{Bank Holiday} Monday Missive

Lovely weather for it, innit? Last Bank Holiday of the year, probably the last day of summer-proper... Sob... Sniff...

#I can still recaaaaall our last summer... I still see it all...#

OK, sorry, moribundity set in a bit there.

'Fraid no gifs today, but the monotony of my monotonous monotone is thus broken by pictures.

This week past two weeks, I have mostly been...

Re-reading | Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard

I read this some 22 years ago at school, and notoriously reviewed it for the weekly newsletter (an act that solicited a couple of weeks of ridicule because, c'mon, what teenager reviews books for the weekly newsletter, thus admitting to reading off-syllabus, and does not expect ridicule?!).

It reads as a very different novel to an adult; that said, great books are perennial. And this is a great book.

Watching | Educating Yorkshire

I'm late to the party on this series but it is a huge, huge eye-opener. From what I've seen, I have so much respect for so many members of staff at the school but the head, Mr Mitchell, is just superb. Calm, fair and approachable, but still a little scary. In a good way.

Rewatching | An Education 

Because, Carey Mulligan, Dominic Cooper and Emma Thompson. In the same film. A little bit of filmic excellence.

Seeing | David Levithan and James Dawson in conversation

...at Waterstone's Piccadilly

Blurry author pic (taken from third-to-back row!) | James Dawson (l) and David Levithan (r)

Work friend Evie and I were super-quick off the mark to get tickets to this sell-out event on Thursday 14th August, 'chaired' by recently-crowned Queen of Teen James Dawson, discussing David Levithan's latest novel published by Egmont -- Two Boys Kissing -- as well as James Dawson's own new publication, This Book is Gay (published by Hot Key Books).

 

Both authors are excellent, witty speakers who are able to verbalise great truths about the writing experience; and, yep, I took notes. Of course, almost two weeks have passed since then and my notes make little sense out of context, but the upshot was:

You can write what you don't know -- if you've done your research as a writer, and have empathy with your characters, it shouldn't matter. 

David Levithan on feeling responsibility for his readers and their experiences: "The responsibility I feel is in terms of YA literature -- not [...] society in general."

DL on the narrative voice of TBK (the ghosts of men from the AIDS generation): "I don't think [of it] as my own voice. I did it by not thinking about it. ... When that generation has gone, you have to speak [for them]."

Afterwards I queued to get books signed for Evie, Clare, and myself. I love these little dedications!

"To Clare -- Rock on!"

"To Evie -- Live every day in wonder"

"To Beth -- This book is happy to meet you"
{How They Met}

Gigging

It's a Bank Holiday weekend, it's a Sunday night, nothing I'd rather do than go...

...gigging in Reigate again!

The company was exquisite (though obvs we missed you, Jos, Glenda and Jude, our usual dance-floor compadres!).

The band line-up was deliciously familiar (should mention this particular manifestation was The Prelude!), and they were all fabulous -- that saxophonist?! SKILLED.

Oh and last evening's frontman was a little bit familiar as well:

Why yes, that's that Shane Richie off the telly. For whom I've sung backing vocals before, don'tcha know?! {Yes, we know -- time to lock that one up, je pense!} The video has gone AWOL from the page link by the way. Which is probably for the best.

And no, I completely did not snatch a taped-down set list from the stage before it was disassembled, nope.

{oh. looks like I did. oopsy. :-)}

The chips made me do it.

No night out with Charlie is complete without a trip to the kebab shop, and cheesy chips.

(The looks of disdain from the kebab shop staff are worth every gluttonous bite.)

Ranting Putting the World to Rights

In case you didn't happen to check on the quirky brunette last week for the usual SS, only to be confronted by another of my angst-ridden Contemplations, here's the link to my diatribe on the perils of Facebook, of which, I conclude, there are many (and yet I'm still on there).

Note to self: maybe I should...

After all:

{via Pinterest}

Incidentally, this brings me back to a previous Contemplation on the increasingly public coercion to charitable giving.

Ice Bucket Challenge, I'm talking about you.

I'm not against it by any stretch. I love that there are countless videos on the web of celebs being liberally doused in ice water, and then donating their monies to raise funds for, and awareness of, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or Motor Neurone Disease in the UK.

And now it's a widespread craze. My Facebook feed is 'awash' (gnarf) with videos of my friends taking the challenge, and then nominating their friends to do it too. And I have some jolly game friends.

But I ask you, please don't nominate me: a) I'm not being ostentatious, but I've already donated to the MNDA, b) who's going to douse me and film me when I live alone? and c) there's a question mark over the ethics of the water waste (thanks to AJ for the best and most reasoned arguments I've read so far against taking the challenge).

Right, onto lighter subjects now, I think!

Ten Pins

My last ten pins on Pinterest:

{true}

{top of the Rock!}

{library love}

{dive in!}

{hip coffee stencils. <3}

{for the hair, not the fur. I'm not into fur}

{book stack cake. so much love}

{coffee truth}

{splash!}

{that view!}

Two-Weekly* Weblinks

*ergo, some of these may be a little out of date!

Literary Linkage

• YA author Rupert Wallis: "Death is important in YA fiction"
• Patrick Ness warns against writing 'adjective' novels
• HarperVoyager signs 15 new novels in open submission fortnight
• James Daunt to speak at Battersea Literature Festival
• Cerys Matthews to present BBC's Secret Life of Books
• Niffenegger writing Time Traveler's Wife sequel
• Oliver Burkeman: How to think about writing

Non-literary Linkage

• Kate Bush requests no mobiles, tablets at concerts (I respect her so much for this!)
• Leaping blondes and other cliches -- must be A-Level Results time! 
• See also: Students see the funny side on Twitter
• And: 

{Stephen Collins | via Guardian}

• Time to boycott the questionably 'ethical' Co-op? Union calls on Co-op to remove Amazon lockers
• Also: Co-op refuses to bow to No More Page 3 pressure (Shame on them.)
• Why walking is the best exercise 
• Sleep in IKEA, make your dreams come true (!)
• Je voudrais un barisieur, svp:

{combo alarm clock + coffee brewer. oh yes, yes please}

And finally:

• Teeny-tiny garden scenes! (thanks to Julie for this link!)

Keep warm and dry, my friends. Nearly autumn. Meh.

qb xx

Contemplation: Ring out the old, bring in the new...*

First and foremost... HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!

Hope you had a splendid night last night (whether that involved partying until the early hours, having an early night or seeing in the new year drinking Bucks Fizz and watching a bit o' Gary Barlow on t'telly which I did...).

It's a tradition for me to kick off the new year by watching the annual Vienna Philharmonic concert on New Year's Day (and I'll probably find myself in front of The Sound of Music later, I'm such a creature of habit...).

This year's didn't disappoint (ballet costumes by Vivienne Westwood, and the concert itself conducted by the legendary Daniel Barenboim). Oh and I spied Julie Andrews in the audience so watching TSOM later feels right somehow. One of the items on my ever-shifting bucket list is to see the concert 'live' one year but apparently it involves tickets being drawn from a lot. Best start prospecting a few Austrian lords or something instead. You know, as a back-up plan.

I'm not one for strict resolutions. In fact, it appears that if I name them thus, there's a less-than-likely chance I'll adhere to them at all. I've just hunted through the annals of the quirky brunette and uncovered last year's resolutions. Let's review, shall we?

1. Walk the MoonWalk in a considerably shorter time than we did in 2012!

Nope. The ridiculous toilet queues put paid to that. But we did raise more money for the charity than we did last year! I'd chalk that up as a success.

2. Spend less time on Facebook and more time creating, writing letters, working on the novel.

I started rubber-stamping, and I sent my first novel off to four agents! Not sure I spent less time on Facebook though...

3. Increase my cooking repertoire -- back to the Come Dine With Me afternoons!

Nope -- so that's one to reconsider this year instead!

4. Stop complaining so chuffing much.
Nope... again, one to reconsider this year!

5. Sort out finances once and for all.

YES! I finally consolidated my assets and have been overdraft-free since April. It's been a very hard slog as, to quote Lily Bart in the film adaptation of 'The House of Mirth', "life is expensive". And I have a stationery-purchase habit I rather need to curb. But I'm determined to be far more financially mature this year. After I've bought that hat, of course.

6. Get Beebop Badges off the ground as a sideline.

YES! www.beebopbadges.com exists and has made me a little bit of money! Now to declare it as a business proper. Wish me luck...

7. Go back to visit my friend in Sweden.

Alas, nej, this did not happen. Finances, though more stable, were hugely prohibitive. 

8. Read at least 24 books in a year if not more. (I did read more than that this year but I like to have a clear goal!)

YES! I finished my 40th book of 40 on the morning of NYE.

9. Blog more frequently!

After a small crisis in blogging confidence, I started the Sunday Summary in October this year and I have to say, I think it's worked in keeping me writing regularly, even if what I do write is fairly inane.

10. Tone up a bit. Cut out carbs. Generally stop eating so much cr@p. Go back to Nordic Walking.

I feel I've achieved this in small parts but with swimming in lieu of walking -- I did indeed go back to Nordic Walking but had a very offputting and muddy Nordic Walk back in February. 

I have of course promptly undone all the hard work in a week and a half of festive indulgence but hey, isn't that what resolutions are for...?

This year I'm taking a different stance on resolutions. 

I'm not even going to call them resolutions, I'm calling them promises, promises to myself (and to the people in my life -- the complaint about the trains is specifically for my workmate Andrea who is justifiably over my perpetual complaints about our rail infrastructure and its shortcomings!). 

I've worked up my promises in a pseudo/quasi-infographic style to make them easier to digest:

A couple of words on these: that third promise, to rein in my jealous streak, is something I probably should have done on the exit from primary school some 24 years ago.

Sadly, I haven't. 

I plan to work on that. Jealousy is not a pretty trait.

And that final promise, not to do anything I don't want to do may seem harsh (and just a little petulant) but is in direct reaction to the amount of time I spent last year defending my life choices to numerous friends not to mention myself. I don't want to be defending myself any more. 

I'm 35. I choose fun and happiness!

I'm also going to set up a Flickr stream set for my photos-a-day, which will appear on this 'ere blog at a later date.

I leave you with the infographic that inspired mine (very heavily, I admit):

{via here}

* lyrics from The Perfect Year | from 'Sunset Boulevard'

Sunday Summary (lite)

This {festive} week, I have mostly been…

Spending time with the family

It’s been a quiet few days at QB Heights: Parental Division, which has suited me fine.

On the morning of Christmas Eve I visited one of my oldest school friends who now has a beautiful ten-month-old daughter and in the afternoon met my cousin and his fiancé for coffee… as this happened.

Fortunately we’ve been at the other end of town so have been unaffected but the news has been full of the flood damage both here and in my adopted home county, Surrey.

Bring back the snow. All is forgiven.

But by and large we have kept to ourselves, watching DVDs and programmes and films on iPlayer:

Nativity and Jane Eyre to name but, well, two; reading (I am determined to finish Pride and Prejudice, and start-and-finish David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing before the year is out…), playing carols on the piano – just lovely, easygoing family things.

 

I’ve also slept so much and so well that Sleepbot feels a little redundant at the moment. Bliss.

On Boxing Day, Ma QB, Sis and I headed out for a short, brisk walk around the 'hood. It was a not-too-cold but bright winter's day -- perfect for a couple of little sunburst shots (and the obligatory walking-feet shot...)!

It being Christmas and all, I should also mention I received some lovely, lovely gifts including The Great Gatsby on DVD:

some more of my favourite perfume:

chocolate, smellies, a custom-made badge and compact mirror, vino, and some money towards… well, whatever I fancy. Very possibly this hat:

I plan to do another little interim post around New Year’s Eve and Day since again I have no plans to go out but y’know what, that suits me fine! I have steak and red wine pie and Bucks Fizz. Plus a lot of cake. And Strictly Ballroom on DVD.

What more could a girl need?!

I leave you with this rather fabulous infographic/typographic poster that resounded with my creative self.

{via Pinterest}