Let’s have a look at last years list:

• Write
• Work
• Keep running

Two out of three isn’t so bad really. I now have a brilliant job working in a university library, and since running the 10k in Glasgow running has become a regular part of my life. The writing is something I definitely need to pick up on, and now that Simon has introduced me to a neat little tool, write or die, I’m finally starting to make some progress.

So inspirational desires for the forthcoming year will be:

• Completing the Chris Hoy Half Marathon in April, and if I’m feeling ambitious the Loch Ness Marathon in October.
• Eating more oranges and whole fruits, I saw someone recommend this on a friend’s blog and it’s damned good advice.
• No more soft drink at home. I don’t particularly enjoy soft drink, Simon likes his coke and I picked up the habit from him when we first started living together. So, only as treat when out for dinner or a movie. Soft drink should be a sometimes food.
• Less laptop, more books.

I used to constantly have a book by my side when I was in the lounge room or watching television. This meant that whenever I found something dull or a program went to break, I could switch into a good read. The books have been substituted by my laptop and this isn’t a good thing as I’m only using it for the short spaces of time to obsessively check email/facebook/twitter or look at silly shopping spaces. No more, it’s  time to go back to the book.

So there we go, more running, more fruit, more books, less soft drink and less laptop time.

That should do it.

KattenKabinet

Originally uploaded by CharlieRhiann

The KattenKabinet was one of the more unusual museums we visited in Amsterdam. Situated on the first floor of a canal house it has everything from Egyptian cat mummy masks to a porcelain maneki neko pinball type instrument (cool picture of it here). We only had my Ipod mini with us so no pictures, just a quick video of the ballroom complete with snarky Charlie at the beginning. Ah-hem.

Simon and I caught a plane on Monday the 28th of December and spent the following week, including New Years, in Amsterdam exploring the many museums. Truly the entire city seems to be made up of museums, canals and of course, coffeeshops*.  Museums highlights include the KattenKabinet (more on this later) and the Van Gogh Museum. The queue for Van Gogh was huge but  well worth the wait. We spent  hours wandering back and forth viewing the paintings by Van Gogh and some of his contemporaries, reading the collection of letters and sketches, then checking out the additional Alfred Stevens exhibition.

Then there was New Years Eve. Spectacular and a little bit scary. The celebrations started around three in the afternoon with locals setting off firecrackers and smaller flares in the streets, often deliberately as someone was walking along a path. From nine pm onwards, every hour on the hour, larger fireworks were lit up across the city.  When midnight finally arrived, the city was an explosion of light, colour and smoke which continued strongly for a full hour then faded back to sporadic whiz bang explosions throughout the night. My favourite moment came from standing on the canal by the Leidseplein as the sky exploded above, when three stately white swans paddled out all in a row from under the bridge and away as fast as they possibly could.

New Years day we layered our thermals and wandered around the city, visiting the Sex Museum, strolling through the Red Light District (not pretty the morning after, not pretty at all) and then down through the Old Jewish Quarter. Crisp cool air fogging from our breath, snow crunching beneath our feet and the rows and rows of stately canal town-houses on streets decorated by laceworked iron lamp posts. Perfect.

* Coffeeshops are establishments in the Netherlands where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption is tolerated by the local authorities

My reading has been very haphazard this year both in content and consistency so it’s an interesting list that has progressed in fits and spurts.

(Re-reads are marked with an asterix *)

Five Star Winners

Not including previous reads.

• The Sword in the Stone - T.H. White
• Something Wicked This Way Comes – Ray Bradbury
• I Am Legend – Richard Matheson
• The Monk: A Romance – Matthew Lewis
• Monday or Tuesday – Virginia Woolf

Challenges

Decades 09

Close but no cigar.

Read a minimum of 9 books in 9 consecutive decades in ‘09. Books published in the 2000’s do not count.

• ??? (1910’s)
• Monday or Tuesday, Virginia Woolf (1920’s)
• The Sword in the Stone, T.H. White (1930’s)
• Methuselah’s Children, Robert A. Heinlein (1940’s) – review to come
• The Old Man and the Sea, Earnest Hermingway (1950’s)
• Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury (1960’s)
• The Machine-Gunners, Robert Westall (1970’s)
• Maus, Art Spiegleman (1980’s)
• Good Omens, Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (1990’s)

YA Challenge

Read 12 Young Adult novels. Short by four.

1. The Creatures of the Carp, Roland Portchmouth
2. The Machine-Gunners, Robert Westall
3.  The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling
4. The Sword in the Stone, T.H. White
5. The Witch in the Wood, T.H. White
6. The Ill-Made Knight, T.H. White
7. The Candle in the Wind, T.H. White
8. The Book of Merlyn, T.H. White

Lost in Translation

The reading challenge is simple. Read six books in translation over the course of the year. I didn’t complete this one either.

1. Matigari, Ngugi wa Thiong’o (translated from the Gikuyu by Wangui wa Goro)
2. Sky Burial: An epic love story of Tibet, Xinran

The List

1. Broken Angels – Richard Morgan

The first Takeshi Kovacs novel was an almost noir styled  murder mystery full of science fiction weapons and gadgetry, Broken Angels was less of a mystery and a bit heavy handed on the politics and philosophy, but still had enough action packed scenes for popcorn entertainment.

2. The Chocolate Connoisseur – Chloe Doutre-Roussel

Packed with information on the history and growth of chocolate, Chloe’s book walks through the different worlds of chocolate available to consumers today, and gently coaches the reader on how to track down and experience truly connoisseur chocolate at its best. After reading this book I find it hard to eat anything less than 70% cocoa now.

3. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling (my review)

4. The Enchantress of Florence – Salman Rushdie

Normally one of my favourite writers Rushdie really disappointed me with one. I was unable to feel sympathy for any of the characters and felt no connection with the tale so this one took me a while to finish due to a real lack of interest.

5-14. Various Mills and Boons novellas

During a weak moment on Ebay I decided to buy a small lot of Mills and Boons books and revisit my High School fixation on the trashy romance. Although I must admit a few giggles of  horror, lets just say those days are well left in the past.

15. The Crying of Lot 49 -Thomas Pynchon

I’ve always been terribly suspicious of Pynchon but Simon convinced me to give him a go and I must admit to becoming absorbed in the postal conspiracy even if the protagonist was incredibly annoying.

16. The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

The second Mistborn novel with a perfectly silly yet engaging story. Just what this bookworm ordered.

17. Men of the Otherworld – Kelley Armstrong

Simple entertainment including werewolves and other lusty supernaturals to keep me entertained between Laurel K. Hamilton releases.

18. The Road – Cormac McCarthy

I tried reading this when I was in the hospital Dec 08 with no success so decided to give it another go and am very glad that I did. The words fall so easily and despite the bleak world being described I felt a sense of peace and rest the entire time I was reading.

19. Methuselah’s Children – Robert Heinlein

Very disappointed with one, it reads like a Star Trek Captain’s log.

20. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

I bought this for one pound and while I can now tick another ‘classic’ off my list I’m glad I didn’t invest much more in it. The premise of this novel is greater than the novel itself.

21. The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie

A half interesting fantasy novel spending far too many pages setting up characters and plots than getting on with the story. I doubt I’ll read the sequel.

22. Sky Burial: An epic love story of Tibet- Xinran (review to come)

23. Old Man’s War – John Scalzi

A mix of Forever War and Starship Troopers this was perfect sci-fi popcorn with enough thinking material tossed in to keep things lively.

24. The Sword in the Stone - T.H. White

The Disney film was one of my favourites as a child so it was no surprise that I loved the book too. It was interesting to note the difference between text and film as Wart’s guardian Sir Ector and his son Kay are portrayed much more kindly in the text and are far less mean to little Wart. My favourite sections were the descriptions of the countryside and the two boys running around on their everyday adventures. The magic lessons are of course fabulous and Archimedes is such a lovable grump.

25. The Witch in the Wood – T.H. White

The second novel in White’s The Once and Future King tales of the life of King Arthur was not as engaging as the first as it mostly acts as the setting stage for many events that occur later in Arthur’s story. The way that Queen Morgause and her boys are portrayed made me feel quite unsettled, but I guess that was the point really, every great tale needs its villains. The highlight of this novel for me was definitely King Pellinore and his Questing Beast as the find, lose, rediscover, lose and rejoice in love. Awww.

26. Foundation & Earth - Isaac Asimov

I slip into reading an Asimov novel as easily as a pair of well worn slippers. Reading the final Foundation novel was a return to an old and familiar friend, in  fact it made me feel a little guilty for neglecting this friend for so many years. Hmm, maybe I’ll go back and start from the very beginning again.

27. The Ill-Made Knight -T.H. White

In this tale, focusing around Lancelot and Guenever, the ups and downs of the many forms of love and it’s reality are shown to be deep and of a great substance. This is one of those books that took me a long time to work my way through but once finished was completley rewarding when thinking back on the depth and elegance of the characters.

28. Skin Trade – Laurell K. Hamilton

Heh. I picked up this novel again just to refresh my memory before writing a line or two about it and ended up reading from a random halfway point for twenty minutes.  Very, very addictive. This book is a happy return to the good ol’ days of Anita Blake, more cop/detective work, a splash of Edward and some saucy vampire scenes. Oh love.

29. The Candle in the Wind - T.H. White

Mordred is coming for Arthur and is more than willing to destroy Genever and Lancelot in order to reach him.

30. The Book of Merlyn – T.H. White

This was a bit confusing as it begin just before the end of The Candle… and borrows rather heavily from The Sword… in order to revisit the philosophy and politics of leadership and war that White has repeated continuously throughout the series. I found it a little over the top and pushy.

31. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Hehehe, bloody and brilliant. Jane Austen was never this much fun!

32. Maus - Art Speigelman

A grim topic no matter how you look at it. I did enjoy the relationship between father and son and the stark honesty with which the tale is told.

33. Black Man – Richard Morgan

In this one Morgan questions humanity and genetics, prejudice, corruption and deceit, wrapping it all up with explosive action and demanding characters.

34. The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge – Carlos Castaneda

A young anthropology student is taken on by a Yaqui Shaman as his apprentice and documents his experiences and lessons in the harnessing and proper uses of Peyote and other shamanistic substances in the traditional way.

35. The Magic Toyshop – Angela Carter

This was a strange criss-crossing of sexuality, growing up and relationships. I was a bit disappointed as I kept waiting for some of the magical realism found in most of Carters writing.

36. The Well-Dressed Woman’s Do’s and Don’ts – Elise Valee

Purchased for £2 in a second hand book shop for a bit of a giggle this was surprisingly full of still relevant advice, despite the large chapters and extensive details on how to choose and wear fur.

37. The Steel Remains – Richard Morgan

Richard Morgan moves from Sci Fi to Fantasy with a gay male protagonist. The set up is good but then rushes through without the depth or intrigue of a normal Morgan novel.

38. Good Omens *- Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Re-visiting an old friend.

39. Little Brother – Cory Doctorow

A little paranoid. Teenagers caught up in privacy rights and the aftermath of a major terrorist attack. Great protagonist and snappy characters, relevant I guess, definitely engaging.

40. Incandescence – Greg Egan

Egan’s books are always heavy on the mathematics and this one maybe more so than usual as a species must awaken from a state of dormancy and reach their full potential in order to save themselves from a galaxy ripping their home apart.

41. Graceling – Kristen Cashore

In a land where children are sometime born with one eye a different colour to the other indicating they have been Graced, Katsa is a  girl born with the Graced ability to fight and kill, but is that all her Grace entails? Fantastical romance with girls kicking butt. What’s not to like?

42. Something Wicked This Way Comes – Ray Bradbury

Love, love, loved this book! Especially the old father struggling to accept his own mortality in the face of his young son. Also a very good thing that I’m not scared by carnival fairs. Apparently Disney adapted a version to film. I shall have to track it down.

43. Fire – Kristen Cashore

So I was in a girls kick butt kind of mood. This girl is a gorgeous half monster with the unwanted ability to mesmerise and alter the minds of those around her. Now how could a girl like that find love, true love?

44. The Moon is Down – John Steinbeck

After being forced to study Of Mice and Men in high school I’ve had a dislike for Steinbeck ever since. A friend asked me to read this one though and I’m glad I gave it a go as it was actually quite good. A small island is invaded during WWII and the once friendly easygoing inhabitants quickly turn defiant against their aggressors.

44. Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris

After becoming addicted to the television adaptation True Blood I had to give the original novels a go. Not bad but the adaptation has definitely added a lot more depth.

45. Frostbitten – Kelley Armstrong

Lusty werewolves tracking down serial killers in Alaska. Cool.

46. Alone – Richard E Byrd

Harrowing account of Byrd’s time alone at an isolated Arctic weather research station and struggle to survive from CO2 poisoning. Had me completely riveted.

47. Living Dead in Dallas – Charlaine Harris

48. Club Dead – Charlaine Harris

49. Dead to the World – Charlaine Harris

50. Dead as a Doornail – Charlaine Harris

51. Definitely Dead – Charlaine Harris

52. Altogether Dead – Charlaine Harris

Okay so I went on a bit of a Vampire binge there… moving right along now.

53. The Ghost Brigades – John Scalzi

Brings up the questions of identity, personality and the self, but doesn’t really go exploring. Not quite up to the pace of Old Man’s War, which I loved, still a good bit of sci-fi popcorn though.

54. I Am Legend – Richard Matheson

I read this earlier in the year and forgot to add it to the list. Absolute classic of the monster genre and NOT to be missed.

55. People of the Book – Geraldine Brooks

I’m always a little suspicious of these types of books, formulaic and written to impress a judging panel. Surprisingly it was a fairly enjoyable read, the fact it was about a book and the people surrounding it may have helped. The book in  imagined past of the still extant Sarajevo Haggadah, one of the oldest surviving Jewish illuminated texts.

56. Divine Misdemeanors - Laurell K. Hamilton

I love how open and honest the sexuality is in this series. Oh and the pretty pretty men.

57. Maus II A;  Survivors Tale:  And Here My Troubles Began – Art Spiegelman    

58. The Monk: A Romance – Matthew Lewis

Kirsty and I found this on the shelf at work and were intensely creeped out by the cover illustration so of course I had to read it. My goodness, talk about your 18th Century Gothic pulp, no wonder the masses lapped this one up. It has everything!  Dashing rescues from cut throat brigands, innocent maidens for seduction and ghostly nuns of torment, right through to naked cavorting with the devil and a cameo appearance from the Wandering Jew himself. Go and read it. No, seriously, read it now.

59. The Rebel Angels – Robertson Davies

Recommended by a philosopher. Modern American fiction set within the academic institution. I had a few conflicted responses to this one. Might need a revisit after I finish the rest of the trilogy.

60. From Dead to Worse – Charlaine Harris

More Sookie Stackhouse.

61. Read or Die Vol. 1 – Hideyuki Kurata and Shutaro Yamada

Yomiko Readman is my hero.

62. Atonement – Ian McEwan

Simon wanted me to read this one after him. Ian McEwan writes well, the characters are engaging enough but I’ve read too many similarly veined novels. Youngest daughter with fantastical imagination takes events surrounding her older sister and cousin into her own hands with disastrous results.

63. Read or Die Vol. 2 – Hideyuki Kurata and Shutaro Yamada

64. The Creatures of the Carp – Roland Portchmouth

I’ve hesitated to record this one because it was just that bad. A children’s story that starts out promisingly then moves quickly into a thinly veiled  Jehovah Witness parable.

65. Wit – Margaret Edson (A Play)

Fantastic play following Vivian Bearing, Ph.D, specialist in the Holy Sonnets of John Donne (with much mention of death), through an aggressive experimental chemotherapy programme. Simply brilliant. I’d love to see this on the stage.

66. Matigari -Ngugi wa Thiong’o (translated from the Gikuyu by Wangui wa Goro)

“Matigari is in search of his family, to rebuild his home and start a new and peaceful future, but his search becomes a quest for truth and justice as he finds the people still dispossessed and the land he loves ruled by corruption, fear and misery.”

67. The Machine-Gunners – Robert Westall

Children’s book set in Garmouth, Scotland, during the second world war. A group of adolescents retrieve a machine gun from a crashed German bomber and set about protecting themselves from the enemy. Took a little while to gain my interest but a good little book.

68. Monday or Tuesday – Virginia Woolf

Fantastic collection of short stories self-published by a young Virginia Woolf. This is what I aspire towards.

= Read it…just
= An okay read.
= A quality/fun read.
= Blooming fantastic!
= Going onto the favourites list!

Birthday Pudding

Originally uploaded by CharlieRhiann

Ahh Christmas, the only thing better would be to celebrate one’s birthday a mere two days later.

Tis a charmed life I lead.

More pictures of Christmas fun over on Flickr including; men at work, flaming puddin g and the invasion of nom. Click on the dag above.

Behind St Andrews University Library

Originally uploaded by CharlieRhiann

This year we were lucky enough to receive three days of snow leading up to Christmas and it was relatively heavy for this district. In fact, due to the snow causing chaos with busses on the 23rd I couldn’t make it in, and on the 24th was sent home early after lunch due to worsening conditions. Brrr.

It’s so pretty though.

More pictures can be found on Flickr.

Merry Christmas

Posted via email from Images from between

Posted via email from Images from between