lundi 27 mai 2013

Thank You For Being A Friend


Although it was a name that rang dim and distant bells, I only stumbled upon The Golden Girls when looking up DVDs of Girls online.  In fact, I think Lena Dunham would approve.

So, I recently got hold of some episodes and could not believe how good it was!  Not only is it properly funny and quite filthy, with excellent writing and acting, but it just goes to show that we same to be taking more and more reductive steps backwards in these 21st Century Days.

I can’t imagine a programme being made now about a group of middle-aged-to-elderly women who are attractive, hilarious and have quite a lot of sex – let alone it being a massive mainstream primetime hit.

My favourite character is Dorothy, but I love them all and highly suggest that you watch them immediately.


vendredi 24 mai 2013

That’s SO Unlike Me!


This is a sentence I can often be heard to utter, usually when I have done something silly and/or careless.  I have been forced to admit that – as I am to be found uttering it so often – it may in fact not be true after all.

When I left a bag of presents on a train at Reading station: ‘but that’s SO unlike me – I’m always so careful with my things!’ I cried as the train pulled away, possibly stamping my foot.

When my handbag was stolen in my favourite bar, in a bizarre combination of mugging/distraction/weirdness: ‘but that’s SO unlike me – I never let my bag out of my sight!’.

Whenever I have a dreadful hangover: ‘but that’s SO unlike me – I hardly ever drink too much these days!’.  Ahem.

I caught myself saying it at Istanbul airport, juggling bags, passport and tickets and trying to find the cash for my visa – a circus of disorganisation and dropping things all over the place.  Then, halfway through, I twigged and burst out laughing.

I am disaorganised, messy and frequently drunk.  These are not good traits but they are very, very like me.  If you catch me saying otherwise, you have my permission to slap me.

mardi 21 mai 2013

Cover Me

So...  My new book now has a cover!

And I am so relieved that I love it.



You can read a bit more about what it's all about, if you so desire, here:

http://www.carinauk.com/gemini-rising-eleanor-wood

Mixtape: The Perks of Being a Wallflower


I adore this book beyond pretty much anything else at the moment.  I am basically in love with Charlie.  He is certainly one of my favourite narrators of all time.  As far as loving the characters goes, Patrick is not far behind.

Obviously mixtapes feature in the book itself, rather beautifully.  I’m not going to try to recreate Charlie’s because he wouldn’t like it (although a mixtape that features Asleep by The Smiths at the beginning and end is a great idea).  Here is my own: songs that remind me of the book, of Charlie and – occasionally – of feeling infinite.

The Hard Drive by Evan Dando
It’s Cool We Can Still Be Friends by Bright Eyes
Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright
Heaven Tonight by Hole
Dirty Dancing by Frida Hyvonen
Judy and the Dream of Horses by Belle and Sebastian
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by the Smiths

lundi 13 mai 2013

The Future

So, I spent much of this last weekend getting tattooed.

I may bore you with the details later.  For now, I am just blown away by the magnificently wonderful experience of it, blissed out with love for my new tattoo, and aching quite a bit.

As for design: my well-documented love of Leonard Cohen has found a permanent physical manifestation.  Obviously, I could also bang on for quite some time about it representing the perfect coexistence of love, creativity and freedom - but I shan't.


So, I shall leave you with this:

'I've seen the future, brother - it is murder...
When they said "repent", I wonder what they meant?'

samedi 11 mai 2013

Books on Film


These are some of my favourite books ever, but the films have become more famous than the source material.  Curious.

Betty Blue
Possibly my favourite book of all time (depending on the day, it is always at least Top Five).  The film is great, mostly because it is pretty much a shot-by-shot line-by-line faithful replica of the text.  The novel is gorgeously visual, so I don’t imagine this was hard.  Oh, and: Beatrice Dalle.

The Godfather
I mean, yeah, the films are masterpieces.  Except for number three, which for these purposes we will pretend does not exist.  People tend to forget that the book is a masterpiece, too.  It really is.  Again, the main strengths of the film are the bits that stick most closely to the book, in my humble opinion.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
This, on the other hand, is a tale of two very different beasts.  On balance, I prefer the book (well, novella, really; I book version I have uses Holly Golightly’s story as the centrepiece in a compendium of Capote short stories).  It’s darker and sadder – obviously a plus in my book.  However, when I am suffering a case of the mean reds, only the film will do.  Fun fact: Capote wanted to cast Marilyn as Holly, but the studio thought then it would be too obvious that she is a hooker.

My Summer of Love
Again, the book is very different from the film.  In fact, the stories are quite different and this is a very loose adaptation.  However, they share a feeling – a very sensory one of smell and taste and feel.  One that I like.  The book is well worth a read, and the film is definitely worth a watch – for Paddy Considine and very early performances from a fresh-faced Emily Blunt and Nathalie Press, both sublime.

mardi 7 mai 2013

Horse and I: Shamanic mixtape


Now that I know my power animal is a horse, my shaman has recommended that I put some music on and dance with my horse.  This is just one of the ways in which I will get to know her.

I am still figuring out what kind of music my horse likes, so I thought I’d go literal for now.  Next stop: invading my boyfriend’s studio and making some horse music of my own.  Coconut shells, anyone?

Bat for Lashes – Horse and I
Bat for Lashes – Horses of the Sun
Echo and the Bunnymen – Bring on the Dancing Horses
Hole – Heaven Tonight
Goldfrapp – Ride a White Horse
Patti Smith – Horses