Friday Links on a Sunday: Catching Fire, Amy Poehler and Vintage Hotties

-I am sorry for the delay in links - on the plus side it means I can include the Catching Fire trailer. Oh. Em. Squee.

-I used this Thug Notes clip to try and explain Pride and Prejudice to the husband. Handy.

-Goodreads has released an infographic about what makes people DNF a book. The most frequently abandoned don't really surprise me.

-Where do you stand when it comes to upcycled book art? I'm torn. I hate to see books cut up but I love book art. I think if a book isn't rare and/or readable, it's OK.

-Amy Poehler talks feminism, cults and who she would be on Game of Thrones.

-I am super excited to watch Saving Mr. Banks.

-Here's a daily dose of dishonesty that we're all guilty of.

-These photos from New York City in 1969 are stunning. As are these images of vintage brides.

-Speaking of vintage, here's a collection of timeless hotties from old-school Hollywood.

-I also love these lovely photos of Julia Gillard.

-This list of people who became successful in their 30s is encouraging and inspiring.

-The Thoughts Room is an awesome place to dump unwanted thoughts.

-Animals are real jerks sometimes. Here are the GIFs to prove it.

Top Ten Pre-Blog Reads

I find it a lot harder to remember the books I read before I started blogging. One of the reasons I actually started this blog was to keep track of what I read, and it has been helpful in that way. These are the books that stand out in my memory from the days before I recorded my thoughts on every book I read...

1. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. This was my favourite book for a long time. It would still hold that title, except I feel like it's been so long since I read it, I need to revisit it to reconfirm - or rethink - my love.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I used to reread this every year - sometimes more than once a year. I haven't read it since I started blogging. I miss it.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I think this makes my top ten practically every week, no matter what the topic is. It's such a stunning book.

4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It gives me All The Feelings.

5. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Mr Thornton. 'Nuff said.

6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. An absolutely haunting dystopia, it contains some hope in its tale of the strength of the human spirit.

7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. This is another book that is a top ten repeat. It makes me smile every time I read it.

8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Strong characters, beautiful imagery, a fantastic plot and powerful writing. One of my all-time fave stories.

9. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. My best friend throughout my teen years, and still a great novel to read as an adult.

10. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I don't think any other book has made me laugh so much as this one.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Favourite Romances

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Need I say more? OK, I will anyway. It's Darcy and Lizzy. Two of the greatest literary characters ever, combined in the romance to end all romances. Or the romance to start all romances, rather, given the thousands of remakes, rejigs and rip-offs.

2. Persuasion by Jane Austen. Another Jane Austen, I know. But if Pride and Prejudice is the Greatest Romance of All Time (which it is), then Persuasion is a very close second. The tale of Captain Wentworth and Anne Eliot's reconnection is bittersweet and beautiful. Don't even get me started on the letter.

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I adore how passionate and strong Rochester and Jane's love is, and the way they respect each other and value one another as equals.

4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Thornton and Margaret's love reminds me a little of Darcy and Lizzy, in that they can't stand each other at first but eventually see each other in a new light. Their story is filled with a lot more heartbreak than Austen's novel, but that just makes the happier moments all the more meaningful.

5. The Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery. Anne is my hero, and I worship her almost as much as Gilbert does. The only downside of their romance is that in the later books Anne goes all wifey and motherly and forgets her own creative dreams and ambitions, which might be historically accurate but is disappointing nonetheless.

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. An American girl falls in love with an English boy at a school in Paris. Oh, how I love everything about this book.

7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. "This is True Love. You think that happens every day?" No, Westley, no it doesn't. Which is what makes this book so special.

8. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. Set in the Soviet Union during World War II, there's only one word to describe Tatiana and Alexander's love story: Epic.

9. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This book made me ugly cry for a good half an hour after I finished it. Now that is a strong romance.

10. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. This one is extremely cheesy but totally addictive. I devoured it and was left wanting so much more. Pure, trashtastic fun.

What are your fave romances?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Friday Link Dump: Casting News, Bookshelf Porn and Semi-Naked Beckham

-Big casting news this week. First up, Vampire Academy. Dimitri is actually being played by a Russian... I kinda like it. But I'm most excited about the The Book Thief news - Geoffrey Rush is great and the rest of the cast seem good, although I never pictured Max quite so... baby-faced. I'm also slightly concerned about how they'll translate the beauty of the book into movie form. What I really want to know is who will play Death!

-I'm not sure how I feel about this new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It's like they're trying to cash in on it AND Downton Abbey. Who am I kidding, I'll still watch it.

-BOOKSHELF PORN. 'Nuff said.

-Book-inspired hotels: I want to go to there. And there. And there and there and there.

-Celebrate Valentine's Day with pop culture thanks to these fun e-cards. My faves are the Golden Girls set, natch.

-I love a good mash-up - and this The Avengers/The Breakfast Club mix is the best.

-Here are 20 reasons why Community is totally awesome. 

-These baby fennec foxes are the cutest thing you'll see all week.

-Except for the boy stuff (I'm lucky enough to have a lovely husband, vom, I know), this GIF post pretty much sums up my life. 

-This week the internet had fun with Beyonce. It's my new favourite meme.

-Apparently, you can do amazing art with some Oreos. Personally I just like eating them.

YouTube Clip of the Week

 

Friday Link Dump: Game of Thrones, Lizzie Bennet and Liz Lemon

-I can't freaking wait for Game of Thrones season 3, and these pics only made me more excited.

-It's been a massive week in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The Lydia drama has finally come to a head and the fandom is an emotional wreck. On the positive side, there's this behind-the-scenes look at the show and fantastic interviews with the creators, as well as Ashley Clements' new Tumblr about how she picks each Lizzie outfit.

-Here's how the world celebrated Pride and Prejudice's 200th anniversary earlier this week. I think Cadbury did it best.

-Chloe Moretz is going to star in the adaptation of If I Stay and I'm excited. I can't wait to see who is cast as Adam...

-Apparently, Mean Girls can be mashed up with anything - including Les Miserables. Amazing.

-Have you watched Disney's Paperman short yet? If not, you totally should. It's beautiful. 

-This is a handy guide to what glasses to use with certain beverages, but who has room for that many kinds of glasses?! Not me, anyway.

-30 Rock has come to an end (sob!) and the internet has been commemorating. Some of my fave posts include 11 life lessons you can learn from Liz Lemon plus the most important lessons from the show itself. And, of course, this collection of Liz Lemon reaction gifs.

-The best moments from the Ellen show will make you smile.

-These tea bag cookies are adorable! I'm obsessed.

-Beyonce and her amazing dance moves are absolutely mesmerising in this gif collection.

-This list of the dumbest things ever said on the internet could make you feel better about your day. Or it could make you want to leave the planet.

On this blog
-I reviewed Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, plus Glitter Kiss by Adrianne Ambrose and Ghosting by Keith Gray.

Friday Link Dump: Blurbs, Baby Animals and A Very Bad Idea

Source

Jennifer Love Hewitt wants to adapt Pride and Prejudice. For Lifetime in the US. And she wants to call it Darcy's Town. And I have no words.

Here's the complete story of Harry Potter in poster form. It's pretty awesome.

It's kind of hilarious when book blurbs are the equivalent of: "you've had a haircut." Think, "this is a book" - or about as useful.

HuffPo has a list of celebrities who have modeled for book covers. They forgot Courtney Cox and Jennifer Connelly!

Do you know your celeb doppelgangers? Take this quiz to find out. Either it's super easy or I spend waaay too much time looking at celebs, coz I got 'em all.

This Christmas light hanger (is that the proper title? It'll do) really hates his job, apparently, and decided to troll a whole town. Penis humour FTW.

BABY ANIMALS. 'Nuff said.

Top Ten Books I'm Thankful For

1. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. For allowing me to inhabit a world full of quirky characters that felt so real and so dear, I was left wanting more after nearly 1000 pages.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. For giving the world Mr Darcy and Lizzie Bennet, arguably the greatest hero and heroine of all time, forming the greatest love story of all time.

3. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. For being a good friend throughout my teenage years; for making me laugh and cry; and for making me feel like I wasn't alone, that what I was feeling was normal, and it was all going to be OK.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. For being so beautiful it moved me more than any other book ever has, and for teaching me that Death isn't such bad company - at least for a few hundred pages.

5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. For bringing me joy every single time I read it.

6. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. For teaching me that being a freckled, kinda strange, imaginative and talkative red-head is awesome, no matter who calls you "Carrots" (especially if people call you "Carrots").

7. Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares. For snapping me out of my judgey, anti-YA ways.

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. For distracting me when I was stranded at Heathrow airport for two days with a chest infection and a broken rib and no idea when I'd be able to get home.

9. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. For putting me in the Christmas mood every year... and for The Muppet Christmas Carol.

10. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. For making me so mad I just had to express my anger - and so I started this blog.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Bookish Buys: Pride and Prejudice

I am completely addicted to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries at the moment, which has in turn renewed my obsession with Pride and Prejudice. Which is why I'm trying really hard not to buy everything on this page (ahem, I may or may not already own the paper dolls)...

LBD Buttons

Pride and Prejudice scarf

Pride and Prejudice brooch

Marathon print

Literary chocolates

Pride and Prejudice map

Set of five postcards

Mr Darcy poster

Characters and places print

Mr Darcy's proposal collage

Mrs Bennet mug

Lizzie and Darcy tote

Pride and Prejudice ring

Pride and Prejudice tea set

Pride and Prejudice paper dolls

Darcy's proposal mouse pad

Pride and Prejudice mug

Pride and Prejudice finger puppets

Pride and Prejudice earrings

Greeting card

Miniature pop-up book

Mr Darcy's proposal canvas

Bookish Buys: Out Of Print Clothing

I'm kind of in love with all of the products at Out of Print. They use iconic book covers to make really cool tees and stationery. PLUS for every product purchased, they donate a book to a community in need through their partnership with Books for Africa. Amazing! These are some of my fave items (a.k.a. WANTS!):

Pride and Prejudice journal

The Great Gatsby fleece

Jane Eyre tee

Animal Farm tote

Moby Dick journal

Literary coasters

Ebook covers (not available yet)

Bookish (And Other Awesome) Links: The BSC, Mr Darcy and Trolls

Awful Library Books: the place where terrible books go to live.

These videos about the history of certain words, told in animation using paper cuttings, are awesome.

Only one of these facts about The Baby-Sitters Club blew my mind (Kirsten Dunst was a cover model for Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls!), but it's still a fun list.

Three words: Darcy paper doll. Go now. Lizzie is there too.

The story of how one man confronted his online troll. You'll never guess who it was. Intense reading. On a lighter note, this parody video about trolls made me chuckle.

As if my obsession with Joseph Gordon-Levitt wasn't already intense enough, Buzzfeed handily compiled a list of every gif from his Magic Mike dance you will ever need. And oh, will you need them.

The greatest moments in Australian history - Lego-fied. Not surprising that it's heavily sports-oriented, though I appreciate the The Castle inclusion.

The 50 most romantic photos of all time are as lovely as they sound.

Speaking of lovely, the gallery of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward will renew your faith in celebrity love. Plus Paul Newman was a total fox.

While we're on that subject - Alec Baldwin was, like, such a Baldwin when he was younger. 

I was obsessed with the Little Giants as a kid, so this kind of destroyed my childhood memories.

Have you ever seen Flamingos do their mating dance? Move over, Swan Lake...

Random YouTube clip of the week

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 Buys: Babylit

I saw these on Reading Teen and just had to post about them. Babylit is a range of books that are, well, baby versions of classic literature. They are board books for ages one and up. I think it's a wonderful idea and the books themselves are so freaking adorable. The only one I'm not sure about is Romeo & Juliet - I'm guessing the original ending is absent, but still, I don't know that it's a story I'd want to introduce kids to at a young age. I love the others though - especially Pride and Prejudice, of course!

Check out previews of the books - and/or purchase them - here.

My Book Boyfriend: Mr Nobley

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, all about fictional boys who make us swoon. This week I'm loving Mr Nobley from Austenland by Shannon Hale. As I mentioned in my review of the book, he's very Darcy-esque; coming across as proud and kinda dull at first before slowly revealing the passion, romance and sense of humour that's bubbling underneath. One of my favourite things about him is the way he really listens to Jane, as evidenced by his sneaky gift of a paint set after she reveals how she misses the hobby. I also love that he tries to protect her from getting hurt, even if she doesn't realise it. He's pretty lovely. Although JJ Feild has been cast as Nobley in the upcoming movie adaptation of Austenland, unfortunately he doesn't really do it for me. I pictured him as Elliot Cowan, who played Mr Darcy in Lost in Austen.

Swoon-worthy Quotes (Spoiler Alert!)

"Just ahead, the path was drenched in a puddle that could not be bypassed. The men walked through fearlessly. Colonel Andrews took Miss Charming's hand and helped her step across. Mr Nobley placed his hands around Jane's waist and lifted her over. As he set her down, their bodies were much nearer than was seemly in the early nineteenth century. They held still for a breath, their faces close together. He smelled good enough to kiss... He had the kind of face you wanted to kiss - lips, forehead, cheeks, eyelids, everywhere except his chin. That you wanted to bite."

"He tackled her. He actually leaped up, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her down to the ground. She screeched as she thudded down on top of him... Then he looked at her. He breathed in. His forehead tensed as if he were trying to think of words for his thoughts, as if he were engaged in some gorgeous inner battle that was provoked by how perfectly beautiful she was. (That last part was purely Jane's romantic speculation and can't be taken as literal.) Nevertheless, they were on the ground, touching, frozen, staring at each other, and even the trees were holding their breath."

“'Miss Hayes, have you stopped to consider that you might have this all backward? That in fact you are my fantasy?'”

"'I need to admit up front that I don't know how to have a fling. I'm not good at playing around and then saying good-bye. I'm throwing myself at your feet because I'm hoping for a shot at forever.'"

Pash, Pick or Pass: A Mr Darcy Threesome

Here's a peek into my random thought processes (there's a point, I promise): This week I read Austenland (review to come soon), which made me think of Lost in Austen, which made me think of the different Darcy portrayals over the years, which made me want to do something slightly different for Pash, Pick or Pass this week and make it all about Darcy! Yep, rather than characters battling it out for our affections, I've decided to pit Darcy against Darcy.

The Contenders
Um, Mr Darcy, Mr Darcy and Mr Darcy... Oh, you want more information? Some visual aides? OK, OK, if I must...

Mr Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series

Mr Darcy, as played by Matthew MacFadyenin the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie

 Mr Darcy, as played by Elliot Cowan in the 2008 mini-series Lost in Austen

My Choices

Pash: Elliot's Mr Darcy. Did you see that picture?! Dare I say it, he pulls off a wet shirt better than Colin Firth. He also has a very sexy voice, and I wouldn't mind him whispering sweet nothings in my ear while we pashed.

Pick: Firth. Do I even need to explain this choice? He's Colin Firth. He IS Mr Darcy. Handsome, passionate, loving, intelligent, selfless, kind... *sigh*

Pass: MacFadyen. To be fair, I thought he was the least offensive thing about the movie (I HATED it) and made an OK Darcy, and even an OK Darcy is better than an awesome version of just about anybody else. Plus that mist scene is pretty swoony (if totally out of character and illogical, but I'm not here to rant). Still, between the three Darcys he's definitely the one I'd pass on.

Which Darcy would you pash/pick/pass?