Jot it Down

I realised that I haven’t blogged in about three weeks or so. This lack of digital engagement has occurred for a few reasons. (This is going to be a list blog because if we have learnt anything from the Internet (and buzz feed and the huffington post) it’s that everyone loves a list).

1. I haven’t had any strong reactions to any of the books I have been reading lately.
Don’t get me wrong, I have been reading a lot, it’s just they don’t all make the cut to be blogged about. Because this was never an official book review blog I don’t like all my blog posts to be about books, despite the fact they take up most of my life. I am reading one at the moment that I am not enjoying so likely it will feature here soon when I do get around to finishing it. The other problem with book blogs is that I am too busy reading to stop and write about what I am reading. It’s a Catch 22 (also a book I have read).

2. I’ve actually been living my life rather than thinking about how to make it into a blog post.
I’ve done a whole bunch of stuff lately. A lot of eating out. A bit of comedy. Many visits to the cutest baby in the world. Yeah, I could write about all that stuff but then I wouldn’t actually have any time to do it.

3. I have actually started a proper paper and pen journal.
Because here are just some things the internet doesn’t need to know. I’ve tried to go back to writing every day and this takes up a lot of my blogging time.

It’s not really that long a list. And if I was actually doing it he way the Internet wants me to it would be full of images and gifs rather than all these words.
Oh well.

Coming up on my next blog: I should actually write about Cards Against Humanity because that might actually be interesting (and maybe I should try to limit my use of the word actually).

The One by Kiera Cass

I have probably said it about every series I read, but TheSelection trilogy by Kiera Cass is the best teen fiction ever written. It is so good in fact that today I had to buy two copies, one for myself and one for my sister because we just can’t share it. The only other time this has happened is for the last book in the Harry Potter series, HarryPotter and the Deathly Hallows because I just couldn’t wait to read it after her.

You can just tell by the cover that this is going to be good.
All the books look like this. And all the books are good.
What I don’t want to do is contribute to the spoilers that have been floating around. I had to swear off twitter this weekend because too many people were talking about it and I didn’t even have a copy yet. Though I did realise this morning that I could have bought it from the iBooks store last week. I always forget about that form of literature.
All I will say that it is magical and perfect.
Unlike with some other series things turned out how I wanted them to, and how I thought they should. I read to escape and as Val McDermid wrote in her new version of Northanger Abbey (another perfect novel)

I’m not reading to learn about life or learn life lessons.

Coming up on my next blog: I work,y way through that To Be Read pile.

Casting aspersions

In the same way I decided I didn’t like Kristen Stewart and couldn’t watch the Twilight movies, I have decided I don’t like Shailene Woodley and so cannot watch the Divergent and Fault in our Stars films. This makes me sad because I liked all the books they have come from and wouldn’t have minded a different medium to enjoy the story in.
This is, and will always be, the problem with film adaptations of loved literature – nothing can ever quite match what you have in your mind.
Often I arrive at book/movie franchises late. I didn’t read LOTR until I’d seen the fellowship, I’d read three Harry Potter’s before the first movie came out, and I only watched The Hunger Games because I like Jennifer Lawrence (because the actor who plays Petar is not right and put me off for a long while).
I often wonder how much say an author has in the adaptation of their work. Because obviously they also have a picture in their head of how things should look and they’ve captured it in prose. Unfortunately Shailene does not look at all how Triss should look, she doesn’t have the fragility required, and sure Triss gets stronger as her character is developed until she makes the ultimate sacrifice at the end of the series, but that’s not how she starts out. And because she has ruined that film for me I won’t go and see any others she is in.
Divergent’s only saving grace is Kate Winslet. She is perfect for Jeanine Matthews and so I might just watch it when it comes out on video.

Coming up on my next blog: I am about to buy my favourite book of the year.

Can I Please Have Some More?

You all know that I’m a sucker for a good crime fiction tie in. I have all the Richard Castle novels even though he is not a real author, so when my husband surprised me with a Veronica Mars novel I was practically beside myself. Because if there is one thing I love more than a crime fiction tie in, it’s a Veronica Mars tie in.
I came to the show late.
I watched the first few when it came out but commercial TV programming conspired against me and until last year I had only seen a handful of episodes. The. After I’d binge watched the whole series I was elated to know there was a movie in the works. And I watched that and then wished they were making another (or another TV series, I’ll settle for either).
Enter the Veronica Mars novel – my saving grace.

It was absolutely perfect.
I felt as though I was watching the TV show – in my mind.
The novel is set after the film, so Veronica is back in Neptune, back with Logan, and back being a private eye.
Luckily for us, and for her, Neptune still seems to be a youth oriented town and she investigates the disappearances of two college girls during spring break. In my mind Veronica and her friends will remain forever young, so I like the fact at she is still investigating this world. I think it’s a trap we all fall into, despite being long out of school people always look back to those days as the most interesting and the best.
What makes this novel so great is that the creator of the show, Rob Thomas, also co-wrote the book and he has all that back story, all that history to draw on and ground his story in.
I hope he writes more.

Coming up on my next blog: Japan is on the cards again.