Sunday, March 27, 2011

My dirty secret....


Right, here it is... this might make or break our relationship but all of us have something we're a little ashamed about but love anyway. At least mine isn't something like... say, i enjoy wrapping my bits in glad wrap and then electrocuting myself, or wearing other people's dirty underwear that i've stolen from a laudromat!


Instead, my dirty secret is that i love the Twilight Series. Yes, yes, i've heard it all before. Whatever! I love it, and i think that Stephenie Meyer (even though that wrongly placed 'e' in her name does make me raise an eyebrow) did an amazing job.


And i love the movies too. I actually saw Twilight before i read any of the books. I was flying to Melbourne, there was nothing else to watch, so i gave it a go and just loved it. We had some really bad turbulence, and i was like, please God, can you keep this plane in the air at least until i see the end of this movie. Of course, the books were purchased at the airport on the flight out.


I've even did the midnight screening for New Moon and Eclipse (not again though, i don't think i'm Twihard enough!). And that's HUGE for me 'cause i've never allow myself to get sucked in this sort of thing - way TOO cool for school - HP was blah (great writing though), the Spice Girls never floated my boat (although i love Brand Beckham now and secretly want to be BFF's) and i never owned a Cabbage kid or anything gimmicky like that. But still, i'm counting down for Breaking Dawn... One and Two (hello, money spinner!)


And then there's Rob Pattinson. The man is frecken gorgeous, there's no denying it (although i don't think he's even remotely like his character, unlike KS - who i have a love hate relationship with). Excitingly enough, he even sneaks in as acceptable on the cougar scale (divide your age in half, and add 7) which means i can legitimately fantasize about him and not get arrested. I like his acting too. Yes, really. I loved 'remember me' and can't wait to see 'water for elephants'.


But even i, who loves the series, is an absolute supporter of SM's vision, and have spent my fair share of $$ on the franchise, am just sooooo amused at how completely crazed some of the fans are.


Seriously, people, IT IS JUST A STORY! I know, I know, really hard to believe that vampires aren't running around secretly (hopefully i won't regret that statement in a few years down the track) and that it's all pretend. BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS AND THAT IS THAT IT IS JUST A STORY! (BAM! How's that word play!)


Which is why things like this amuse me sooooo much. Are these people GENUINELY arguing on amazon -with strangers - about the authenticity of Bella's pregnancy (Oops, sorry, may have spoilt that for some... my bad!)?? Really? Really?? Reaaalllllllyyyyyy???


And then there's shit like this, and this. And this! People, at the risk of getting a twihard whipping myself, it's pure fiction, pure and lovely escapism trash. You do not have to threaten people's lives over this or attack those that aren't as fervent as you are. Love it by all means, adore it, go ahead, but please, come, join us in the real world again. It's actually not a bad place to be.


Right, my piece said i've got to go and board up my house now for my own safety.


Kiss kiss love love


P.S To validate if you might be a Twihard, please check the description here. However, if you are feeling waves of anger and potential violence towards me, no need to check - I think we can safely assume you're one.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

And the award for worst blogger in the world goes to....

Me!

Or alternatively, it's just that i'm so ahead of the times and didn't even know it (admittedly, i didn't get to the end of post... i got bored half way and just took what i wanted from it!).

Well, you might have noticed that it's 2011! Whoop whoop... 11 is a great number. I love 11... there's something awesome about it, like it has some sort of quiet strength that just pisses all over 10, 12, 13 etc etc. And of course, it's the year of the rabbit, which means we get to catch our breathe after the year of the tiger, along with - apparently - loads of luxury and plenty of money. Erm, wasn't it exactly all those things - or our infatuation with them - that made the year of the tiger such a bitch?? But, hell, ok, yes, i'll take it thanks... i'm so over the doom and gloom.

Not that you can get away from that either. Take Christchurch, poor, sweet, already hammered Christchurch. How much more can that wee little city take?? As if living with after shocks 24/7 isn't enough, turns out lightning does strike in the same place twice. And with a vengeance. Probably not appropriate to bring this up now, but I got so irritated by how everyone went on and on and on about 'poor Christchurch' after the first earthquake. I mean, seriously.... not even a gold fish died after a 7 pointer hit (at least, there weren't reports of it and we all know how the media loves to grab onto that sort of thing and run with it)... how could that NOT be something to dance in the streets about and celebrate. But instead, it was dramatization media style - would they ever recover from it all??? And now, and now... yes, this is tragic, this is sad, this is horrendous. People have died, families and friends have lost loved ones... this is some serious shit. Serious and devastating. This is when we are validated by saying 'poor Christchurch'. And my heart absolutely bleeds for them. Still though, you won't find me saying 'Will they ever recover?"... of course they will. They have to. They must. It would be even more tragic if they didn't. So they will. And the memories of all those that didn't have a choice will remain at the centre of that.... cherished and alive.

But enough... i'm getting myself all worked up about it.. .which is why i avoid the news at all costs. The news is shit. It's horrible. It makes me feel like there is very little hope of... anything really. And... well, oh so very very guilty about my sweet, nice, safe little life. And we all know that guilt is the most useless of emotions.

And on the topic of my sweet, nice, safe (boring?) little life... what have i been up to?? Very little if the truth be told. Short version: Work my arse off in the week, and then totally blob on the weekends, shacked up in the four walls that i call home. My writing, well, my writing hasn't been all that hot. I seem to have lost my mojo... which is annoying because the story is good. In fact, the story is great! But still, i prefer to wrap myself up in the worlds of other's making... and not focusing on getting mine built up. I'm sitting on about 25,000 words, it's at a crucial part, and still, i can't convince myself to sit down and get going. Even though i can clearly recall how it makes my blood hum and heart hammer, how an amazing session of writing is better than sex and chocolate - combined - yet i still cannot seem to convince myself to just sit down and write... which is basically what you're required to do if you want to be a writer! Hmmmm...

But, one piece of good news, and 'scuse me while i just blow my own trumpet around now, is that I finished my freelance journalism course... with some damned good feedback. Thank God it's over... it was hanging over me like a bad smell (and was also one of my excuses as to why i wasn't writing!). A+ on my last assignment ain't a bad way to finish up... with comments like 'an absolute pleasure to read. I wish all my assignments were this good.' My lecturer also added, 'You're a really talented writer (and i don't say this lightly - you're genuinely really good!!).' Ahhhh.... gave me the warm fuzzies that .... and left me wondering why i don't do more of it. So why don't i???

Bloody hell... am i meant to answer that?? Why don't i do a lot of things i should... like eat less, exercise more, meditate, do yoga, write... blah, blah, blah - all for the same reasons... i'm a lazy bitch! Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that i've got no kids, so can be lazy. Hmmm... or maybe not. Bottom line... i seem to NOT do a lot of things i should.

Ok, bored with that.... (when i should be writing and not blogging)!

Let's get onto the good stuff... what i've been reading:

Well, first of all, it was xmas so i wanted some real light hearted, easy to read trash, and so caved and bought the first 2 books in Lauren's Conrad's 'LA Candy' trilogy. I haven't bought the 3rd one yet, but will no doubt cave there too... they actually weren't that bad and seriously easy reading. Totally about her life though even if she claims they aren't. I was never a Hills watcher - i tried, but the vagueness and stupidity of even people that weren't regulars just about killed me - but a g-friend who was regular is reading the books and she says almost totally the same. Which does make me wonder, what will LC write about after this?? Will be interesting to see. At least i know now what the spots are called that famous folk have their pictures take at... hold up, i think i've forgotten - was it a still see, a see off, a see spot... something like that!

Of course, I can't resist any Lauren Weisberger novel, even though i don't think 'The Devil wears Prada' will ever be topped (go on, Lauren, prove me wrong!) so paid my cash and was the proud owner of a shiny new copy of the 'Last night at Chateau Marmont'. Love what that girl has done with her brand using shoes, love, love, love it! Quite enjoyed the book, super easy to read and typically Lauren, although some of the characters were a bit 2-dimensional. She did keep me guessing with how she was going to finish up so that Julian isn't the prick he surely has to be... non?

And then let's move onto 3 lots of trilogies (all of which have their last books come out in Summer 2011) that i absolutely adored...

Maggie Stiefvater, you're amazing! I started off with 'Shiver', which i loved... so promptly moved onto 'Linger', which was just as wonderful. And it was wolves, not vampires, how refreshing! So, of course, i had to try 'Lament', which was just ok, and then 'Ballad', which i quite enjoyed. 'Lament' and 'Ballad' really showed me how writers develop and improve their writing styles as they go along. I am so waiting in anticipation to see what will happen to Sam and Grace.

And then there was Becca Fitzpatrick, whose 'hush, hush' cover i just adored. Becca, love your work, but out of the three, I'd say it was my third place. Not that Patch and Nora's story isn't worth a read... i totally enjoyed... there was just something about some aspects, like being left alone as much as she was, that left me wondering.

And then there was Lauren Kate's 'Fallen' and 'Torment', which i absolutely consumed. Amazing covers too. I loved it... Fallen Angels have totally tickled my fancy.

Cannot wait to read the last books of all of these!

So, now what, maybe a break from the paranormal... ok, let's give Sara Donati a go. So into the'Into the Wilderness' series i jumped... but it took AGES for me to get sucked in. At 876 pages, this book is a monster, and i was more than half way through before i found myself wondering about the book during my day to day stuff - aka doing some work to earn $$! So it was ok - a sweet and beautifully written book - but i think that my reading tastes have changed so much because i usually love these sorts of books. I have just purchased the 2nd in the series so it must have interested me somehow.

And then it was onto.... 'The Black Dagger Brotherhood' by JR Ward. Ah-mazing! Was riveted from the word go and chewed through them. Have finished the 6 i had, and there is another 2 to go, and then she has a - wait for it - FALLEN ANGEL SERIES! But on the Brotherhood books, could no put them down. Did struggle a wee bit with the stunningly names characters - Wrath, Phury, Tohrment, Vishous, Rhage and my favourite, Zsadist - but that's just me, whenever names are more exotic than Isabel, Spike and Spencer, i seem to really struggle with keeping up whose who (happened in 'Into the Wildernsess' too, was never sure, right up to the end, what the diffs was between the Kahnyenkehaka characters).


Ok, i think that is enough to make up for the fact that i haven't blogged since April last year. I'm sure there are some books i've forgotten, and i'm too tired to get into the movies i've seen... but let's look at the bight side - THE DROUGHT IS BROKEN.... I'VE ACTUALLY BLOGGED!


Love love kiss kiss


What am i...


PISSED OFF!

I just wrote an entire post, and then my mac froze (FROZE! What's up with that - that never happens! like ever!) - and it must have been a bad day for wireless 'cause the save now wasn't working that hot... so when the damned mac froze and i could only coax it out of its lapse by shutting it down, by the time i'd powered back up, it was confirmed...

I'D LOST MOST OF MY DAMN BLOG!!!!!

Seriously, i haven't written for months, and when i sit down to write the damn thing, cyberspace slaps me in the face.

Well, stuff that! I'm going to cool off, eat something i don't need, maybe have a wine... and then get back onto the cyberspace wagon. I probably won't be as funny, or as original or even half as cute as i usually am... but i'll get this bloody post up!

Stand by caller....