Slumps (and how to get out of them)

No, there are four types of slumps: add reading slumps.

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Bookish (and not so bookish) Thoughts

01. Saw the MTC production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time a fortnight ago. The set (I took a sneaky pic before the show started) and the way that it was used to ‘reshape’ the stage was extraordinary, with the grid points on the box stage lighting up to show emotions, places, and movement.

Six Degrees of Separation – from The Goldfinch to Playing Beatie Bow

It’s time again for my favourite meme! Based on the concept of six degrees of separation, Emma Chapman and Annabel Smith have created #6DEGREES, where bloggers share links between books in six moves. Check out the rules if you want to play along.

This month’s starting point is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I only have good things to say about this book and at the end of the year it will, without doubt, be on my list of the best books I read in 2014.

Fictitious Dishes by Dinah Fried

If I was going to write a book (and was also an ace photographer and a brilliant stylist), it would be exactly like Dinah Fried’s Fictitious Dishes. There couldn’t be a more perfect book. Why? It’s best summed up with its subtitle – ‘An Album of Literature’s Most Memorable Meals’.

This gem of a book combines literature, food, beautiful photographs, memorable quotes, and historical and factual detail about the books and foods included. It’s a masterpiece. And difficult to review because I find it tricky to get passed the brilliance of the whole thing.

Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren’t Books) That I’d Like To Own

I was standing in a supermarket queue with my son (who was about three at the time) – he had just put on a big performance over not being allowed anything from the wretched lolly display at the checkout. “But I need some!” he wailed. I calmly replied, “You want some, you don’t need them. Want and need are different things.” A woman standing behind me sniggered and, gesturing to her stack of shopping bags said “I needed all this!”

Yes, we’re grown-ups and we understand the difference between want and need. So we also appreciate that I need all of the following:

10. Perfume. That smells like paper. Perfect.

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

There’s a bunch of bloggers who have been stealing this post idea from Christine at Bookishly Boisterous – I thought it was about time I joined in (Christine, you’ve started something…). So here’s a few things that have been happening –

1. I spent last week at the beach. Read three books in five days. It was a good holiday.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

For a relatively long book, this is a very short review of Amor Towles‘ Rules of Civility.

Book vs. Film: The Great Gatsby

I was lucky enough to see an advance screening of The Great Gatsby last night (it opens in Australia tonight). It was perfection down to the very last sequin.

I’m not even going to attempt a book versus film comparison because it’s all bloody brilliant. I love the book. I love Baz Luhmann’s interpretation.

A top ten of top tens. I know, ace.

Every Monday night I sit down to put together my Top Ten Tuesday post. Every Monday night I think to myself “I really should be working, not blogging.” Bugger it, I love a list. I’ve always loved lists. In fact, one of the best birthday gifts I’ve ever received was The Book of Royal Lists, given to me when I was twelve and at the height of my Princess Diana obsession. It was 300-odd pages of lists. About the Royal Family. All sorts of useful stuff like ‘Sixteen Curious Garments Worn by Royalty’ and ‘Nine Names Applied to Members of the Royal Family by Schoolmates’ (including such gems as Flop, Bat Lugs and Pragger-Wagger). I read it all, over and over, with great interest.

For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, The Broke and the Bookish threw us a freebie and I figured what could be better than a top ten of top tens? Probably nothing! It’s a list of lists!

Top Ten Tuesday – Books for Gatsby fans

Everywhere I turn I’m seeing Gatsby – fringes on dresses, Bakelite accessories and sublime Art Deco curves in furniture design. Get a little Jazz Age into your reading list as well.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a topic rewind. I’m going all the way back to January 2012 when The Broke and the Bookish looked at their Top 10 Historical Fiction picks… And then I’m rewinding a little further to the glorious years between 1920 and 1940 when the order of the day was bobbed hair, cloche hats and gin cocktails. Of course we must start at the very top with Gatsby.

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Basically I’m beside myself with excitement waiting for this:

But what else is on the ‘Gatsby’ reading list?