Friday Link Dump: The Golden Girls, Old School Slang and Lego Hogwarts

-Buzzfeed has an awesome round-up of bookish memes, games and other online fun.

-A Lego Hogwarts: I want to go to there. 

-Miniature houses built in to books are as adorable as they sound.

-This designer's matchbox-style edition of Fahrenheit 451 is amazing.

-This A-Z of 1920s slang is pretty nifty!

-Art history in GIF form. Brillaint.

-The Golden Girls around the world: still awesome.

-Cutest. Tumblrs. Ever.

-Speaking of cute - this is one quiz you'll want to take!

-I thought this ad was the greatest thing I had seen all week, until I discovered the Pony Mixer. Hours of entertainment. And hours.

P.S. This week marks the two year anniversary of my blog! Yay!

Talking Point: Book Hangovers

Symptoms

• You feel like crying when you finish a book, not because it was particularly sad, but because you don't want it to end.
• You find yourself unable and/or unwilling to start a new book, because you're not ready to let go of the last one.
• You go back and reread your favourite passages - or, in extreme cases, the whole thing.
• You imagine what the characters are doing now or how they'd react in certain circumstances. Serious afflictions may even lead to fanfiction.
• Everyone you know starts to look panicked whenever you come their way. You're not sure why - you only want to remind them again that they MUST read this fabulous book.
• You squee when you come across others who have a similar love for the book and instantly become their friend.
• You start to lose your ability to form coherent sentences and instead begin to express yourself in gif form (which is not particularly practical in real life).
• You can't concentrate on anything and wander around in a daze for days.
• When you finally do start a new book, it inevitably disappoints you, because it just can't live up to the last one.
• You want to take the book to bed at night and cuddle it.

Hi, my name is Belle, and I'm suffering from a book hangover. You see, ever since I finished Melina Marchetta's The Lumatere Chronicles, no book has been able to satisfy me. Granted, I've only tried three, and they could just be bad books - but I get the feeling that even if there were outstanding, I still wouldn't enjoy them as much as I normally would. My heart is still in Lumatere.

I was trying to think of previous book hangovers I've had, and the one that immediately sprang to mind was when I read Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga - which of course is light-years away from The Lumatere Chronicles (and not in a flattering way). Still, despite all its faults, The Twilight Saga got under my skin. First I tried to cure my hangover with more vampire books. Then I ended up just rereading the whole saga.

Another time I remember is when I finished David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It's quite a hefty book and took me a little while to read, but when it was done I was left wanting more. Not because the ending wasn't satisfying, because it was - rather, I had enjoyed the world of the book so much I wanted to stay there awhile longer. I read some other Dickens books to remedy the situation, and I enjoyed them, but none grabbed my heart quite so much as David Copperfield.

So now, I have this book hangover I need to cure. Do I just bite the bullet and reread the trilogy (though I would feel guilty about all the completely unread books staring at me from my shelves)? Try and find another fantasy series that I may love as well (even though I'm not a massive fantasy reader and wouldn't really know where to start)? Or just plough away through mediocre reads until the hangover lifts? Tell me, dear readers, have you ever had a book hangover? If so, what was the book, and how did you get over it?

Talking Point: Apocalypse Survival By The Books

Tomorrow is the day. The end of the world the Mayans predicted. Or just, y'know, when their calendar ends. Just in case the world does end tomorrow, I thought I'd get prepared by refreshing my knowledge of apocalypses (apocalypseii?) from the place I get all my life skills (or lake thereof): books. I hereby present the (un)Official Apocalypse Survival Guide of 2012. There's only one problem: it's limited to the books I've read. But time is running out, so here goes nothing...

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Apocalypse: Unspecified disaster followed by a despotic government that controls the population by forcing them to send their children into The Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death television extravaganza.
Survival Skills Required: Archery, running, cunning, a strong stomach, knowledge of plants, hunting, skinning squirrels, charisma, style and possibly cake frosting.
My Chances: 1/10 a.k.a. Doomed

And All The Stars by Andrea K. Host
The Apocalypse: Alien invasion via purple dust that infects humans, causing them to turn weird colours and manifest powers before being taken over.
Survival Skills Required: Running, hiding, baking, eating.
My Chances: 7/10 a.k.a. Let me eat cake.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
The Apocalypse: Zombies. Lots and lots of zombies.
Survival Skills Required: Running, being quiet, shooting, hacking, hitting, stabbing, decapitating, foraging, raiding, a strong stomach.
My Chances: 2/10 a.k.a. I'm hiding upstairs.

The Children of Men by P.D. James
The Apocalypse: The human race is suddenly infertile.
Survival Skills Required: Strong mental health and resilience.
My Chances: 6/10 a.k.a. Depressed, much?

Legend by Marie Lu
The Apocalypse: This is never really clear, to be honest.
Survival Skills Required: All-round perfection, money.
My Chances: 4/10 a.k.a. I'm too confused to give up all hope.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer
The Apocalypse: Invasion of the alien body snatchers.
Survival Skills Required: Running, hiding, being really strong-willed.
My Chances: 5/10 a.k.a. Nobody messes with my brain but me.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Apocalypse: Terrorist attacks + low fertility = Biblical-inspired misogynistic, extremist society where women are reduced to the archetypes of the pure (and barren) wife and the objectified (and fertile) whore.
Survival Skills Required: A fertile womb and subservience.
My Chances: 3/10 a.k.a. I don't know about my fertility, but I do know I probably wouldn't want to survive in this world.

That's about as far as my apocalyptic reading has gone to date. Here's hoping the world doesn't end tomorrow and I can add to the list! In the meantime, feel free to share your book-inspired survival tips in the comments.

Bookish Links: BAMFs, Strange Art and Attacks of Cute

My poor blog has been a bit neglected lately, but I have big plans to get back into the swing of things in the next week. I have a few reviews coming (finally!) and some other fun features. In the meantime, here are some awesome things from the rest of the internet...

BAMF Girls Club
This new web series answers the question: What would happen if Hermione, Bella, Katniss, Lisbeth and Buffy lived in a house together? (Short answer: Hilarious amazingness).


Top Five Trashiest Teen Reads
The Vine lists what they deem as the trashiest novels for teens. Take out Sweet Valley High (I somehow missed that boat) and you have my whole childhood, basically. Thanks to Shirley Marr (who is now on Twitter!) for the link.

Speaking of Shirley, she's written this wonderful post about Operation Christmas Child. Check it out.

How to become a famous author
Warning: not actually how to become a famous author.

How to deconstruct a novel
Tips on analysing books to improve your own writing

56 Broken Kindle Screens
This project exhibiting broken Kindle screens is strangely beautiful... I still wouldn't want my new preciousss to break though.

Famous authors' school photos
So, Jack Kerouac was kind of a fox. Just sayin'.

There is a Pride and Prejudice board game
There is a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BOARD GAME. Can you tell I'm excited?

The Stormdancer book trailer is great
I'm not usually a fan of book trailers, but this one is pretty awesomesauce.


Non-bookish (but still fun) links

Puberty is embarrassing for penguins, too

DIY Nutella. Including white chocolate. Want. Now.

Attack of the cute

Alcohol under a microscope is purdy

Someone needs to make this Captain Planet movie happen

Random YouTube clip of the week

Bookish Fun: 50 Shades of Spoofs

I literally cannot get through a single day lately without hearing something about 50 Shades of Grey. Everyone in my FB newsfeed seems to be going gaga over Christian Grey. Which just makes me want to gag. On the plus side, like any craptastic cultural phenomenon, it's spawned some great spoofs. Here are some of my faves...

1. Barely Political's spot-on parody of E. L. James and her writing.

2. 3 Golden Sisters, the grandmas who previously watched Kim Kardashian's sex tape, discuss the, er, ins and outs of 50 Shades.

3. A 50 Shades of Grey musical. 'Nuff said.

4. Jimmy Fallon hosts 50 Shades of Grey karoake, which makes me want to get a copy of the book just so I can do something as hilarious as this.

 

5. Gilbert Gottfried lends his distinctive voice to render 50 Shades even more ridiculous (bet you didn't think that was possible!).

 

6. Ellen reads 50 Shades - with sound effects!

Bookish Fun: Hey Girl, Ryan Gosling Memes Will Make Your Day

These memes have been kicking around for awhile, but they always make me smile, so I thought I'd make a post about them and hopefully make someone else smile, too. Really it's just an excuse to post pictures of Ryan Gosling (like I need one).

Ryan Gosling Reads Young Adult

 

Ryan Gosling Works In Publishing

Hey Girl. I Like The Library Too.

But wait, there's more!

• Fuck Yeah! Ryan Gosling (the original!)
• Is Ryan Gosling cuter than a puppy? 
• Ryan Gosling Disneyland Cats
• Feminist Ryan Gosling
• Typographer Ryan Gosling
• SEO Ryan Gosling
• Vintage Ryan Gosling
• Archaeologist Ryan Gosling
• Socially Conscious Ryan Gosling
• Environmental Ryan Gosling
• Shakespearen Ryan Gosling
• Ryan Gosling Bakes
• Gazing With Gosling
• Gosblr (with links to even MORE RG memes)

Bookish Fun: Carved Book Landscapes by Guy Laramee

Just. Amazing.

Source, via Nylon Admiral

Bookish Fun: Fictitious Dishes by Dinah Fried

How awesome is this photo series by Dinah Fried? So creative and unique. My favourite is Oliver Twist, because it represents a major turning point in the book and is such a powerful image. Dinah says:

"The photographs in this series, Fictitious Dishes, enter the lives of five fictional characters and depict meals from the novels The Catcher in the Rye, Oliver Twist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Moby Dick."

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Oliver Twist

See the whole series here.

Bookish Fun: Lit Major Lemur

My blog (and I) need a bit of a fun injection, and what better way than with a craptastic meme? Presenting... Lit Major Lemur.

Bookish Fun: Bitches in Bookshops

You gotta love book nerd humour...

Lyrics

Read so hard librarians tryin' ta FINE me­,
They can't identify me,
Checked in with a pseudonym, so I guess you can say I'm Mark Twaining.
Read so hard, I'm not lazy.
Go on Goodreads, so much rated.
Fountainhead, on my just read, gave it four stars, and then changed it.
Read so hard, I'm literary.
Goosebumps series, TOO SCARY!

Animal Farm, Jane Eyre
Barnes & Nobles, Foursquare it
No TV, I read instead
Got lotsa Bills, but not bread
BURROUGHS , GOLDING, SHAKESPEARE -- all dead

Read so hard, got paper cuts
On trains while you're playin' connect the dots
All these blisters from turning pages
Read so hard, I'm seeing spots

Your Sudoku just can't compare
Nor Angry Birds cos lookit here
My Little Birds is getting stares
(pause)
This print's rare.

Read so hard, I memorize, The Illiad... I know lines.
Watch me spit, classic lit, epic poems that don't rhyme.
War and Peace, piece of cake, read Tolstoy in 3 days.
Straight through, no delays.
Didn't miss a word. Not one phrase.

Read so hard librarians tryin' ta fineee me - That shit cray x 3
Read so hard librarians tryin' ta fineee me -- That shit cray x 3

He said Shea can we get married at the Strand
His Friday Reads are bad so he can't have my hand
You ball so hard, OK you're bowling
But I read so hard, I'm JK Rowling

That shit cray
Ain't it, A? What you readin'?
AQ: DeMontaigne.
You use a Kindle? I carry spines.
Supporting bookshops like a bra, Calvin Klein.

Nerdy boy, he's so slow
Tuesday we started Foucault
He's still stuck on the intro? He's a no go.
It's sad I had to kick him out my house though --
He Mispronounced an author - MARCEL PROUST

Don't read in the dark
I highlight with markers
While laying in the park
And wearing Warby Parkers
Marriage Plot broke my heart
And it made me read Barthes
I special ordered a
A softcover not hard- HUAH?AHEHA?!

Read so hard libraries tryin' ta fine me x 2

I am now marking my place
Don't wanna crease on my page
Don't let me forget this page
Don't let me forget this page
I may forget where I left off so I'll use this little post it...
I hope it doesn't fall out, I hope that it stays stickie...

I am now marking my place
Don't wanna crease on my page
Don't let me forget this page
I got bookmarks at home
But I forgot one for the road
AQ: I got a bookmark I can loan
La Shea: Know how many bookmarks I own?

I am now bookmarking my page x3
Don't let me forget this PAGE....

Source

Bookish Fun: Art by Oona Patterson

Although I still feel slightly uncomfortable about the idea of cutting up books, when it's for the purpose of creating amazing artwork like that of Oona Patterson, it's probably worth it. My favourite is Ream, which actually tells a story. Check it out in full, plus more of her work, at her website.

"Ream is the story of a little girl made out of paper who lives inside a book. It is told via a 3D model where each page of the story has its own area."

"Ream was a little girl who lived on a boat. Far out to sea, she watched the Sun and Moon shine day and night. One night Ream decided that she would do whatever it took to shine as brightly as they did, so she sailed off in search of some advice…"

"The road was long and steep, and only after walking for a long time did Ream come to its end. A large Palace made of silver stood waiting for her."

 

"When she awoke the Dancer took Ream to the sea. She parted the waves and revealed a path along the sea bed. Ream followed it to a Palace made of jade, guarded by a large sea Monster. 'Excuse me,' Ream asked once more, 'do you know the rest of the way to the Land beyond the Waves?'"

Faves of 2011 Book Awards: The Covers

The Faves of 2011 Book Awards are hosted by Nomes at Ink Crush.

 

Day Five: The Covers

TEN favourite covers selected from books you read in 2011

1. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. It's such a beautiful illustration and perfectly captures the feel of the book. 

2. Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. It's pretty, colourful and fun, and a great representation of the glossy, poppy, bright content.

3. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. For starters, it's pink. It also has super cute illustrations, and the back is designed to look like a postcard. Adorable.

4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Creepy girl levitating + vintage feel + cool fonts = awesome cover.

5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I got the movie tie-in, so the cover is actually the movie poster, but I adore it. It's haunting and beautiful, just like the book itself.

6. The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens. I have the hardcover, and I love the green and gold design once the dust jacket is removed.

7. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I'm not a fan of the photo, but the hardcover underneath the dust jacket is a beautiful colour. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of it and I don't have the book with me at the moment to snap one, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

8. Cargo by Jessica Au. Amazing illustration.

9. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. It's fun, quirky, unique and adorable - a perfect representation of the characters and story within.

10. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright and David Leslie Johnson. This book is a novelisation of the movie, so it makes sense for the cover to be the same as the movie poster. If there's one thing that's great about the movie/book, it's the imagery!

What were your fave covers of 2011?

Faves of 2011 Book Awards: The Random

The Faves of 2011 Book Awards are hosted by Nomes at Ink Crush.

 

Day Four: The Random

1. Fave first sentence

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was a reread this year, but it's got one of my fave first sentences ever: "Marley was dead, to begin with." Tell me you don't want to keep reading! Bah!

2. Fave book title 

That'd have to be Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Love the alliteration, the intrigue and the peculiarity (natch).

 
3. Fave reading experience (ie: created a great reading memory)

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. It was just a lovely read, and made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Naw.

4. Book with the best food in it (made you so crazy-envious-hungry)
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. Amy and Roger do a lot of eating in this book. It's mostly junk food, but it all sounds amazing.

 

5. Book with the most sensual weather (made you shiver/sweat)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. A big chunk of the book is dedicated to describing how freaking freezing it is, brrrr.

6. Most embarrassing book cover (feeling sheepish in public or just plain ugly) 
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. Loved the book, but man, that cover is embarrassing AND ugly.

 

7. Can’t believe you waited this long to read the book (!)
There were a few that I was late on the bandwagon for this year, but the one that I really can't believe I only read recently was The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 
8. Book you'd give your mum/sister to read
I Came To Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington. It's just a brilliant, heartbreaking, beautifully-written story. 

 
9. Book you'd give your dad/brother to read
Well, neither my dad or my brother read at all, so I'm going to apply this one to my fiance - I've been urging him to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ever since I finished it.

10. Book you'd like to give your past-self to read (ie, me, when I was 15)
This is such a hard question! I think I'd have to go with The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, just because I've always loved the movie and I wish I'd discovered the book sooner.

11. Book that lived up to (or superseded) the hype
I was surprised to find that The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins more than lived up to the hype.
 
12. Book you stayed up the latest to finish (confess!!!)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I couldn't put it down, and read it in two rather late-night sittings.  

 
13. Book you were *dying* to get your hands on the most 
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. After finishing Anna and the French Kiss I was itching to get my hands on Perkins' next offering.

14. Fattest brick of a book you read (by page count)
At over 500 pages, this was The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. Took me waaay longer than it should have to read.

15. Killer cliffhanger award
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. It left so many loose ends I actually got kinda mad. I wish the sequel would come out already!