Friday Link Dump: Bookish Cocktails, Instagram Paraodies And Tom Hanks Being Tom Hanks

-Shameless self promotion: I joined BuzzFeed recently and have written a few posts if, you know, you want to check them out... There's History According to Tumblr, 100 Parks and Recreation GIFs, 21 Signs You're Anne Shirley, 25 Times Disney Face Characters Were Adorable, 10 Australian Celebs Before They Were Famous, and The 39 Stages of Being a Bride. (BuzzFeed)

-Closer to home (as in, this blog), I'm getting caught up on book reviews and wrote three this week for books I loved: Stardust by Neil Gaiman and Six Impossible Things and Wildlife by Fiona Wood. (This blog!)

-Reynje from Wordchasing did an awesome post about the Melbourne locations seen in Six Impossible Things, which author Fiona Wood expanded on. (Wordchasing, FionaWood.com)

-Find book recommendations similar to what you've read and liked on Go Book Yourself. (Tumblr)

-I would like many of these bookish things in my home. (BuzzFeed)

-And I would like many of these bookish cocktails in my belly. (BuzzFeed)

-Apparently they are remaking Little Women and this could be really bad. (Crushable)

-Jamie Dornan, a.k.a. the incredibly hot Huntsman from Once Upon a Time has been cast as Christian Grey. Which makes me actually want to see the movie. Oh god. (Hypable)

-Here are some web series that will appeal to fans of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, apparently. (Hypable)

-Pitchfork Review Generator: in case you need inspiration for your snark. (Pitchfork Review Generator)

-I love Hocus Pocus and I was very happy to find out I am Winifred. Which Sanderson sister are you? (BuzzFeed)

-This artist has been doing drawings of Disney characters dressed up as other pop culture icons and it's awesome. (Tumblr)

-Hot guys of history. Oh yeah. (Tumblr)

-MamaMia Spoilers is my new fave Twitter. (Twitter)

-I am in awe of this Deadspin writer's ability to monitor 10 screens at once and get work done and wow. My eyes hurt just looking at a picture of his set up. (The NY Times)

-Here are some people that are already winning at Halloween. (Junkee)

-10 reasons why TV is better than film right now. I kinda have to agree - I watch waaay more TV shows than movies these days coz the latter just haven't been as good. (The Guardian)

-I'm loving these two Instagram parody accounts: Satiregram and Thisisrealstagram. (Instagram)

-Salted caramel is the best. Make ALL the recipes. (BuzzFeed)

-Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock playing chopsticks on a big (or, er, Big) piano is my favourite thing ever. Followed closely by Sandra Bullock rapping. (YouTube)

-I am super excited to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel. It looks so fun. (YouTube)

Review: Wildlife by Fiona Wood

Note: Wildlife is a companion novel to Six Impossible Things. While there are no explicit spoilers in this review, you may be able to guess what happens between Six Impossible Things and Wildlife. Just in case you’re really allergic to even the hint of a spoiler.

My favourite kinds of stories are the ones you can relate to. The stories that leap from the page, wrap their arms around you and say, “It’s OK, you’re not alone.” Wildlife is one of those books. I connected with so many aspects of this story – the grieving process, the struggle to fit in, the best friend who is really a bitch, the nervousness and excitement that goes along with first relationships, the loneliness that is being a teenager – there is so much in there. The only other author that has represented the teen experience so authentically, with such raw emotion, is Melina Marchetta. Yep, I’m putting Fiona Wood up there with Ms Double M herself. That’s how much I loved this book.

I almost couldn’t read it. I got seven pages in and discovered something that made me sick. I seriously had to hide the book - I was so devastated, I couldn’t even look at it. After a day or so I finally forced myself to pick it up again and I’m so glad I did. The writing was exquisite and as much as I hated what had happened, it was beautifully dealt with.

Lou from Six Impossible Things is at the centre of this sad story, and her isolation and despair are palpable as she comes to grips with her grief in the middle of nowhere, at a school camp where she knows no one. The short, unfinished sentences that open her chapters in the beginning of Wildlife perfectly encapsulate the breathlessness of depression – the pain so deep, so overwhelming, that it numbs you and leaves you unable to speak or even function properly. It’s utterly heartbreaking, but importantly it’s also incredibly cathartic, as you watch Lou slowly heal and find her way back to contentment, if not complete happiness.

Lou’s intense grief and loneliness are perfectly balanced by the alternate chapters that focus on Sibylla’s story. While she is dealing with her own problems, they’re not as dark as Lou’s, and in comparison her story is light and fun. She has a new, hot boyfriend who is pressuring her to move fast, her best friend is acting strange, and her oldest friend is strangest of all. It might sound like this kind of plot would contrast too starkly with Lou’s chapters, but actually they’re wonderfully integrated. A similar sense of isolation underpins both characters’ experiences, and ultimately they both represent significant life events, for better or worse.

As with Six Impossible Things, the secondary characters are a highlight in Wildlife. There were a few that I loved, and a couple that I hated, which was just as it should be. I adored both main characters. Sometimes I just wanted to shake some sense into Sibylla, but I think that’s because I identified with her so much and, you know, I’ve got hindsight and all. Lou I just wanted to hug and squish and make all the problems go away. My heart still hurts for her.

Wildlife is pretty much the perfect teen book. It is so incredibly realistic, while also being touching and inspiring. It's a fun, easy read, but it also explores very important and deep issues. It will make you feel happy and sad and worried and excited and so many things all at once. It will tear you apart into tiny pieces, before patching you up again, just as whole, but not quite the same.

Rating: 5/5

Fine Print
Published: June 2013, Pan Macmillan
Get It: Bookworld

Review: Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

This book is adorable. It’s the coming-of-age story of Dan Cereill, who is feeling a bit overwhelmed due to the fact that his family not only has no money, they are also no longer a family – his dad has come out as gay and left Dan and his mum to flounder with a failing cake business in the drafty house they were lucky enough to inherit from a great aunt. Throw in the fact he has to change schools and has developed an instant crush for his next door neighbour, Estelle, and it’s not hard to see why Dan is a bit of a mess.

Poor Dan. I really felt for the guy. His life has done a 180 and the way he tries to deal with everything is by turns heartbreaking and heartwarming. He does some really awful things sometimes, and you can’t help but cringe from the sidelines, but he’s a young, silly boy who is just trying to make sense of the world. And, not gonna lie, I’d probably be tempted to do the things he does if I had the opportunity, too. I’m nosy like that.

While I had sympathy for Dan, I really adored the secondary characters, from the boarder out the back to Dan’s best mate Fred to his new friend Lou and especially to Howard the dog. They are all realistic and complex and completely likable. You’ll want to pay attention to these characters. They enhance the story so much and are an important part of it.

Wood deals with even the trickiest subject matter with heart and compassion and a good dose of humour. Six Impossible Things is funny, witty, lighthearted and just a lot of fun.

Rating: 4/5

Related
Here is a playlist of all the music mentioned in the book. 

Fine Print
Published: 2010, Pan Macmillan
Get It: Book Depository