Sunday Summary

This week, I have mostly been...

Finishing | Grasshopper Jungle

...and reviewing the book on Goodreads:

"This book is gross. It's great. And I'm still trying to suss out the mentality of its lead hero, Austin. Actually I think he's still trying to do so as well.

So, here's the deal: an army of 6ft mantids are released by accident into an unassuming Iowa community to procreate with, and then eat, their victims as genetically modified bugs are wont to do.

Two teenage boys, Austin and Robby, try to make sense of the genesis of the bugs, while Austin simultaneously tries to make sense of his own genesis and Polish origins, and his feelings towards the people he loves the most: his girlfriend Shann, and Robby.

There is a lot of -- let's say -- 'self-gratification' described in the book. Lots of thoughts of copulation. And lots of references to the supposed sexual lives of historical characters. But the protagonist is a sexually curious teenage boy. It all works. Oh and there's also an egomaniacal mad scientist. And a silent golden retriever. This book has it all.

Its only flaw, and it's truly minuscule, is that by page 300+ Austin's repetition of certain facts is the tiniest bit jarring. But only a tiny bit. Up until that point the reiterative nature of Austin's narrative works.

The warning on the back of the book is: "contains explicit content". This is true. It also contains a witty turn of phrase and a story that if you tilt your head a little to one side could, could, possibly come true. Maybe."
...and tweeting the author (who then favourited, retweeted and replied to my tweet -- yay!:

...and learning that a film adaptation of Grasshopper Jungle is on the cards!

Singing a cappella

Yes, yesterday was spent in the company of 29-ish of my rock choir compatriots as we battled with a deliciously complex (6-part) arrangement of 10CC's I'm Not in Love.

The outcome was exactly, exactly, like this:

{Pitch Perfect}

OK, not exactly (there weren't any dance moves) but the outcome was pretty astounding nonetheless!

Singing a cappella is a considerably different discipline from singing to a track as we usually do. There is so much more listening involved, not just to your section but to other sections, and keeping rhythm and working out where your harmony fits in to the complete sound.

Making more plans for NYC

I've ordered this divine little Moleskine New York notebook so I can start plotting out my NYC trip day by day, borough by borough (I'm scrupulous like that!).

I'm also raaaather tempted by this book (found via Poppytalk's Instagram):

{Hello NY | Julia Rothman}

I've reserved my hotel room, and I'm making lists of Things to See (and adding them to my NY NY Pinterest board. I do want to explore the usual tourist spots, but I also want to find some hidden gems. Any suggestions?

I'm going to be walking the city (and next year I also plan to walk the 100k from London to Brighton but that's another bucket list item to check off in 2015) so, this weekend I have also been:

Walking

On Friday I managed 1h 15 from Shepherd's Bush to Clapham Junction station (roughly 4.5 miles) -- given this was my first speed-walk since last May I was pretty happy with that. Walking's always a little more enjoyable, also, if you have nothing to compete for.

Not to mention a job lot of perky rock and dance tracks to walk to. And scenes like this.

And on Saturday, when it was particularly, deliciously, warm and sunny I trotted to and from Reigate, spying signs of Spring as I went. Here's hoping the apocalyptic wet winter might actually be over...

Baking

I've just made two lemon drizzle cakes from a recipe in The Simple Things {issue 21}.

Issue 1's fudgy chocolate and raspberry brownies have always gone down particularly well when I've made them so I have high hopes for these bad boys.

Currently my kitchen smells lemonilicious. Must... restrain... self... from... breaking... into... cake...

{Twin nomingtons}

Here's your weekly webly wound-... sorry, round-up

{This week, with a distinctively bookish theme in honour of World Book Day!}

# Author Hanif Kureishi knocks creative writing courses (because all great authors are immediately born great, of course. Harrumph)

# Many British homes have shelves full of unread books. (My problem is not having enough shelves for the books I have read!)

# Check out these beautiful book cover winners @ The Academy of British Cover Design awards (including these two from Egmont)

 

# Children's reading levels plateau at Year Six

# WBD: When authors get into character

{Michael Rosen as folkloric trickster figure Till Eulenspiegel. Photograph: Cambridge Jones}

In other non-booky news:

# All hail the benefits of swimming

# A doll of 'average proportions' is to be manufactured -- a far cry from Barbie, thankfully

# 10 Things Commuting Does to Your Body

# Words and biccies

# Awesome NYC cinemagraphs by Jamie Beck & Kevin Burg

And finally ...

# Birds with arms. (Thanks, Evie, for this!)

 

Une journée à Paris ...

So... last Monday my mum and I took a trip on Eurostar to Paris as part of 'Quirky's Super-Extended Birthday' celebrations. Somehow I manage to spread out my birthday over several days every year and then brace myself for the inevitable post-birthday comedown ... But anyway. PARIS.


Incidentally, I got myself a gorgeous Android phone last week and since then I've become addicted -- ADDICTED -- to Instagram. If you're reading this, other Instagrammers, please do feel free to follow me @quirky_brunette.

Où allons-nous?!

La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre
(to give it its proper name)

Mother Quirk and I walked from Gare du Nord to the slightly dodgy of the city, towards Montmartre and Sacré Coeur. 


Our mission initially was to hunt down a restaurant we ate at when we were on a coach tour in 2002 -- all we remember collectively is that a) it was on a square and b) we could see Sacré Coeur through a passageway nearby. Of course neither of us managed to fish out this picture prior to our trip, which would have given us a much better idea of where the restaurant was... ahem...

The view ... from 2002

Anyway, we had a walk around inside le Sacré Coeur (MQ thought it was more beautiful on the outside than the inside but I thought it was fairly stunning, especially the painting inside the dome). The view from the steps  was quite breathtaking and oddly comforting. And not at all like the beginning credits of Moulin Rouge but we'll forgive that.

We trip-trapped down the steps, dodging the pedlars and purveyors of overpriced trinkets on the way down. Then began a lengthy walk up and down the Bvds de Clichy and de Rochechouart, looking for the Moulin Rouge amongst the sex shops (classy!). 


In my infinite... OK, clearly finite wisdom, the only road map we had was a less-than-detailed one in my Paris Moleskine, which was all very well for finding Paris in the context of the world, less so for finding landmarks. Apparently the idea is to fill in your own landmarks on the maps. Who knew?

via here

En route!
J'adore l'architecture à Paris!

MQ got us a far more comprehensive map in the information office, and we eventually found the Moulin Rouge on the Bvd de Clichy (here). 

All right, the place is flanked by adult shops and I doubt you'd find Harold Zidler inside, but there's something infinitely charming about a building with a windmill atop, n'est-ce-pas? 


After the inevitable QB photo opportunity, we popped into Carrefour for macarons (which I forgot to photograph) and a saucisson for Pa Quirk, then took the Metro from Pigalle to Concorde.

There, I took one of only a couple of distance shots of Le Tour... not worth replicating here, it really was some distance away and we agreed lunch was a priority over schlepping up towards the Tower. We decided to eat in the Jardin des Tuileries, at the Cafe Renard, and ordered a glass of wine each plus a Croque Monsieur with salad for MQ and frites for QB -- salade, as it happened, equated to some leaves and a quarter of a tomato but the Croque itself... and the frites... and the wine, actually, very tasty. (Mine's the vin rouge.)

du pain...

du vin...

After lunch we used les toilettes -- not usually a noteworthy event but these were hilarious, with a fake Mona Lisa and neon scrolling signs in the foyer, a sweet stall adjacent to the queue and other quirks... Worth every cent. We then walked back through the Jardins towards the Louvre, passing the rather lovely young gendarmes on roller-blades on the way.

Then, after being hoodwinked by allegedly deaf-mute representatives (who failed to draw to our attention their requirement of a minimum donation of 10 euros before they got our support... hmm... Je pense que non...) on we went to find the Notre-Dame. 

The queue was much too long to consider joining (if we stood any chance of catching our train home) but we took a short moment to admire the architecture (and hunt down the hunchback -- think he was in hiding).

We had a brief sit-down, then, in the gardens that run just behind Notre-Dame -- Square Jean Xxiii -- where several wicker pods have been erected to preserve the shrubs... with one on the riverside for photo opportunities.

Then, the tolling of the bell (sanctuary! sanctuary!) signalled it was time for us to start heading back to the Gare du Nord. It took us a little time and concentration to find the right Metro line back but we made it, and we were back on rainy British turf by nine o'clock that night. 


Surreal to think you can hop on a train and spend the day in another country, isn't it?

There are so many other Parisian landmarks I didn't see; I think a city of that much breadth and diversity needs a visit of much longer than a day, but it was a magnificent taster.


And who knows, we might find that restaurant yet...