at Longchamp in the French 2000 Guineas on his first start over a mile, but this is more of a realistic task, having finished 3 and a half lengths behind the winner in a notoriously tough run race.

Gale Force Ten

Fort Knox – 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
Impressive listed winner Fort Knox will be running for jockey/trainer Johnny Murtagh for the first time, as well as sporting the famous maroon and white silks of Sheikh Mohammed, having ran in the silks of Andrew Tinkler beforehand. For his first run of the season, he took the mile at Leopardstown in his stride, and he does look like a dangerous contender for new connections.

Gale Force Ten – 10/1 (Betvictor)
Gale Force Ten has gone well at the highest level, finishing a half length third behind old rival Reckless Abandon (who he finished second to in the Norfolk Stakes last June) on his last start of the year. He won well on his return at Dundalk over 7 furlongs in Listed company, and was very unlucky not to land the French 2000 Guineas when he ran well late on but failed to get any closer than 3/4 lengths of winner Style Vendome. He ran much better than his price suggested in that race, and he can run well again.

George Vancouver – 14/1 (Betvictor)
One of the lesser fancied runners, George took the step up to a mile easily enough, by landing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa anita last November on his final start as a 2yo. He didn’t run before the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, for which he finished fifth, but plugged on well enough to run a respectable race, and was very unlucky not to beat home Toronado. This is an easier task without Dawn Approach, and he has the benefit of the run, and he remains an interesting outsider.

Havana Gold – 7/1 (Bet365)
Havana Gold is one of two remaining representatives of Richard Hannon, after Olympic Glory was confirmed to miss this race on Tuesday. The former runner has only finished out of the money twice, unseating at Deauville when he was very likely to go off and win, and again on his most recent start, in the French 2000 Guineas, finishing fifth when he just ran out of steam and tamely dropped away in the dying strides. Notorious for it being a tough race, he can bounce back and is worth another chance here.

Van Der Neer

Magician – 9/4 (William Hill)
One of the fancied Epsom Derby contenders, Magician made his mark at Chester on his seasonal debut, smashing his rivals in the Dee Stakes in stylish fashion, over 1m2f. Back down to a mile for this, a distance which he’s won over on his sole start, he could run a huge race and looks a nice each way price.

Trading Leather – 8/1 (Bet365)
Trading Leather ran a respectable race on his return over a mile and two furlongs in the Dante, at York, finishing a length and a quarter behind shock winner Libertarian. A Group 3 winner over this trip, he disappointed behind Kingsbarns in last year’s Racing Post Trophy and warrants respect for powerful connections.

Van Der Neer – 4/1 (Ladbrokes)
My favorite runner in the race, Van Der Neer landed a Listed race at Lingfield in less than stylish fashion in April, before going on to finish third in the English variant of this race behind Dawn Approach and 150/1 second Glory Awaits, and did enough to hold off more fancied stablemate Toronado. This looks a much easier race, and he could be the most dangerous one in the race.

Wexford Opera – 100/1 (Betvictor)
Long time maiden Wexford Opera hasn’t won on any of 9 starts, and was last seen at Navan over 6 furlongs, when he ran below bar as favorite. He’s punching way out of his depth here, and could be used as a pacemaker.

Conclusion: A cracking line up to this year’s renewal, with Ballydoyle typically dominating entries. Magician and Gale Force Ten could be the ones keeping the Classic at Ballydoyle, with the former runner a cosy winner at Chester in the Dee Stakes, and the latter was very unlucky in a tough run French 2000 Guineas, finishing only 3/4 lengths behind the winner, but VAN DER NEER  gets the nod after his gutsy performance in the English variant, and without Dawn Approach to line up against, this could be his chance to win a Group 1. Fort Knox could run well for trainer/jockey Johnny Murtagh and remains interesting.

Selections:
Van Der Neer – 4/1 (Ladbrokes)
Gale Force Ten – 10/1 (10/1 Betvictor)

Often mistakenly used interchangeably with CrÈme de Violette, this classic violet and berry liqueur was once lost for decades but has recently been revived.

What is it?

As mentioned above, CrÈme Yvette is a blend of two main ingredients, berrys and violet flowers. Four main berries are blended: mure, framboise, cassis and fraise sauvage. Dried violet petals come from Provence. These are then pressed to extract the flavor, after which honey and orange peel are added, making for a flavor that is so much more than violet.

A few CrÈme Yvette Cocktails

• The Classics:
  • (coming soon)
• New Originals:
  • Mint Blulep
  • Minty Blues

History:

Originally produced around 1890 in the US by the Sheffield Company, CrÈme Yvette became an essential ingredient in some well known classic cocktails. Shortly after its creation, Charles Jacquin et Cie. purchased the brand and began to distribute it world wide.

Thanks again to prohibition, the popularity of classic cocktails dwindled in America and thus many ingredients also suffered. By 1969, CrÈme Yvette was taken out of production.

Left on on an office wall at Charles Jacquin, a bottle of CrÈme Yvette sat idle, collecting dust for decades. It wasn’t until the “modern” cocktail revival in the 2000s that big names like Dale DeGroff and David Wondrich began asking questions.

More on St. Germain here.

These revivalists wanted to make certain classics, but were left to historical accounts and their own imaginations as to how CrÈme Yvette might taste. After some persuasion, Robert Cooper, creator of St. Germain and family member of the Charles Jacquin et Cie. decided to revive the spirit.

While the recipe was in possession of his family, the original suppliers of the ingredients had obviously changed or were no longer in business. Not to be defeated, Cooper sourced ingredients from new locals. Once things started to fall into place, he used the old original bottles to compare, in order to create a similar flavor profile to the original.

While I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the taste, one key difference between the new product and the original is the lack of any artificial ingredients in the new CrÈme Yvette. Sounds like a good thing right?

Well from a health aspect, perhaps, but the color is actually quite different than the original. The original had a similar purple, violacious color much like crÈme de violette. The modern Crème Yvette, while looking purple in the bottle, has quite a reddish hue when poured, resulting in cocktails having a color much different than you might expect. More of a “Pink” Moon than a Blue Moon cocktail now. More on this soon.

If you are not bothered by the color difference from the original, I think you will find CrÈme Yvette to be quite enjoyable, particularly in newer creations.

Horror is a misunderstood and much-maligned genre. At its worst, it’s nothing more than sickening exploitation. However at its best, it can be a place for experimentation, satire, and the exploration of the darker side of human nature.

This is not meant to be a definitive list. Add your own. But here are some movies that made me turn the light back on… and some that made not turn it off at all.

10. Nosferatu

F W Murnau’s unofficial film version of Dracula led to him being famously sued by Bram Stoker’s widow. But the frightening make-up of Max Shrek as the titular vampire Count Orlock remains one of the scariest images ever committed to film. The moving shadowplay on the wall would be used again time after time. Remade stylishly by Werner Herzon with Klaus Kinski as the vampire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-DrKgjit4I

9. Threads

A made-for-TV drama about what would actually happen in the event of a nuclear strike on Britain. Produced in the early 80s when nuclear war was still a grim possibility,  this terrifying program shocked a generation. Once seen, never forgotten…

8. The Thing

John Carpenter’s homage to the 50s B-movie, this guts’n'gore horrorshow pushed the boundaries of what was possible with make-up effects. A box-office flop, it has since become one of the greatest horror films of all time. Compare the atmosphere of the freezing scientists in this pic to the lukewarm remake.

7. Poltergeist

Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg collabroated to produce the grandaddy of all haunted house movies. A combination of SFX rollercoaster and shocking horror movie, it made a generation of kids afraid of trees and TV sets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytjaMfoF2M

6. Halloween

John Carpenter’s first big hit and the first true slasher pic. Indestructible madman Michael Myers stalks teenagers in a small town. But it’s the film’s creepy insinuation that horror could be lurking anywhere, even in the dark spaces of your own home, that truly lingers.

Just a normal street. But look again.

5. Alien

Alien is on some levels a very stupid movie. Butch warrant officer Sigourney Weaver displays more common sense than the rest of the entire crew of the ill-fated spaceship Nostromo, but still ends up trying to save a cat in her underwear. Even so, jaw-dropping production design and the most memorable alien in movie history combine to produce nerve-jangling scares from start to finish.

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Time has dulled the edge of this “based on true events” movie. But from the film’s opening shots we know we’re not in Kansas anymore. The casual violence remains shocking, but it was the film’s “endurance horror” that would go on to influence filmmakers such as Sam Raimi with his “Evil Dead” movies. Forget the countless remakes and sequels.

3. Jaws

Yes, that shark terrified audiences in the 70s and beyond. It may look rubber now, but the film’s great ensemble cast and stirring theme music still manage to make bathtime a little scarier.

2. Dawn of the Dead

George A Romero followed up his genre-busting “Night of the Living Dead” with this satirical masterpiece. you get a real sense of claustrophobia watching this for the first time as zombies are everywhere. Copied over and over again from low-budget schlock to the more stylish “Walking Dead” TV series, Romero was the only one to do something actually new with the zombie as an archetype of horror. Remade quite well but with less ideas in 2004.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt-EipwlWQ0

1. Salems Lot

This two-part TV movie must have sent network executives into a spin. A creepy Stephen King story about Dracula transplanted into the modern US becomes something quite different in the hands of horror maestro Tobe Hooper and veteran scriptwriter Paul Monash. The horror continues to rise as citizens of a small town are transformed into the most frightening bloodsuckers you have ever seen.  1970s TV heart-throb David Soul grows understandably more and more hysterical when faced with sneering James Mason and his army of undead. But it’s the surreal, frightening scenes where a vampire kid comes calling on his classmates that have stayed in my imagination. Watch the unedited version for the shocking twist ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIbJ2rQ59ZE

All through the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Boy Meets World and The Wonder Years was my daytime entertainment, and Nick at Night for…well, the night time. Now I’m not trying to sound like I was one of those cool hipsters who would rather analyze paintings all day than watch something as mainstream as TV. On the contrary, I would have loved to indulge in the new releases every weekend like every other normal kid on the street. However, my parents were a bit over the top on enforcing the “No PG-13 movies until you’re 13…and even then we have to okay it” rule. As if I would go to slumber parties and there would be a “Popcorn and Porn” night for 11 year-olds. Come on.

In hindsight, my conservative parents were just trying to shelter my siblings and I from the cruder, less wholesome outside world. Which is hilarious, considering I have a mouth like a fucking sailor. And now I look back and laugh about my first ever PG-13 movie that I watched secretively-yes, without permission- at a friend’s house. And to answer your question: Correct. I have ALWAYS been an innate bad ass like that. It was ”She’s All That,” starring Rachel Leigh Cooke and Freddie Prinze Junior. Seriously little Luce, that’s the best you could come up with? Well I still got caught and punished, but it was totally worth the thrill.

It’s really such a shame that so many amazing movies have come and gone from when I was young. It’s also really awkward when people make references to classics I never had the chance to watch. Lots of smiling and nodding occurs. SO, now that I’m in Australia and have some free time since I’m living the ‘no worries’ lifestyle, I am open to any and every classic movie that YOU feel is worthy of watching. Please do not make fun of me, just give me your suggestions because I am making a list. I figure, better late than never, huh? Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to chime in a conversation with “Life is like a box of chocolates,” or “We’re going streaking!!!” But until then, I’ve got my work cut out for me….I’LL BE BACK. A bit outdated? Whatever, I’m working on it.

21.5.1809.A.D: The first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling between the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles and the French army led by Napoleon I of France sees the French attack across the Danube held.

21.5.1937.A.D: A Soviet station North Pole-1 becomes the first scientific research settlement to operate on the drift ice of the Arctic ocean. 

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/us-art-exhibition-in-prague/query/21+of+may : us art exhibition art within prague in 1969 ,

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/moscow-film-festival-1969/query/21+of+may : moscow film festival in 1969

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-unveiling-of-the-queen-victoria-memorial/query/21+of+may : another interesting film about the memorial of queen victoria 1931

Those who know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories : Polybius 

This is a interesting quote it talks about the different ways are how to win but the most important way to win is a use of intellect with use of literature, with language of intelligent writing skills is the true art form of victories against ignorance , **knowledge and wisdom** is the key to success

I dutifully made my way to Waltham abbey and parked the car, just as a rather flamboyantly dressed man (very brightly coloured and patterned waistcoat and one white glove), who I thought might have been working front of house, tried to park his car next to mine. It took him several attempts to get into the space and as he did so I noticed his car was scrapped all down the sides; testament to his dodgy parking, I imagine. After he settled, I noticed him poring clear liquid into a water bottle (alcohol?) and hiding this in his jacket pocket. His car was completely full of what looked to me like rubbish; old boxes, yellowing newspapers, bottles, packets etc. it was all very reminiscent of ‘Hoarders From Hell’. Confident that he was watching, or working on the play and that I would be able leave before he did, I went into the venue.

Having never been in the town hall there before I was excited to see what the inside was like. Being that I am always early, I went into the bar area. This was where the real fun started. There was a man with two women in front of me, they had clearly been there some time and were fidgeting and trying to catch the barman’s attention. He was out the back with a young woman seemingly just talking. Eventually they came bar side and the young girl just stood and did nothing whilst the barman took the trios drinks orders. I waited whilst the bar man poured a pint for a man in front of me, this pint was extremely cloudy, I could see that from where I was, but he still served it to the customer, who had to ask for another pint to be pulled off. This seemed to take an age. I got to the bar an ordered two black coffees. The barman looked blankly at me and said ‘we aren’t set up for coffee’, despite that on the side was a kettle, a jar of instant coffee and some cups. He then said he could make me one but that it would ‘take a while’, I said that was okay, I had assumed he would go put the kettle on, but no, he turned to the next person in the queue and took their order. After he did this two more times I told him not to bother and went back to my seat in the main hall.

Anyway, onto the play, it starts just as the Birling family are having a celebration however these festivities are dampened when a mysterious Inspector Goole pays an unexpected visit. The prosperous family are in the midst of celebrating their daughter’s engagement when they are told some rather unfortunate news. Inspector Goole is investigating the suicide of a young woman. The inspector interrogates the wealthy family about their involvement in the death of a working class woman and they are all forced to address their social, political and moral principles.

In the original play, Priestly cleverly draws the audience into the play using the Inspector as a universal conscience. In this play the Inspector also doubled as the set designer and manufacturer; the set which was designed and largely made by the man playing inspector Goole. It screamed Edwardian middle class and wasn’t at all bad for an am dram performance. The actors with one noticeable exception (Mr Birling was more wooden than the set), all made a rather good attempt at the play and stayed in character throughout. The highlight of the night has to be the point where Mr Birling’s character says something like ‘WelI, I’m talking too much’ to which an audience member replied ‘yes you are’!

All in all I would go and see another production by the company.

Sunt hic etiam praemia laudi;
sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.
Solve metus; feret haec aliquam tibi fama salutem.
-Virgil, Aeneid, 1.461 ff.

(The translation:)
Here, too, the praiseworthy has its rewards;
there are tears for things and mortal things touch the mind.
Release your fear; this fame will bring you some deliverance.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

He soon acquired the forlorn look that one sees in vegetarians.

I LOLed at that one, even though I’m vegetarian. I know several friends who think the same…

And here’s another quote on aging and dying…

a process of aging had taken place in him that was so rapid and critical that soon he was being treated as one of those useless great-grandfathers who wander about the bedroom like shades, dragging their feet, remembering better times aloud, and whom no one bother about or remembers really until the morning they find them dead in their bed.

~ One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Ouch! That sounds harsh but somewhere it rings true, doesn’t it? I suppose that’s what makes great writers great? The ability to discern and then be brave enough to tell the truth about life? What do you think?

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

John Updike’s novel “Rabbit, Run” is depressing. I am finding that I can only read a few pages at a time before I am not longer in the mood to read and I put it down. This is making a massive dent in my allotted time to complete this challenge. And I know I said I have to finish every book but this one is paining me! It’s only 264 pages – I should have been able to finish this in one sitting! 

Why is it so hard for me to read?

Right now I have no compassion for this man, I have no empathy for him. Excuse my blindness but so far I am reading about a man who looks back to his glorious high-school days and pities the life he has now. Running out on his pregnant wife and child to have sex with a hooker… the thoughts he has and the way he speaks and thinks…. What do I feel for him? He is embodying things I hate.

John Updike evokes incredibly moving imagery, he is a master of vocabulary, twisting simple words into complex thoughts, there is no doubt this is a talented writer. It is the content I’m having an issue with.

I don’t like Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom.

I have read a few articles and reviews on the book, so I already know how it ends. I cheated. How naughty of me. But the ending offers no hope for me that I will find solace in finishing it.

This is not a good man, what is the point? This is not an extraordinary tale. It seems to be very ordinary at this point. Perhaps that is my problem – am I putting too pressure on books? Am I asking too much? Or asking the wrong thing? Maybe I haven’t read enough of the book yet. This is not the world I want to be whisked away too.  I have known people like this man and they are not extraordinary, but weak, and sad and I don’t want to read about it.

If someone can tell me why I should keep reading this, perhaps I will, but for now I am putting a bookmark in Rabbit, Run and moving on.

As far as the challenge goes, I think my above rant does still address some questions I have been posing to myself, as I did in book #40, for example: Rabbit’s character and his conflicts, how engaging I found it to be, what I appreciate about the work (more-so the writer in this case), and thoughts about humanity.

I am disappointed in myself for not (YET) finishing this novel. One day perhaps, when I have another perspective, I will return. Until then, this is a challenge fail.

Next: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde, 1890

Generally considered to be F. Scott Fitzgerald’s finest novel, The Great Gatsby is a consummate summary of the “roaring twenties”, and a devastating expose of the “Jazz Age”. Through the narration of Nick Carraway, the reader is taken into the superficially glittering world of the mansions which lined the Long Island shore in the 1920s, to encounter Nick’s cousin Daisy, her brash but wealthy husband Tom Buchanan, Jay Gatsby and the mystery that surrounds him.

The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story coated with crimes and corrupted minds. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, left his hometown to pursue his dream in New York. He met Daisy, his cousin, and her husband, Tom Buchanan, who had an affair with Mrs. Wilson. Nick was introduced to Jordan Baker and she mentioned about the notorious Gatsby who happens to be Nick’s neighbor.

One day, Nick was invited to Gatsby’s lavish party in his mansion. They were a lot of prominent people at Gatsby’s house. Nick met Jordan and they were curious about the host. Instead, they met an owl-eyed old man in Gatsby’s library.

Finally, Nick sat at a table and met a young man who looked familiar, Gatsby, who often called people “old sport”.
Nick saw Gatsby for the first time when he was standing on the lawn, reaching out for the distant green light.

Soon they became friends and Nick was dragged into Gatsby’s luxurious life, and he became suspicious of Gatsby’s source of income.

Gatsby appeared to fetch Nick for lunch. He told Nick about his past. They met Wolfshiem at a restaurant, which sharpened Nick’s suspicions about Gatsby’s illegal business.
After lunch, Nick met Jordan. She told him that Gatsby is in love with Daisy.
The reunion was set up and their destiny has been changed since then.

The Great Gatsby is a dark tale of a lonely man. Behind the glamorous life that Gatsby has, he is a lonely man. One said loneliness is the cruelest thing in the world. Gatsby is a sad man. He’s never been happy.
The green light that Gatsby tried to reach is a symbol of his dream that he can’t have.
The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg are scary. It’s like the “all seeing eye of God” or the eye of providence. Whatever you do, God sees everything. It gave me goosebumps.

Overall, The Great Gatsby is a great read. Why didn’t I read this earlier? I want to read it every year to get a better understanding. Classics reading is fun.

Now I’d like to talk about the movie.

With the promising cast, this movie fulfilled my expectations. I was surprised that Jay-Z was taking care of the music. Justin Timberlake’s Suit & Tie suddenly popped in my mind. The Great Gatsby’s music is fun, modern and beautiful.

Leonardo plays Gatsby perfectly. Carey is also perfect as Daisy. I read somewhere that Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, ScarJo, Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman are among actresses Baz was reportedly considering casting as Daisy Buchanan.

Tobey is not bad, but I had Joseph Gordon Levitt in mind as Nick.
I also read that Ben Affleck was offered to play as Tom Buchanan, but later he dropped it for “Argo”.

The sanatorium is a brilliant addition. The portrayal of Nick as a troubled-soul is beyond my imagination.

Let’s go back to the party. I was in awe while watching the party scene. The over-the-top glitzy glam party is extravagant, yet exquisite. Gatsby is ridiculously wealthy. He’s the Stark of the ’20s, perhaps, a rock star in that era.
I read a book about Hollywood tell-all titled “Full Service”, but it happened in the ’40s. I think it’s a lot like that.

I love the soundtrack, especially Lana Del Rey’s Young and Beautiful. It’s hauntingly beautiful.

I think Jay and Daisy are the new Edward and Bella.

So today, I came across this picture of Olivia Palermo and she looks drop-dead gorgeous. She’s the perfect candidate for today’s Monday Muse edition; holding the perfect balance of a smokey eye and a nude lip, expertly tousled waves, dewy flawless complexion, and don’t even get me started on the dress (you know my obsession over black and white). Any inspiration that makes me into a classier, more polished and better dressed woman is a keeper in my book. This is the perfect example of how powerful restraint can be. Her smokey eye is just on the top lid, leaving her lower lash line untouched, keeping her makeup dramatic without being harsh. It also shows how the classics will never go out of style: a pair of oversized diamond earrings and a polished red manicure.

XX. Tiffany

“Back in Paris in the May of the following year, how often I was to buy a sprig of apple from a flower-shop, then spend the night hours in the presence of its blossom, which was steeped in the same creamy essence as the frothy dust on the unopened leaf-buds…”- Marcel Proust, In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower

 
In Part 1 of Volume 2 of “In Search of Lost Time”, we meet the narrator, who is now in his early teens and is in love with Gilberte Swann, and is at the same time infatuated with her mother, Odette Swann. In Part 2, while on vacation to the fictional (?) resort town of Balbec, the narrator spends the majority of his time people-watching because of his poor health. Eventually he falls in love with the titular “Young Girls in Flower”, but in the end chooses one.

I preferred Volume 1 to Volume 2 but I am in no way taking away the brilliance of Proust’s writing. I am now comfortable with his very long sentences and I don’t have to concentrate on them as much as before. I do tend to read his writing a lot slower than my usual speed because I enjoy the language, the imagery and the soothing nature of his descriptions.I enjoyed his introspective musings on love and the process of falling in and out of love. Even if I didn’t quite agree with all his ideas,I could see how his thought process works, and that was fascinating to me. Proust gives us a lot to think about, for example in the following quote:

 
“But it is difficult for any of us to gauge the scale on which others register our acts and words; for fear of seeing ourselves as over-important, and by magnifying hugely the dimensions to which other people’s memories must stretch if they are to cover a lifetime, we imagine that all the peripheral aspects of our speech and gestures make little imprint on the consciousness of the people we talk to, let alone stay in their memory.”

2 volumes down, 5 to go! I plan on reading at least 2 more by the end of the year.

I miss reading, a lot, so today I allowed myself to over indulge the reader in me and get as many books as I like, even though I had eight books at home half read, I ended up bringing home eleven new books to add to the list – PHEW!  But that’s me, if there’s a book-sale at the library I can spend so much money there that if I had a car available I would literally fill up the boot then go back later for more.

I love second hand book sales because you find stories the public have forgotten about, which I find pure treasures; the classically written non-classics are my food, I also like gaming books by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, that’s one thing I love about charity book sales, you get a lot of them there!

I don’t read a lot of fiction, usually reference books or non-fiction, biographies and game like stuff, but the fiction I do read is usually picky.  I tend to go for stuff other people don’t like or never heard of before, maybe that’s because I am very tight with what I like.

“The Lovely Bones” isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it enthralled me right to the end, the imagination from the child’s perspective bewitched me.  I loved that, so I was very disappointed when I was recommended by a friend to read “Room” because it was based on a child’s perspective, but that didn’t suit me because of the language, the situation was also more horrific in my opinion – which seems rather paradoxical.

Anyway, the books I picked up today were based on cult fiction (ideas for me to read even more stuff), Pam Ayres classics (as I don’t read much poetry) Gothic history, witchcraft history, writing for theater, composing your own work as a beginner, a comedy book based on the world situation of ecological downturn, and a how to draw with pastels book; I also requested a book from the library and picked it up today “The Dork Diaries” as I was told it suits my sense of humor.

The books I’ve shamefully left abandoned on Goodreads.com are based on cosmological ideas of parallel worlds, cosmic ordering, wish-craft, A couple of comedy books, Dalai Lamas art of happiness, a couple of Mike Ashley’s anthologies, two biographies, a fashion book and Stephen King’s “Full Dark, No Stars”.

For actual titles please check out my goodreads account by clicking my goodreads widget and if you like, add me as a friend and we can then compare books with each other.  I currently have an annual reading goal for 52 books, thus far I’ve read 34, but I kind of cheat by adding toddler books I read to my son, so ignore that, it’s not very impressive, about 15 of those are my son’s.

So, if I don’t write too much for the next 7 – 10 days it’s because I am trying to read these piles of books that are accumulating around me, this may happen every couple of months.

It’s a needs must thing, I need to fill my head up with all this stuff, so I can mix it all up in my big word/fantasy processing brain and make you beautiful sweet desserts called more books!

Wish me luck!  xx

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, $7.50; 1984 by George Orwell, $5.50.

Bullit Shift

What’s it all about?:

Far in the future, the World Controllers have finally created the ideal society. In laboratories worldwide, genetic science has brought the human race to perfection. From the Alpha-Plus mandarin class to the Epsilon-Minus Semi-Morons, designed to perform menial tasks, man is bred and educated to be blissfully content with his pre-destined role.

But, in the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, Bernard Marx is unhappy. Harbouring an unnatural desire for solitude, feeling only distaste for the endless pleasures of compulsory promiscuity, Bernard has an ill-defined longing to break free. A visit to one of the few remaining Savage Reservations where the old, imperfect life still continues, may be the cure for his distress…

What did I think?:

I cannot believe I haven’t read this book until now, it’s a brilliant science fiction “warning” story about the dangers of human manipulation, written in 1931 yet still original and fresh today. The engineering of our species operates not only on a genetic level, but on a psychological level, where humans are conditioned from infancy by means of the whispering of subliminal messages during sleep. Humans are designed and programmed for different levels of employment – the Alpha Pluses with their higher brain power, down to the Epsilon Minuses who perform more servile roles. The author explains that to carry this out, the Epsilon’s brains are deprived of oxygen in the embryonic stage, which I found particularly shocking. Individuals are kept quiet or negative feelings are suppressed by the use of a “soma” drug which is taken liberally and quite extensively.

The characters in this novel are incredibly intriguing, stand-outs include  Bernard Marx, an Alpha Plus who seems unhappy with the system, Lenina who enjoys being promiscuous and attractive to men, and John (or Mr Savage), a visitor from a world outside the system that (shock horror!) still have mothers, marriage and Shakespeare. The Shakespeare becomes particularly important to John, as he fantasises about Lenina and himself in a Romeo and Juliet scenario but also dwells on Othello and King Lear. As he is given the tour of the “brave new world” his mood becomes darker and lower as he discovers what lengths humans have gone to while engineering the species. Bernard just plain disappoints me as he seems to change his attitude from disdain about his position in life to pure hypocrisy when he becomes surrounded by women and friends. I find myself still thinking and analysing this novel a while after I’ve finished it which is definitely the sign of a good book for me.

Would I recommend it?:

But of course!

Star rating (out of 5):

A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens) Amidst the French Revolution, Dickens weaves a narrative of duty, connections missed and found, and a new political order beginning.

To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) Scout Finch is a young girl in Maycomb, Alabama who learns the true meaning of compassion in one summer with her brother Jem and her father, Atticus, who teaches her the value of human life.

State of Wonder (Ann Patchett) A riveting expedition deep into the Amazon, as a group of scientists looks for plants and a missing researcher. The prose is woven thicker than jungle vines.

Run (Ann Patchett) This book follows the 24 hours after a car accident in Boston, as two families’ lives become entwined in a way they never would have imagined.

Absalom, Absalom! (William Faulkner) A Southern Gothic story of family secrets, with a hypnotic writing style that lulls the reader into a deliciously drowsy suspension.

The Secrets of Bats (Jess Row) Though a short story, here Row briefly creates the brilliant and esoteric world of an American teacher in Hong Kong, who meets a blind girl capable of using echolocation like a bat.

Classic Poems to Read Aloud (selected by James Berry) This is the best collection of poetry I have ever encountered. Accessible, absorbing, and giddy with the delight of words.

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare) “For never was there a story of more woe…” Despite its heavy presence in pop culture, Shakespeare’s original script is piercingly vivid in its depiction of two naive, impetuous lovers.

The Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper) It reads like a nineteenth century movie script: battles! Canoe chases! Undying devotion! The glory of an unexplored frontier!

My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George) A young boy named Sam has lived in the city his entire life, but he quietly slips away to survive in the wilderness with a pet falcon named Frightful.

Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) Forget the movie, and even the stage musical. All 1200 pages of this book are worth reading for their (sometimes over)enthusiastic description of Jean Valjean’s harrowing journey to redemption.

The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoevsky) Alyosha, Ivan, Smerdyakov, and Dmitri are four Russian brothers whose personal struggles are magnified in the wake of larger events, including a murder trial. Dark and fascinating.

Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis) An eerie, tremendously imaginative re-working of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. This book asks how far love can go before it turns into jealousy and destruction.

all short stories by (Edgar Allen Poe) The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, and the Tell-Tale Heart are just a few of Poe’s short stories that demonstrate his mastery of the horror genre.

Bleak House (Charles Dickens) Though not as bleak as the title would indicate, Esther Summerson’s search for her family history is anything but simple as she meets characters like General George, “Nemo,” and Prince Turveydrop. The BBC TV miniseries is highly recommended as well.

Lord of the Flies (William Golding) An unforgettable, and terrible, account of the depravity that ensues as a group of young boys become castaways on an island.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket) Spend some time with the Baudelaire orphans and you will develop new appreciation for irony, vocabulary words, justice, and scratchy ink illustrations.

Bel Canto (Ann Patchett) During an evening of opera, South American rebels burst in and hold a diverse audience hostage in a mansion. Patchett’s analogies and grasp of human nature emerge with unparalleled loveliness.

Project Mayhem (Benjamin Wood, student writer) A short story based on “Fight Club” that was published in the Windmill student anthology, this story begins and ends with an unforgettable illustration of order amidst chaos.

First of all, I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book. Honestly, I don’t know why I’ve waited so long to read anything else by Charlotte Brontë, as I loved Jane Eyre and felt immediately pulled back into the world that her writing creates as I started Villette. She has a way of making you feel intimate with the main character in a way that few other writers can manage, even when the main character is someone you hardly know.

Lucy Snowe is NOT Jane Eyre. We have a very different and distinctive heroine in Villette‘s Lucy, although certain parallels could be drawn between the two. Lucy is a mystery: we’re introduced to her as a young adolescent, then after a few chapters the story jumps forward ten years in time and she is a young adult. What happens in between these two different time periods is unclear, although the reader is led to assume that traumatic things have occurred in Lucy’s personal life and family situation.

In the first chapters, Lucy is the narrator of the story but we learn next to nothing about her as a person. Instead, the action revolves around her godmother and her godmother’s son, Graham, and a young ward that they’ve taken into the family because her father is travelling. When this part of the story reaches something of a resolution, the action shifts to Lucy as a young adult–ready to leave her home behind and venture out into the world on her own.

This is where we finally start to learn more about what makes Lucy tick, as her personality begins to reveal itself in the choices that she makes and the way she reacts to opportunities that come her way. I really enjoyed the scene in which she visits London for the first time, which shows that she has an eagerness for life and an independent spirit that must have been somewhat unusual for a woman at that time. She throws herself rather recklessly into situations as they present themselves, taking chances that seem quite risky to me for one who is very innocent of the world.

I don’t want to give away too much about the plot of the book, but suffice it to say that in Volume I there are several occasions in which the reader sees Lucy presented with a challenge, and she is given the chance to either rise to or shrink from that challenge. Brontë is able to let the reader into Lucy’s mind in such a way that we feel every emotion as she does, and she details Lucy’s reactions to things so precisely that I feel I know her by this point in the book, even though we still know very little about her background.

I could really relate to Lucy’s experiences as she *minor spoiler* becomes a teacher and as she learns French, both of which are things I’ve been through myself. Although I never shoved a student into a closet (thankfully!), I could understand exactly what she meant when she spoke of the frustration of not being able to react in a given situation in a foreign language as you would in your own language–that feeling of powerlessness is very familiar to me.

By the end of Volume I, Lucy has started to make a life for herself in a new place, settled into a job and become more comfortable with the language and people around her. Yet when the routine of her new life is interrupted and she finds herself alone for an extended period of time, she falls prey to illness and a mental disturbance that seems to be a result of her troubled past. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Lucy and I’m curious to see where the story is going, as it’s not at all clear. I have an instinct that it will involve Dr. John, whom she admires greatly, and maybe some of the characters from her past will pop up again, too. There are two volumes left to go, so anything can happen!

A big shout-out to my fellow readers of Villette–I’m so enjoying sharing the experience with you. Don’t forget to leave a comment with your own Volume I post (if you have one) and I’ll link it up here.

Other thoughts on Volume I:

Covered in Flour

The Misfortune of Knowing