Not Your Usual New Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions are hard.  Really hard. And every year we break them.  So it's time that we throw the usual resolutions out the window and opt for resolutions that are a little more realistic.... or at the very least attainable

1.  Eat what you like when you like especially if it comes in a mug (see yesterday's post Can't Cook Won't Cook for some inspiration)
2.  If you want cereal for lunch then have cereal for lunch... and dinner too.  Because cereal is the ultimate comfort food
3. Try a boozy shake. Go on I dare you

4.  Paint your nails a different colour... every week
5.  Embrace your inner mad cat lady (see post Purr, Purr, Meow, Meow for all the cat books you could possibly want)
6.  Take up a craft.  Whether it's making friendship bracelets or Pride and Prejudice characters or pixel blankets.  Just think of all the gifts you'll be able to give your friends.
7.  Follow Shona Rhimes example and say yes to something at least once a week
8.  Clean out the clutter... you're going to need room for all those gnomes
9. Drink at least one cup of tea day.  Even better try a tea cocktail (see post The Elixir of Life)

And finally...

10. Read all the books mentioned in this blog post and all the others.

Can't Cook Won't Cook

I love food.

Unfortunately for me I am the world's worst cook.  Trust me. You don't want me anywhere near your kitchen or your oven or any kitchen appliance that makes beeping noises.  If it can be burnt, flattened or fall apart I'm your man... well woman really.

So as you can imagine cooking is pretty much off my agenda.  Occasionally though I am filled with the sudden yearning to make something, anything really, as long as it tastes yummy and requires very little cooking.

You can guess then how thrilled I am that there are now a plethora of cookbooks made for someone just like me.  Books that require very little, if any, cooking.  Books that are filled with yummy delicious easy recipes that even a bad cook like me can fail at... *cross fingers*

And don't get me started on mug cookbooks. Because yes there is a God and she's a woman who hates to cook as much as me.  Mug cookbooks are the best.  Seriously.  You just have to try them out. Because once you do you won't want to cook any other way.

Mmm do I smell something burning....

The Elixir of Life

I love a good cup of tea.

Something I entirely blame my parents for, who were and are, tea drinkers and nothing else.  Glass of water?  Nope.  A mug of coffee? No way.   Tea was the elixir of them all.  And in our household it was drunk morning, day and night ... and pretty much everywhere in between.

So it's probably not that surprising that I am a tea drinker myself... even if it did take awhile.  Because yes like the Gemini that I am I flirted with other drinks before hand.  Milo as a kid, then coffee in my 20's, followed by hot chocolate - which I still love - and then finally tea.  And not just tea with milk the way my parents have always drunk it.  But tea in all its forms.  Black tea, milky tea, green tea, herbal tea, fruit tea.... you name it, I drink it.  And like any addiction I've got to have the accessories too which probably explains my ever growing collection of tea cups and mugs.  Because yes you've got to have more than one.

And now I have discovered that there's books about tea and that we have a whole collection of them at our library.

Now that is awesome

The Undesirables: Inside Nauru

Life inside Australia's offshore asylum seeker processing centres is something that very few people know about. In his book The Undesirables: Inside Nauru, Mark Issacs offers a first hand account of what he saw and experienced while working for the Salvation Army at the Nauru Regional Processing Centre. Read this one with compassion in mind.


'How long will we be here?' one man asked.

Nobody could answer him. Nobody knew. The intention was clear: this was the No Advantage policy. Take them to a distant island, lock them away, punish them, forget about them. Criminals were given a sentence to serve; these men were not even given that. Lost hope ebbed out of the men in uncontrollable sobs and tears. 

Queue jumper, boat person, illegals. Asylum seekers are contentious front-page news but obtaining information about Australia’s regional processing centres is increasingly difficult. We learn only what the government wants us to know.

Mark Isaacs worked for the Salvation Army inside the Nauru Detention Centre soon after it re-opened in 2012. He provided humanitarian aid to the men interned in the camp. What he saw there moved him to speak out.

The Undesirables chronicles his time on Nauru detailing daily life and the stories of the men held there; the self-harm, suicide attempts, and riots; the rare moments of joy; the moments of deep despair.

Mark's eyewitness account humanises a political debate usually ruled by misleading rhetoric. (from Goodreads)

Chelsea Handler has a new book and I'm really excited about it!

Uganda Be Kidding Me (great name) is Chelsea Handler's new book about her adventures in travel! I'm so excited to read it! Chelsea's other books are some of the funniest books I have ever read in my life and I can't wait until it get's here!

"Wherever Chelsea Handler travels, one thing is certain: she always ends up in the land of the ridiculous. Now, in this uproarious collection, she sneaks her sharp wit through airport security and delivers her most absurd and hilarious stories ever.

On safari in Africa, it's anyone's guess as to what's more dangerous: the wildlife or Chelsea. But whether she's fumbling the seduction of a guide by not knowing where tigers live (Asia, duh) or wearing a bathrobe into the bush because her clothes stopped fitting seven margaritas ago, she's always game for the next misadventure.

The situation gets down and dirty as she defiles a kayak in the Bahamas, and outright sweaty as she escapes from a German hospital on crutches. When things get truly scary, like finding herself stuck next to a passenger with bad breath, she knows she can rely on her family to make matters even worse. Thank goodness she has the devoted Chunk by her side-except for the time she loses him in Telluride.

Complete with answers to the most frequently asked traveler's questions, hot travel trips, and travel etiquette, none of which should be believed, UGANDA BE KIDDING ME has Chelsea taking on the world, one laugh-out-loud incident at a time." (from Goodreads)

I am Malala : the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban

I am Malala : the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban 

by Malala Yousafzai ; with Christina Lamb.

"When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday October 9, 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price. When she was shot in the head at point blank range while riding the bus home from school, few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, and of Malala's parents' fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. It will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world." - (From the book jacket). 

I have so much respect for Malala and the work that she does so I can't wait to read this book! Nothing infuriates me more than women and other minorities being treated as second class citizens so I am truly grateful for the work that Malala and her family are doing. Malala is the ultimate bad-ass. 

Stalking the catalogue: Twitter wit

"Once again it occurs to me that you could kidnap anyone by standing confidently in an airport with a card with their name on it."
 - Neil Gaiman | @neilhimself

Sometimes, what happens on Twitter shouldn't stay on Twitter.

Warning: this title contains much hilarity!  Twitter is not for everyone.  I feel like that should go without saying...and yet I stated it anyway.  Just in case.  The good thing about this book is that you don't have to be a Twitter-user to understand the jokes.  If you like your humour in small doses (i.e. 140 characters or less) or have a goldfish attention span (much like me) then this is ideal.

Title: Twitter wit : brillance in 140 characters or less
Editor: Nick Douglas
Published: itbooks, c2009

Organisation Porn

Does anyone else spend their evenings on Pinterest scrolling through the amazing home decor and home organising posts while a sense of calm falls upon them? No? Oh me either. I was asking on behalf of a friend. I don't ever do that, it would be weird...

Okay I lied. For me organising things is like crack to an addict. I crave it and if things are out of place it irritates me until I fix it. Everyone makes jokes about how I have OCD but I'm pretty sure I don't. I just like things a certain way and no I will not clean your house for you.

If you're like me then this post will be like porn for you, if not then stop judging me at get these books out. They're wonderful.

Organize your home

Home organization tips from the experts at Better Homes and Gardens. Most homeowners struggle to stay organized. "Stuff" accumulates quickly, and finding practical and efficient ways to store it — and the know-how to pare down possessions to those that are truly needed — can be tricky. Organize Your Home: Clutter Cures For Every Room is your comprehensive guide to getting—and staying—organized at home.

Packed with solutions for every room that any homeowner can put to use right away, Organize Your Home covers both sides of the organizing equation: the psychology of paring down possessions, reducing clutter, and staying organized as well as the nuts and bolts of finding the right bins, baskets, drawers, and more to store the items you do keep in attractive and efficient ways.

Organize for a fresh start : embrace your next chapter in life by Susan Fay West

Transform your home and your schedule so they perfectly meet your current needs and reflect who you are and what you value now. Changes and life transitions often leave people with unbalanced schedules and homes full of obsolete items. Certified Professional Organizer Susan Fay West shows you how to make room for your new interests and responsibilities while honoring your past.

Inside you'll find: Step-by-step advice for de-cluttering and reorganizing every room in the home, specific tips for where to start and how to stay motivated, reflective questions and exercises to help you make no-regrets decisions and time-management strategies to create and maintain a regular schedule. 

Organize your digital life : how to store your photographs, music, videos, and personal documents in a digital world by Aimee Baldridge 

Now that digital cameras and music players have become so incredibly widespread, a forest of sound and

imagery is blossoming in our homes. Weve got digital pictures in the camera, scans on the computer, JPEGS attached to e-mails, and tunes on tiny players. But theres also the old-fashioned stuff: photos in shoeboxes, videos in the attic, documents in desk drawers, songs on tape and vinyl. How do you transform all of these different elements into a convenient archive you can store in your computer, easily reach, and actually enjoy? This book delivers basic step-by-step instruction on streamlining and organizing your "digital life" so you can find what you need instantly and create presentations your friends and family will love. In addition, youll be amazed at the decrease in household clutter and paper waste. For everyone from teenagers who thrive on the technical to families with overflowing photo albums and seniors whod love to collate decades worth of letters and pictures this reader-friendly source has all the answers. These easy-to-follow solutions can truly enhance and simplify the hectic, over-saturated lives so many of us find ourselves leading today

Stalking the catalogue: The girl in the song

"Wake up Maggie
I think I've got something to say to you
It's late September and I really should be back in school..."
- Maggie May by Rod Stewart

This book! OH. This book. I'm not sure it adds any great meaning to anybody's life but my own, but it fills one of those feel-good boxes (that I do so enjoy ticking) with its quirk factor and trivia.

If I had to nail it down (by all means, let's), it'd be the fact that it appeals to my not-so-inner-quiz night-attending geek. My three favouritest ever, ever, ever songs inspired by women are, in order, Maggie May by Rod Stewart, Lola by The Kinks and My Sharona by The Knack.

I always knew why Stewart penned the lyrics to Maggie May: he lost his virginity (many, many, many years ago) with an unknown girl at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival in 1961.  As songs of regret go, it's a classic (in my mind).  Lola, by The Kinks, is a song my very open-minded dad liked to sing to me as a kid which, going by the rather oppressive environment he grew up in, is rather surprising.  The song itself is about a sexual experience with a transvestite.  I'm not sure who the song is really about - Rolling Stone had their own idea that it was Candy Darling - whether or it not it was isn't categorically stated in the book, but it makes for interesting reading, anyway.  And My Sharona, gosh as rock tracks go it is awesomeness personified.  As rock tracks inspired by dirty lustful intentions towards young girls not even out of their teens go, oh dear *pulls a face*  Did it put me off the book?  No way!  But I listen to My Sharona with a prejudiced ear, now.

If you're into music trivia this is well worth the read. I'd also recommend The boy in the song: the true stories behind 50 classic pop songs.

Title: The girl in the song : the true stories behind 50 rock classics
Authors: Michael Heatley & Frank Hopkinson
Published: Chicago Review Press, 2011

Stalking the catalogue: Cadillac dreams

"It started with Graceland."
- Phil Gifford

Every great adventure should start with a quote a little something like the one above.  Our catalogue synopsis doesn't even begin to do this book justice - in fact, it does more of a disservice than anything else.

This is going to suck as a 'stalking the catalogue' post because it's going to ramble. (Yeah, like every other post I write).

I loved it. Yeah, I know, I almost always say that about books but this one really struck a chord. Possibly because Phil and wife and friends visited the parts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee that I'd wanted to see but didn't have the time when I was there. What also comes through is their genuine love of music and people. Four friends decide to take a trip to the US and check out the places that were home to music styles and musicians that meant so much to them growing up. It could have been hokey. In fact some part of me was quite scared it would be. What else am I supposed to expect of someone who WANTED to visit Dollywood ON PURPOSE, for crying out loud? But it wasn't - it was fun, lighthearted, serious, a social commentary, engaging, very informative and, at all times, highly entertaining.

In my mind, the mark of a great book is something that moves you - to laughter, to tears, to anger, to disgust - to anything. I want to take Gifford's trip, now. I want to visit the Alamo, I want to see more bars on Beale St (instead of just poking my head into B. B. King's bar), I want to redo the Rock and Soul Museum, I want to hear bluegrass music played in Mississippi or Tennessee (although preferably Kentucky). Even more, I want to have the same varied range of conversations that they had. Maybe that, too is the mark of a good book. An added bonus was that I learnt so much about Gifford the man. For years I'd always just thought of him as Loosehead Len - thanks to dad I grew up listening to his sports broadcasts/reading his newspaper articles. My dad really respected his opinion. But I never knew that he had been the kinda journalist who interviewed musicians. And not tinpot musos (although maybe those too) but freakin' artists like B. B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so many more my head spins just thinking about it. I was mightily impressed. Not just because he spoke to them but because he KNEW their music, FELT their music, UNDERSTOOD their music. It wasn't just words. He got it, and because he writes so well, I got it, too.

A smidgeon of it, but I got it.

Title: Cadillac dreams : Baby booming across the Southern States
Author: Phil Gifford
Published: Wilson Scott Pub., c2006

Guilty pleasures

Matt Tebbutt's guilty pleasures : your favourite indulgences in 130 easy recipes

I wasn't that interested in this book until I flicked through and saw a recipe for Marmite potatoes. MARMITE POTATOES! Oh my gosh, even typing the words makes me hungry. After that I had to know what other genius ideas this guy had come up with. Each chapter has a different 'guilty pleasure' theme including:

Peanut butter

Cream cheese

Cola and lemonade

Marmite

White bread

 Booze

Personally I find the idea of guilty pleasures kind of pathetic. Unless your guilty pleasure is secretly filming women in bathrooms I think you're okay. Particularly if your guilty pleasure is liking the new Katy Perry song or eating bread. You should never feel guilty about bread.

I can't wait to make and devour those Marmite potatoes and try out some of the other delicious recipes too. 

Stalking the catalogue: Twitterature

Watchmen by Alan Moore - @Rorschizzle
"A comedian died tonight. He was all about the lulz. No one laughed."
- Twitterature: The world's greatest books in twenty tweets or less by Alexander Aciman

Imagine if you could capture books in 140 characters or less. Imagine Wuthering Heights and all of its angst in 140 characters. Some books, let's face it, may improve if done this way (yes, Twilight, I'm looking at YOU). It'd be almost like a crash course, if you will. Twitterature, in short, provides this in a really funny way.

This is not going to be everybody's cup of tea.  I have a habit lately of stating the obvious, but I feel I need to say that right at the outset.  I, however, enjoyed it. I'd like to point out, though, that if you're not familiar with a lot of the stories then some of the humour is going to fall flat on its face.

There were a couple of stories that I didn't know so I'm going to brush up on them because, hey, I hate feeling like I don't know something.  A warning: it does contain swear words. And I'd like to make it known that I disagree with the part of the blurb that reads "...as great as the classics are, who has the time to read those big, long books anymore?" Umm ME! I do! I heart them! And I can do both - read them in full, and then read them in 140 characters or less. 'Cause I'm awesome like that.

A lighthearted and irreverent look at some well known tales that will cause you to snort with laughter on the bus, and the train (I know this because I did it), and just in general. Really.

Title: Twitterature : the world's greatest books in twenty tweets or less
Author: Alexander Aciman and Emmett Rensin
Published: Penguin Books, 2009

Stalking the catalogue: Ophelia joined the group Maidens Who Don't Float

"Suffice it to say I was compelled to create this group in order to find everyone who is, let's say, borrowing liberally from my INESTIMABLE FOLIO OF CANONICAL MASTERPIECES (sorry, I just do that sometimes), and get you all together. It's the least I could do."
 - William Shakespeare's Admirable, Righteous, Singular, And Incomparable Booke Club Group

As a fangirl, I sometimes wonder what my fave tv show characters would be like in social media. Dean (Supernatural because OF COURSE, RIGHT?) would be all BAMF!Dean because he is the epitome of badassedness. Sam would be all puppy eyes and tortured posts. Castiel would be this curious mix of IRL Misha's hilarity and the naive Cas I adore. But classic lit characters/authors - how would they come across in social media? A little something like this, apparently:

• Rochester suggested a friend for Jane: his secret wife, Bertha. He thinks she may know Bertha too
• Miss Havisham sent Estella a secret request: BREAK HIS HEART
• Alice took the quick What Drink Are You? with the result "Shirley Temple"
• Hemingway became a fan of Using a Neutral, Disinterested Tone to Heighten the Realism of War
• Dr. Frankenstein became a fan of Weird Science

  Yeah. I can get behind that :)

Title: Ophelia joined the group Maidens Who Don't Float : classic lit signs on to Facebook
Author: Sarah Schmelling
Published: Plume, c2009

Stalking the catalogue: Secret identity

"Superman was an authentic American dream - he simply outclasses all rivals and seemed to thrive on having enemies. Indeed - the dark side of the myth - he seemed to almost generate them."
 - Dennis Dooley, Superman at Fifty (1988)

It's amazing the number of discussions I've had with people about this book who deem the art inside as some of Shuster's worst, as if Superman was all he had to give and that it defined him in some way. Yoe's book is more than a salacious recount of serial killers inspired by fetish comic art and makes for quite fascinating reading - after all, who could resist reading about a war against comic books that involved '...psychiatrists, senators, religious leaders and parent groups...'?

Superman was all about heroism and justice, interestingly enough none of which can be found in the Nights of Horror images highlighted in Secret Identity.  The drawings seem to show people at their worst. No, that's not right. Perhaps it's more accurate to say that they depict fetishists as 'bad' or 'kinky' people.  A value judgement that would have been underlined by the fact that these publications were sold 'under the counter' at the time. (These days I don't know if it would be so shocking, or if we would be so quick to make such a judgement of people. Maybe we're at the point where we can own our 'kinks' so as not to be made to feel vulnerable about them? I don't know).

There's an introduction at the front by Stan Lee, who writes, 'Joe Shuster eventually found himself in a position where he had to accept any art job that was offered to him because of his need for funds.'  Money issues aside, the artwork is spectacular - if unusual.  Or at least, not something we talk about in polite company - which is probably why I read this in the first place.

One more thing - don't be surprised when you realise that some of the characters in the fetish images resemble Lois Lane or Clarke Kent.  Whether that was intentional or not I have no idea.

If you're after cheap thrills and pictures of scantily clad men and (mostly) women in compromising positions then this is definitely your kind of book.  However...if you're a longtime fan of graphic novel art and can separate the aesthetics (and the talent) over the subject, then you'll get a kick out of this title.

Title: Secret identity : the fetish art of Superman's co-creator Joe Shuster
Author: Craig Yoe
Published: Abrams ComicArts, 2009

Review: A Kiwi Fisherman's Guide to Life by Ian Chapman and Mike Rendle [Jan]

From a Californian native to a celebrity psychic, this book interviews many people and asks why they enjoy fishing, as well as getting them to share tales, tall and otherwise!  This book has snapshots of people’s lives – specifically kiwi fishermen.  The look at their lives is fascinating and they all share a positive outlook on life, enjoying doing what makes them happy. There are some real characters out there and this book lets you view some of them.

Attractively laid out with stunning photos of the New Zealand coastline and rivers, this book looks good and is easy to read.  The format of short interviews with different people telling good stories let readers pick it up and put it down without losing the plot of the book.  You can dive in anywhere and be captivated by a story.

Preferring my fish to be already cooked and on a dinner plate when I see them, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.  This is a must read for the fisherman in your life and for anyone who enjoys a good yarn or two.  Anyone with an interest in New Zealand will enjoy the beautiful photos that accompany each story.

Title: A Kiwi Fisherman’s Guide To Life
Authors: Ian Chapman and Mike Rendle
Published: HarperCollins, 2012
Reviewer: Jan

Stalking the catalogue: Off the beaten page

"So...what? You think you can just read about places and then go and visit them?"
- My sister, in 2009

Yes, yes I really do believe that I can just read about places and then go and visit them. I mean...why not? Sure, it seems whimsical, but I'm pretty sure it's a common thing. A lot of the places that I want to travel to and visit are because of books I've read, tv shows/movies I've watched, food I like the idea of, and music I've listened to.

A quick look at only some of my travel/literature/music/film/tv list reads something like this: Durrell Wildlife Park thanks to a childhood full of his stories and novels - he is forever my hero. Wider Jersey Island because of shows like Bergerac and the novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Shaffer. Oxford because of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse books (hell, I even wanted to own an MG because of the place, not a Jag like Morse, and I want one of my sisters to have a baby so I can call him Endeavour because why not?). New Orleans thanks to my grandfather's mixed tastes in music and, later, the show Treme - I wouldn't have met Kermit Ruffins, otherwise, or some of the musicians from the Rebirth Brass Band. Memphis for Beale Street bars, music, Graceland, and most especially for the National Civil Rights Museum. 221B Baker Street because Sherlock obviously. Canada because Due South is my favouritest show ever ever ever (I'm not even kidding - I want another sibling to have a child so I can name him/her Diefenbaker). Anchorage for the song "Anchored down in Achorage" by Michelle Shocked. Route 66 for the song and the movies I saw it featured in growing up. The list goes on and on and, well, on.

If you're into blending travel with literature (and travelling in the US), then you need to add Smith's Off the beaten page to your ever-expanding TBR (to be read) list. Just to read for fun, if not to use as ideas for future destinations. I found one great reason: a Mark Twain inspired steamboat tour along the Mississippi. I never did one when I was last over there and I'm reading this book thinking "You didn't do this? Look at your life! Look at your choices!"

PS: I'm back with a weekly post, stalking our catalogue, bringing you all kinds of strange and wonderful findings. Whether you want them or not... You're welcome.

Title: Off the beaten page : the best trips for lit lovers, book clubs, and girls on getaways
Author: Terri Peterson Smith
Published: Chicago Review Press, 2013

Review: Petrolheads in Sheds by Steve Holmes [Jan]

Another awesome book with slices of Kiwi life!  This one features blokes who collect cars and motorbikes, and usually other things as well, such as tractors, Tiger Moths, Bren gun carriers, and model railways.  The author goes into shed and garages all over New Zealand as he talks to these owners and learns about their collection.  A couple of them have even opened up their collections as museums!

The stories are usually about a page and accompanied by a good number of photos.  Well composed and attractively laid out, it’s the contents of the photos that will make petrolheads drool.  A brief look at the contents of each garage has some interesting shots of some of the objects within.  These will delight motor enthusiasts everywhere.  There are some really unique people out there in New Zealand.  This book shows some really fascinating characters and the love they have for their passion.  A recommended read for anyone bitten by the motoring bug.

Title: Petrolheads in Sheds: Unique Kiwi Car Collections
Author: Steve Holmes
Published: HarperCollins, 2012
Reviewer: Jan

This month I'm Loving...

Moonlight walks which aren't nearly as romantic as they sound.  This is probably due to the fact that they have been undertaken at the ungodly hour of  5.30 am.

I mean really, how can anything be romantic when you're walking in the dark still half asleep. Still the moon light does make everything look pretty and glowy which is always a plus and even more importantly it helps me to see where I am going as I navigate my way around the estuary, so really I can't complain. Moonlight and water, the crisp early morning air and the company of my other half.  It's all rather lovely.

This month I have once again discovered a realm of new things.  Lots of new music, as usual.  This time courtesy of Spotify and Twitter discussions. Both of which I can just get a tad carried away with and easily spend a few hours perusing. (i.e. wasting time).

Along with the music there are also some new authors and a TV show that I have fallen in love with.  Life, as they say, is pretty damn good.

Halcyon / Ellie Goulding.

I just adore Ellie Goulding's music.

From the lyrics to her voice there is so much emotion in her songs and each one seems to speak directly to you. 

This, her second album, is just great.  My favourites are Figure 8 and Only You but I also recommend that you check out her first album Bright lights too.

Sounds like this / Eric Hutchinson

A very new discovery for me - like just last weekend - and one that I picked up, completely randomly, from a certain actor on twitter who raved about him.  And I'm so glad I checked him out as I have just fallen in love with this guy's music.

It's a little bit reggae, a little bit Jack Johnson, a little bit soul and utterly feel good.

Picking a fav song is hard as I love just about every one but Ok It's Alright With Me is one that stands out.

Nobody / Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

"15 year-old Claire Ryan has always felt invisible, which causes trouble when she instantly connects with 17 year-old Nix, who really can become invisible and has been sent to assassinate her."

There are so many great teen books out there and this is one that I just couldn't put down.

Don't you just love books like that.

Guardians of stone / Anita Clenney.

"As a relic hunter every mission Kendall Morgan accepts carries certain hazards, but her boss's latest is proving to be the most dangerous yet."

Now I'm not generally into paranormal romances but this one was actually quite good.  Perhaps because the romance aspect was quite minimal so that it mostly came across a bit like Relic Hunter/Indiana Jones adventure.

I certainly enjoyed it enough to want to read the sequel... when it comes out.

 Crewel : a novel / Gennifer Albin

"For generations, Spinsters have worked the looms and determine where people live, who they marry, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows."

I loved this book.  Interesting sci-fi/fantasy books are always great to read and teen books seem to do this so well.  This one reminded me a little of Tamora Pierce's series Protector of the Small and also a little bit of Graceling and even The Giver.

Saturday night widows : the adventures of six friends remaking their lives / Becky Aikman.

"Struggling to forge ahead after becoming a widow at 43 and forced out of grief counseling because she wasn't sad enough, Becky Aikman starts her own widow's support group."

It might sound like a depressing read but this book is a heart-breaking, funny, realistic book that gives an honest look at what it is to be a widow, especially at a young age.

Having been there myself I could relate to this so much.  It's a wonderful tale of recovery, of hope and of moving on - and even maybe finding love again.

Throne of glass / Sarah J. Maas.

"Celaena, a daredevil assassin, is offered a chance of freedom from the salt mines where she has been imprisoned.  The only thing is she has to face the deadliest thieves, assassins and murderers in the land..."

I love kick ass heroines and yes Caleaena does sometimes come across as an arrogant, vain, brat and yes the story does have some flaws (another romantic triangle?  Really?  Can we just move on from those, please.) But this is still a great read.  Caleaena is a tough, pulls no punches kind of chick and the story pulls in you.
 
Miranda 

I *adore* Miranda but if I'm being completely honest, I have to confess that I've only recently become a convert to this wonderfully funny show.

I know!  Surprising - isn't it.

But I really thought that it wasn't my thing, despite never watching an episode.

It's my mum who got me into it.  And I'm so glad she did.

I love Miranda.  In fact we could be twins, since we are both klutzy, get nervous trying new things, are hopeless at relationships and love bopping around to music...except of course I'm not 6 foot 1.

Stalking the catalogue: No regrets

"Growing up I had always thought of tattoos as merely representing the idea itself. That having a tattoo simply said, "I'm the kind of person that would have a tattoo." That may have applied to the standard prison or military tattoo, but somewhere down the line tattoos stopped being the sole province of the badass and seamlessly slid over to he propriety of the soft, sensitive, malnourished hipster."

No regrets : the best, worst, and most #$%*ing ridiculous tattoos ever by by Aviva Yael and P. M. Chen
I'm fascinated by people's tattoos. I'm even more curious about the reasons behind them. They mostly come with quite good stories. (FYI: mine doesn't). For example, why would a guy get the Nike tick tattooed on his back? Why would another person choose to have theirs be two brightly coloured unicorns fornicating? Or the rapper ODB on their foot? Or 'WTF' on your finger? Or Frank Zappa picking his nose? See. Stories. This book doesn't provide the stories. It does, however, provide snark galore, and sometimes that's giggle-worthy, too.

Being a Doctor with no Borders (and Other Ways to Stay Single).

Band-Aid for a Broken Leg - Being a Doctor with no Borders (and Other Ways to Stay Single)

You guys will notice that I really like reading books about people who are better than I am so here's another one:

'Damien Brown, a young doctor, thinks he's ready when he arrives for his first posting with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Africa. But the town he's sent to is an isolated outpost of mud huts, surrounded by landmines; the hospital, for which he's to be the only doctor, is filled with malnourished children and conditions he's never seen; and the health workers—Angolan war veterans twice his age who speak no English—walk out on him following an altercation on his first shift. In the months that follow, Damien confronts these challenges all the while dealing with the social absurdities of living with only three other volunteers for company. The medical calamities pile up—including a leopard attack, a landmine explosion, and having to perform surgery using tools cleaned on the fire—but it's through Damien's evolving friendships with the local people that his passion for the work grows. This heartbreaking and honest account of life on the medical frontline in Angola, Mozambique, and South Sudan is a moving testimony of the work done by medical humanitarian groups and the extraordinary and sometimes eccentric people who work for them.'

I learned a lot about Angola which is a country I know very little about. For example: Did you know that they speak Portuguese in Angola? I didn't. Learning!

If you're one of those people who reads to escape the horrors of our world then maybe this one isn't for you. But if you're like me and sometimes you need a reminder of human goodness then make sure you check it out. It's a very good book.