Friday Link Dump: Thor, Audiobooks and The OC

-This blog features recipes inspired by Game of Thrones. Totally want my own feast now. Plus Flavorwire discusses the sexism and violence in Game of Thrones - and why it's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm inclined to agree.

-I am so freaking excited for Thor: The Dark World. The trailer looks amazeballs. And so does Chris Hemsworth pretty hair.

-This video features some awesome quotes about how to get over writer's block. How timely for me.

-A clever The Lizzie Bennet Diaries fan created a LBD-themed Monopoly that you can download for free.

-BuzzFeed compiled a list of audiobooks read by celebs. I need to get me some of these.

-I actually didn't know a lot of these Harry Potter movie facts. Fun!

-Disney characters know how to throw shade. Totally going to use some of these next time I get into an argument.

-Meanwhile, this talented GIF creator puts moving Disney characters against real backdrops with magical results.

-Max Irons photo gallery. Need I say more?

-Apparently Downton Abbey season four will feature some new love interests for Lady Mary. And I want to watch it less and less.

-This list of the best TV friendships is brilliant. Troy and Abed, Lorelai and Rory AND Seth and Ryan? Yes, please. Plus Junkee lists their top five The O.C. episodes and I can't believe it's been 10 years since it started.

-Here's some GIFs of kids being awesome. 

-This Tumblr features adorable and funny illustrations. Love.

Talking Point: Self-Sabotage And Writing

I’ve always wanted to write a book. But I’m an epic procrastinator. I keep finding excuses not to do it, like…

-I don’t have any ideas. This was my initial excuse. Then I got some ideas. I was excited about them. And promptly found everything that was wrong with them. Now I have a lot of ideas, but I’m so weighed down with my own self-doubt I don’t know what to do with them.

-I’m not good enough. Did I mention my self-doubt? Yeah, I’m as good a doubter as I am a procrastinator. It’s kind of my thing. But I don’t want it to be my thing. I want to have confidence in my abilities. I want to do what I want, which is write. I’m so frustrated with myself for not just doing it already. Which brings me to…

-If it were meant to be, I would have done it by now. I’m 27 years old. I did a writing course over a year ago. I’ve wanted to write stories for as long as I can remember. But the fact I haven’t done it yet makes me doubt myself (there’s that word again!) and think I mustn’t really want it if I keep putting it off.

-I have to wait for the right moment to do it. I’m afraid if I write when I’m not in the “right” frame of mind, it’ll be terrible and put me off writing forever. Or it will stop me from writing something I'm "meant" to write. It's ridiculous and, of course, I know I’m waiting for something that may never happen, what with my anxiety and all.

-I need to sort out other areas of my life first. My floordrobe. This blog. An ailing computer. My health. So many things I tell myself I need to work out first before I can write a book. But I procrastinate over them, too, so nothing ever gets done. It’s a vicious cycle I’m stuck in.

-Others have done it, and because I haven’t it means I can’t. There are a few women in the same industry as me, around the same age, who obviously have similar ambitions. Except they’ve actually written their books and are getting them published. Rather than thinking, “if they can do it, I can”, my mind says, “they’ve done it, there must be something wrong with you if you haven’t.” Ah, comparisons - just another tool I use to beat myself up.

-I don't have the right motivation to write. I question why I want to write (like I question everything in my life). Is it because I just want to be published? Is it because I think I should? Because others want me to? Because others have, and I'm too damn competitive? Do I actually need to write? Deep down I know it's because I want to. I want to. I love stories, and I want to tell my own. I just need to get the courage to do so.

You see, more and more time passes and the excuses get bigger and feed each other and it just gets worse. I’m so angry with myself. But mostly I’m afraid. What it all comes down to is the fact that once I’ve done it, once I’ve started writing – or, dream of dreams, actually written a book – I can’t take it back. While nothing is written, it still has potential. It could still be great. If I actually write it, it could be awful. When you haven’t tried, you haven’t failed. Except, of course, that to never try would be the greatest failure of all.

I’m sorry if this post is kind of self-pitying and silly. I guess I just want to get the excuses out of my system. I also want to know if anyone else goes through the same thing or has experienced it before. Any advice would be most welcome! Or a metaphorical kick up the butt - I probably need a few of those.

Bookish Buys: Hannibal Treats

I watched Hannibal over one intense weekend recently and I am hooked. With no more episodes left to watch, I naturally went on a search for all things Hannibal-related. I decided to use the fact that it's based on a book as an excuse to do a post about it. Because why not...

Mini prints

Plushies

Print

Buttons

Mug

Clock

Keychains

Necklace

Poster

Pencil case

Singlet

Tote



Phone case

Badges

Top Ten Books I Wish Had Sequels

I don’t know that I actually want sequels to any of these books, coz I’m a big fan of standalones these days. But there are some books that have left me wanting more, with characters that stay with me well after I’ve finished reading…

-Liar by Justine Larbalestier. This was a mindscrew of a book and I just want to know the TRUTH. But Larbalestier has said even she doesn’t know, plus I think a big reveal would undermine the power of the story somewhat. But on the other hand CLOSURE.

-Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. This was an adorable, heartfelt roadtrip book that made me happy sigh when I finished it. I loved the characters and would like to read more about them, although I felt satisfied with the story told in this one.

-The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Mary grew up to marry Dickon and have lots of forest animals and babies and a beautiful big garden and she definitely didn’t marry her broody cousin Colin and Dickon definitely didn’t die. The end.

-Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington. Although I loved how this one ends, it definitely left me wanting MOAR.

-The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I’d love to see Buttercup’s Baby, Goldman’s joke sequel chapter, actually happen. I have to know what happens to Fezzik. Namely how he gets saved because HE CAN’T DIE.

-North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It would be awesome to see the wedding and Margaret settling into life as Mrs Thornton. And the actual reaction of the elder Mrs Thornton. And maybe the wedding night… you know, the feast and stuff. Yeah.

-Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. OK, so technically this does have a sequel in Lola and the Boy Next Door, but another story focused on Anna and Etienne would be great. I love those two.

-Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. I'm keen to spend another night with these characters. Perhaps a year after the events in the original.

-Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. I’d love to see Josie as an adult. I related to her so much as a teen, I wonder if I’d still relate to her as a (not quite) grown-up. I like to think she achieved her dreams. And made it work with Jacob Coote.

-This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. This is another book where really, I just want to know what happens on the page after the last one. It had quite an ambiguous ending, and I like CLOSURE. But as with Liar, I think if I actually got it, the book wouldn’t be nearly so powerful.

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

Review: The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag

The blurb for The House at the End of Hope Street promised a whimsical, magical, delightful tale featuring literary and historical heroines and inspiring female characters. While the outline of those things are there, and it is lovely in parts, on the whole I felt it failed to deliver on its potential.

The story opens with Alba, whose life has hit rockbottom for unspecified reasons. Feeling utterly alone, she winds up on the doorstep of the titular house on Hope Street, and is welcomed by the quirky lady who runs the place. She is told she may stay for 99 days and that she will be inspired and helped by the house, like the many famous women who have been through it before her and who now (literally) speak from the portraits lining the walls.

I loved this book to start with. The magical house drew me in and the whimsy and beauty was all very exciting. But my enjoyment soon lagged. The plot development was rather slow, and the narrative was bogged down by the constant changing point of views. That’s right – we see into the head of pretty much every character that appears on the page. Sometimes we see inside the heads of each character as they are having a conversation with each other, and it all gets very confusing. It's just too much information. This overload of perspective made it hard to connect with any of the characters, let alone Alba, who I suppose was meant to be the main character but was overshadowed by the many other points of view.

As for the secondary characters, I did enjoy their stories more than Alba’s, and I especially liked Peggy, the house's landlady, for lack of a better word. But again I feel they all suffered from an overcrowded narrative, and were not as fleshed out as they might have been otherwise. I was particularly troubled by Carmen, a Portuguese singer who is also staying at the house. The way her accent was written was quite distracting and off-putting. Meanwhile, the antagonists were completely two-dimensional.

The many amazing literary and historical figures were also not utilised to their potential. Many times they were merely passing references, and when they are given a voice it just doesn’t feel right. I did like the rundown of who they are and what they did at the end of the book, but was disappointed with how they were used in the actual narrative.

I had been looking forward to a magical story in The House at the End of Hope St, but in the end I found it quite predictable and ordinary. I could tell what was going to happen with all the characters, and unfortunately it was way too cheesy and perfect for me. I like a happily ever after, but the way things worked out for EVERYONE so wonderfully was just a bit hard to swallow.

I really, really wanted to love this book. I thought I would. Unfortunately I liked the idea much more than the execution. It wasn’t terrible, but it could have been so much more.

Rating: 3/5

Fine Print
Published: April 2013, Pamela Dorman Books
Source: Netgalley
Get It:  The Nile

Friday Link Dump: Game of Thrones Costumes, Bunny Island and Drunk Amy Poehler

-I love this discussion of the hairstyles on Game of Thrones and what they indicate about the characters. Meanwhile, here are some how-tos on emulating those styles. And here is how the talented costume embroiderer created some of the iconic pieces.

-J. K. Rowling talks to Goodreads about how she crafts characters, and reveals more fascinating information on the Robert Galbraith website.

-BuzzFeed lists 19 book cover cliches that should probably go away now. 

-Tweeting Mr Thornton quotes and pictures all day, Thornton Bot is my new fave Twitter.


-Apparently, I am Hermione Granger.

-Expectations vs reality of being a writer. Ha.

-Abandoned mansions are both fascinating and hella creepy.

-I'm not a fan of Nicolas Cage, but I am a fan of memes. So this page makes me happy.

-Awesome nail art is awesome.

-There is a BUNNY ISLAND. I want to go to there.

-I also want to go to all of the theres on this page. Nature porn!

-And now architecture porn! Victorian houses, le swoon.

-I don't know whether I like drunk Amy Poehler better than sober Amy Poehler. I do know both are amazing. I want her to play with my hair.

-This YouTuber talks about the perks of being blind and it's both hilarious and touching.

-This story of a dog rescuing a kitten may cause your heart to explode from the adorable.

-ROFLZOO is my new go-to when I need a smile.

-This YouTube channel of celeb face mashups is both brilliant and super disturbing.

Top Ten Opening Lines

1. "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night." - David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. 

2. "The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone... she was no longer the careless colour of sea foam, but rather the colour of snow falling on a moonlit night." - The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

3. "My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted. It happened on the Jellicoe Road." - On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

4. "First the colours. Then the humans. That’s how I usually see things. Or at least, how I try. ***Here is a small fact*** You are going to die." - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

5. "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

6. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." - 1984 by George Orwell.

7. "All children, except one, grow up." - Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.

8. "Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that... Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail." - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

9. "This is my favourite book in all the world, though I have never read it." The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

10. "Jasper Jones has come to my window. I don't know why, but he has." - Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

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

What every woman should know about ovarian cancer

You may have noticed I haven't been around much in the past week. I haven't really felt like blogging. Or reading. Or much of anything. You see, my former boss, Sarah McCarthy, who gave me my big break and changed my life, passed away from ovarian cancer last week. Even though she's been sick for a couple of years, it still came as a shock. She was always so positive and selfless. She was a beautiful person, inside and out, and it's devastating to think that she won't be in the world anymore.

Ovarian cancer is a freaking scary disease. According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, early diagnosis is really important, but because the symptoms aren't always obvious, most women aren't diagnosed until they're already in an advanced stage of the disease. There is no screening test - which means, contrary to what many believe, it is not detected in your pap smear (that would be cervical cancer). Only about 30 per cent of women whose ovarian cancer is diagnosed in an advanced stage (sadly, the majority) will survive for more than five years. 

I remember reading these statistics in the office, when Sah told us about her diagnosis. We were terrified for her. Less than five years? Impossible, I thought. That can't happen. It can't be right. Not to Sah. 

Less than three years later, here we are.

The thing I will always remember about Sah is her strength. She was amazingly positive and fierce. She didn't like to focus on the disease, but instead on living life. She was an inspiration to me and so many others in so many ways. She was bright and bubbly and intelligent and funny and incredibly, incredibly brave. She was also passionate about advocating for ovarian cancer research and awareness. She wrote about her journey on her blog, See How I Run, and it's an amazing read.

I wasn't sure about writing this post, because it's not exactly related to the rest of my blog. But I not only want to honour Sah, I also want all the beautiful ladies I know - and don't know - to be aware of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation explains that symptoms include: 

• Vague abdominal pain or pressure
• Feeling of abdominal fullness, gas, nausea, or indigestion different to your normal sensations.
• Sudden abdominal swelling, weight gain or bloating
• Persistent changes in bowel or bladder patterns
•  Lower backache or cramps
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Pain during intercourse
• Unexplained weight loss

As you can see, the symptoms are pretty vague and can be explained away by so many things. But it's good to be aware of them so that if you do experience any, you can get it checked out by a doctor. Chances are it won't be ovarian cancer - but it's worth being sure.

If you're interested in donating to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, here is how you can do so.

Rest in peace, Sah. 

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.

Bookish Buys: Pretty Prints by Mei Lee

Bookish Buys are back! I haven't done one of these posts in awhile because, well, I don't know if you've noticed but I haven't been blogging much. Life and stuff, you know. But I'm getting into the swing of things once again which is very exciting (for me, at least), and I have some gorgeous products to share from Mei Lee a.k.a. Rocketrictic a.k.a. This Journal is Really Heartfelt. She does some really beautiful watercolour designs featuring quotes from the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Green, Neil Gaiman and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Here are some of my faves...

LBD tee

LBD tote

LBD case

Woolf card

Kafka card

Fitzgerald print

Angelou print

Niequist print

Gaiman tote

Green tote

Green skin

Green card

Bukowski print

Green cushion

Green tote

Green case