Book Round Up #1

This is a new type of post I'm trialling. I am hoping it will keep me focussed on my yearly reading goal, and it will give me an opportunity to provide quick reviews on the books I've read from month to month. 

John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

 I loved, loved, loved this novella. In such a short amount of words, Steinbeck managed to create fully developed characters so much so that the heart-wrenching ending left me numb for a few days after I'd finished it. Steinbeck's prose is magnificent. Everyone must read this book. At least once. 

Rating: 5/5

John Marsden - Checkers

This one's a re-read for me; I read it as a teenager, and now re-visiting it as an adult I still love it. John Marsden has always been one of my favourite authors. Checkers is the tale of the unnamed author; writing from a mental hospital, this is her story of breakdown following her father's unethical business practices. The foreshadowing of the author's dog being named "Checkers", (Nixon had a dog of the same name, and his infamous Checkers Speech draws parallels to this book) was lost on me when I was younger. A quick re-read, but I'm glad I did. 

Rating: 4/5

Virginia Woolf - A Room of One's Own

One of Woolf's most famous pieces? This extended essay is thought-provoking, inspiring, incredibly well written. A book about writing, and a book about feminism? Totally up my alley. This was excellent. It's only short, you should just read it for yourself. 

Rating: 5/5

Jon Ronson - The Psycopath Test

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it fell flat. Ronson's analysis of the mental health industry lacked depth, and was frankly, a bit all over the place. For instance, we've all heard that psychopaths apparently make the best CEO's, and this is a claim that Ronson investigates...by interviewing one "psychopath" CEO. I disliked how much Ronson inserted himself into the book; this entire book reads as "look at all the interesting situations I got into!" Towards the end of the book there was some more interesting things about the DSM manuals becoming oversaturated with "labels" that might not even be psychiatric illnesses - but again, this was rushed, anecdotal and barely scratched the surface. I'd probably give it a miss. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Susanna Kaysen - Girl, Interrupted 

I've always loved this film, so decided a while ago to purchase the memoir it's based on. This is the story of Susanna Kaysen, who at 18 years old swallows 50 aspirin in a half-hearted suicide attempt. A year later, she visists a psychologist who books her into the McLean psychiatric hospital (other famous patients include Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, and Ray Charles). I finished this book in a couple of days; it's mostly observations and short stories about her time in the hospital, other patients, and the nurses. It's not chronological; and might appear a bit jumpy, but I feel like that fits well with the themes of the book. Overall, a quick, interesting read. I really enjoyed it. 

Rating: 4/5. 

Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Bloglovin

Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying - Marie Kondo

Okay, I did it. I caved. I bought the book that everyone has been raving about for the past 12 months. I just had to see for myself what all the fuss was about, and whether I could be converted to the dark side that is minimalism. 

Marie Kondo claims that those who use her method (named the Konmari method, taken from her won name) never rebound, and her repeater rate is zero. 100% success rate is a pretty massive claim. 

I found that the book was more about decluttering than it was about "tidying", but I don't think that the Konmari method is about minimalism. Rather, it is about keeping only the items in your home that "spark joy". It is these two words that have been revolutionary; rather than think about what you want to throw away, you think about what you want to keep. Such a simple shift in thinking, yet it makes such a difference in being able to actually get rid of stuff. 

So how do you decide whether something sparks joy? Marie Kondo says you must work by categories (rather than rooms); the true Konmari way is to start with clothes. So, you take all the clothes you own (including accessories, shoes and handbags) and pile them on the floor. This is supposed to be confronting. Then you hold each item and ask yourself if it sparks joy. There should be an immediate response - if that response is no, then the clothing gets discarded. 

There is also the Konmari method of storing your clothes; the "Konmari way of folding" (which I have to point out is not anything new. I've been folding my clothes this way since 2012), and hanging clothes (from light to dark). 

There are a few key points to the Konmari method of decluttering: 

• It must be done in silence; 
• You cannot Konmari other people's belongings (whether something sparks joy is personal)
• Don't let your family see you Konmari-ing
• You should thank your items before discarding them

Generally, I found the book insightful, and it definitely inspired me to declutter my stuff (although I haven't had a chance to properly start). However, I did feel it was slightly too long - the first third of the book was really useful, the final third just seemed to be filled with stories of clients and her own experience which didn't really add anything, and by the end it kind of devolved into full-blown crazy land. 

Marie Kondo talks to all her belongings, she empties her handbag every single day, she doesn't believe in balling up socks because they need time to rest, and she doesn't believe in owning more than 30 books (the chapter on books was really painful to read). 

Of course, I know that not everything I own "Sparks joy" for me. For instance, so much of my furniture is second hand and cheap chipboard. Marie Kondo points out that there is joy to be found in utility, so even though my ugly cutlery set doesn't make me swoon, I find joy in it when I eat my food. I think this is important to remember as you go through the KonMari journey; it would be too easy to get swept up in discarding and replacing, and if you aren't at a point in your life where you can afford to replace all those things that spark joy, this could be dangerous. 

The main thing that didn't sit well with me is throughout the whole book, she goes on and on about throwing out and discarding items. This seems so incredibly wasteful to me. Of course, there are things that can't necessarily be donated, but if your items are in good working order there is no reason why you shouldn't spend a little time making sure you are responsible in discarding them. Whether that's giving them to a local school, charity shop, or local 'Pay it Forward' facebook page. 

Overall, an interesting read, but nothing that can't be learned from the internet.

Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Bloglovin

Book Review: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty

"A girl always remembers the first corpse she shaves."

I'm not sure how I originally came across Caitlin Doughty and her youtube channel "Ask a Mortician". Possibly, reddit? Anyway, Doughty's youtube channel, and indeed, mission in life, is all about normalising death.

In the Western world, there's a real fear that surrounds death, it's something that's talked about in hushed tones, and it's not really acknowledged that it's something that is going to happen to all of us. Doughty sets out to change that, sharing details about her profession to enlighten people and hopefully make them more okay with the eventual end.

So I will preface this review by saying that this book is pretty macabre, and consequently, this post will probably be too. If you're not okay with that, that's cool, click out, I won't judge you.

I'm a bit naturally fascinated with the macabre. Maybe it's because I've lost so many loved ones, I'm not 100% sure why, but death kind of fascinates me. When Caitlin announced in one of her youtube videos that she was writing a book, I knew I would eventually have to read it. And it really did not disappoint.

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is part memoir, part research. The book opens with an explanation as to how Caitlin came to be a mortician. In an almost sweet irony, Doughty is terrified of death, having seen a young girl fall to her death at a shopping centre when she was eight years old.

The book continues on explaining her first job, the first part of mortician school and covers all sorts of death-related topics:
- death/funeral rituals from other cultures;
- discussions on embalming - the history of why we started embalming our dead and the purpose it serves (or doesn't);
- the politics of the funeral industry in the USA;
- why we fear death, and where that fear came from.

Although there is definitely humour injected throughout the book, the topics are handled with compassion and the stories shared are treated with respect.  Doughty does not shy away from the more grisly depictions of the mechanisms of cremation, and what actually happens during an embalming process. For that reason alone, I would say this book is not going to be for everyone. I think so many people would really benefit from reading this, but realistically some people get squeamish about that kind of thing.

My main criticism of the book is that it kind of tries too hard to be too many things; it's a memoir, it's academic, it's historical non-fiction, it's anthropological, and it doesn't have the length to do all of it well. I think the book would have been better as either a memoir with stories of the dead (as the first half of the book was; I also would have loved to read more about Doughty's experience at mortuary school), or as a non-fiction look into the funeral/death industry in the West. Either or, not both.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is a really fast read; I finished it in about two days, and I found it really thought-provoking. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Rating: 4/5.




Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Bloglovin

My Week in Pictures #76

 

 The week began with acrobatics and ended with beautiful sunsets. 

After trying my hand at partner-acro, I have a new-found respect for people who are actually good at it - it's seriously difficult.

 

I kicked off the weekend with a Mexican-themed night with B. We started at El Loco for frozen margaritas and delicious $6 tacos, before kicking on to Tio's in Surry Hills for more margaritas, very expensive tequila shots and delicious $6 Rio Brava.

  

Sunday kicked off with a brunch date with the beautiful Rai, and exploring Newtown. There is nothing better than catching up with friends over nutritious smoothies and delicious foods. 

   

 After bidding farewell to Rai, I met up again with B, for a much-needed coffee and some gelato from the always-fascinating N2. 

Sunday night has mostly been spent relaxing preparing for the week ahead; a bit of blogging, planning, a quick clean of the house, colouring in and mindless TV.

Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Bloglovin

Lately, in Pictures #71

I've been away for a while. 

We have spent the last three weeks moving house.

We only had a week's notice to pack up everything, book removalists, and all that other stressful stuff that comes with moving. This coupled with a few really busy weeks at work have left me with no free time to even think about blogging, let alone plan and write some posts. 

But we're settling in nicely now - almost every box is unpacked, and our new house is finally starting to feel like a home. I'm so looking forward to jumping back in to blogging - I'm almost surprised at how much I've missed it! 

I returned to Wollongong a few weekends ago for Cailin's wedding. She was absolutely stunning, and it was such a fun wedding; lots of dancing to T.Swizzle. 

Elimination diet is going well. I'm really lucky that my bestie's little brother is a butcher, and was able to make up some special recipe chicken sausages for me. They have been an absolute saviour with the move. It took us a while to unpack the kitchen properly, and having these snags on hand to defrost and quickly fry up with some brussels sprouts saved me a lot of stress. 

As I was packing, I cleared out some of my beauty items. Was a bit surprised to find so many mascaras stashed in my drawer. Almost all of them went straight in the bin (way too old to use without the risk of an eye infection). I think I need to branch out from Maybelline mascaras. 

Scored a second Billy bookcase on gumtree for $5! One day I want an entire library room. 

And rounding this post off with a pole update. This move is the 'Allegra', and it's one of my favourites when done by someone bendy. Now that we're settled, I'm really going to re-focus on stretching every night - although the cold makes doing anything seem impossible.

Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Bloglovin

Book Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (no spoilers)

PLOT SUMMARY
The Goldfinch is Theo Decker's story. It begins with him at thirteen years old, living in New York and surviving an horrific accident that kills his mother. His father abandoned his family some years ago, so he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He longs for his mother, and struggles to deal with losing her. He clings to the one tangible thing he has left to remind him of her; a painting by Carel Fabritius, which ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld.

MY THOUGHTS
The Goldfinch is an impressive 864 pages long. It's a Pullitzer-prize winning novel, and has divided some people.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Donna Tartt's prose is excellent, and she really captures the essence of her characters, and the condition of the human spirit. These characters are three-dimensional, you can almost see them and hear them (particularly Boris; I am pretty impressed with the way his dialogue comes across as a mixture of Russian and Australian) and you fall in love with them and care about them.

Tartt explores the wealthy, the poor, the middle-class, the young, the old through the voice of a child in a style that is very much reminiscent of Charles Dickens. There are so many twists and turns throughout the story - every time I was exposed to a new part of the narrative I was overjoyed, never quite sure where Theo would end up, and always wanting to know more. This book made me thirsty to read it - despite its length, I finished it in a couple of weeks.

Grief, despair, and guilt all feature heavily. Theo has wit and intelligence and somehow this prevents the novel from being too depressing.

At times I felt the novel dragged a little bit, particularly through the scenes in Las Vegas. Although Tartt did well to make you feel and understand a teenager's first use of acid, I grew a little tired of reading about Theo and Boris being drunk and high all the damn time. However, as I pushed past this, and read more of the novel I became aware of just how important these chapters were for character development and relationship building. These chapters give you a sense of just how alone in the world Theo is. So my advice is if you get stuck reading this, just push past it. It will be worth it, I promise!

I am sad to say that I was a little unimpressed with the ending. There was a resolution (not a great one in terms of what I wanted for the characters, but I still loved it), and I felt it should have been left there. However, Tartt continues with the last chapter turning into a stream-of-consciousness, philosophical rambling. This part gives you a peek into Tartt's thoughts on the book and the narrative, but it felt out of place, for me.

This book is literature. I absolutely loved reading it, and it has cemented itself firmly as one of my all-time favourites.
Rating: 5/5.




Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Bloglovin

Book Review: Gone Girl

I started reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn a few weeks ago. I then saw the film was coming out at the end of the year, and forced myself to finish the book off.
This is a story of love, hatred and pure evil. The book is set mostly in Missouri, and it starts on the day that should have been Nick and Amy's five year wedding anniversary. But then Nick finds Amy missing. And the police start investigating him. Their investigations reveal lies, inappropriate behaviour and a diary that Amy left behind. Nick is adamant he didn't kill his wife, but did he?

NB: Whilst all care has been taken to avoid spoilers, this review may inadvertently contain some.

The book starts as a "whodunnit", and I loved the first third of the book. I was hooked on the story, on the characters, on the writing. Then the (IMO screamingly obvious) OMG BIG TWIST occurs and the story just collapses. The events become more and more ridiculous, as the characters become even more unlikable. Seriously, the characters have absolutely no redeeming qualities, and this makes the book very difficult to read. It's not even just the fact that the characters are bad people - I'm not a stranger to books with unlikable characters, or books that deal with darker subjects (Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho is one of my favourite reads - horrible people can still be interesting when portrayed well) But, as well as being horrible people, the characters are shallow, one-dimensional and there is no character development whatsoever. Not to mention that everyone in the book apparently has the same occupation (They're all writers! Nick's a writer, Amy is a writer, Amy's parents were writers!)
Everyone that is, except for Go, Nick's twin sister. Go, short for Margo. What a ridiculous name.

This book was mostly well-written, and flicks between three points of view - Nick, Pretend Amy and Real Amy. This had the potential to be great, but left me feeling unsatisfied. Both characters are clearly unreliable, and in the beginning (when the book is still a mystery) this works really well. You can't really trust either character, and you're left questioning everything that they both say, which makes for some great mystery. However, Amy's diary entries were so contrived they left me feeling frustrated. People don't write like that in real life, recalling entire conversations and situations as if they were writing a book about it. Flynn is great at prose; her words flow and they're easy enough to read. The only criticism I have in relation to the actual writing is that the plot devices (such as the Punch & Judy dolls) were glaringly obvious.

So let's talk about the giant plot twist: I am not even good at picking up on twists, but even I guessed this one the second I read about the credit cards. I gave J's mum a quick run-down of the plot, and she guessed the twist. Basically, I feel that anyone who has read a thriller novel will see this one from miles away.
The fact that it was so obvious is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, since it's revealed about a third of the way into the book. It's the descent into ridiculousness after the big twist reveal that is really bad. The story becomes unbelievable, it starts to not make sense, and rather than being integral to the story, almost all of the characters only seem to exist to push the plot forward.

And then there's the ending. Oh my God. I have not read a worse ending to a book in my life. It is so unbelievably lazy that it seriously feels like Flynn just gave up writing the book. (Which made sense when I read through the acknowledgements) The ending is worse than "I then woke up and it had all just been a dream", because it finishes the story with absolutely no resolution.

In a nutshell, I didn't hate the book so much that it stopped me from finishing it, but I probably won't be reading it again. This is one of those books that divides a lot of people; have you read it? What did you think?




Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin

My Recent Life in Pictures #54

The week before last, I finished off all my exams! I showed Dad how to catch a train in Sydney (I've never seen him on one in my lifetime) and he consequently rewarded me with pancakes! 

Of course I couldn't help myself and had to go with the chocolatey-ist one on the menu. So to work it off, we took a walk around circular quay, and up to the opera house. I of course, took that moment to get a scenic tourist-y street pole shot. 

Post gym workout meals hahahaha. Sometimes I'm healthy and balanced...sometimes I need pizza. 

Now that I'm on holidays, I've been enjoying snuggles on the couch with this pussy-cat and reading to my heart's content. I just finished Gone Girl, and cannot wait for the movie in October...although I hear that they've deviated from the book, so we'll have to see about that. 

I spent all of last week in Canberra, undertaking the intensive part of my PLT course. It was kind of ridiculous, kind of a waste of my time. But it's one part of my GDLP out of the way, and now I can move on to the online course! I stayed with J's parents, who are more than accommodating. It was kind of fun spending a week with J's family without him there, hahaha. One of the bars in Civic hold exhibitions for up-and-coming artists, and J's cousin was chosen to feature, which was awesome! So on the opening night, I headed out with J's brother and his fiance' to check it out. Wish I'd thought to take some photos. 

Midnight kitty cat shenanigans. 

 

On the Friday afternoon, I caught up with my friend, A who moved to Canberra early this year. We went to Gus's cafe, which is this adorable 'outside cafe' right in the middle of Civic. I originally opted for the peppermint hot chocolate, but they'd run out, so I ended up with the significantly more indulgent peanut butter. The owners of this place are lovely, and I love that you're kind of sitting outside, but it's still warm. 

I have started The Cuckoo's Calling, by J.K Rowling, written under the pen-name Robert Galbraith. I'm enjoying it so far, and loved reading it sitting in the sun in Canberra. 

What have you been reading recently?

Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin

My Week in Pictures #49

I've spent a lot of the past week poring over text books, and rush-finishing assignments. Rommy has kept me company through it all. I've also started reading the Secret Garden. I loved this film when I was a kid, and it's great to now revisit it as an adult. 

 

I took these photos on my walk over to my Dad's place. There's two different ways for me to get to his on foot, and both of them have pretty things to look at. 

J found the laser pointer we bought in Bali, and Rommy had a great deal of fun with it. The multiple lights confused the hell out of him, and had us in hysterics. 

I've been obsessed with this lip colour - Shameless from the Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm range. 

Wasn't sure if I could actually pull of purple, but I really love it. Must be my inner goth again.





Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin