Momiji

Yesterday afternoon we went for a stroll in Berchem and visited one of my favorite shops, Kupuku, a small Japanese design shop that causes a severe cuteness overload. Filled from top to bottom with cats (Japanese lucky charms), gorgeous Kokeshi dolls and delicate jewelry, this hidden treasure is definitely worth a trip to the "exotic" Berchem. The owners are unbelievably sweet and informative plus we got a delicious pink cupcake to boot.

It is simply impossible to leave Kupuku empty handed and this trip was no exception. Yesterday I became the proud owner of Poppet, an incredibly adorable Momiji doll. First came Kokeshi, then Kimmi, now Momiji, another range of beautiful and unique collectible Japanese dolls. What makes Momiji special, is that they are designed to keep secrets. They have a little slot in the bottom to put a message in and are thus ideal gifts for loved ones and me myself and I naturally. Not only are they fun, colorful and girly but they are also packaged in a funky take out box. Every year a new series is designed making then the ideal must have for people who are addicted to cuteness like myself.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Isn't that the coolest title ever? The less star studded creative arts division handed out its Emmy's about two weeks ago, before the actual celebrity extravaganza. One of the lucky winners was none other than Joss Whedon creator of Firefly (fantastic), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which had it's moments, Spike anyone?) and Dollhouse (hasn't made it's way to Belgium yet).

He was awarded a shiny golden statuette for his 43-minute long web musical, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, starring Neil Patrick Harris as an aspiring yet unsuccessful super villain and the ever so adorable Nathan Fillion as his nemesis Captain Hammer.

Whedon came up with the unusual idea during the 2008 writer's strike. He wanted to show that you don't need the backing of big corporations to create satisfying and professionally done entertainment. Strike or no strike, the Hollywood execs weren't crazy about a love lorn super villain so Whedon rounded up some friends and some funding and made this legendary web musical.

On July 15, 2008, it aired for the first time and became an instant classic. The website became so overwhelmed that it crashed, "the way it must always be remembered by America. 'We were too cheap to pay for enough bandwidth' is not quite as legendary sounding" said Whedon.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog can be watched for free (as it should be) on their website if you live in the United Stated at least. Those of us who live on the other side of the pond can go to Youtube and piece the bits together or get it on Itunes, all proceeds will go to the actors and crew who weren't paid at the time and who are already planning to return for the sequel...

The Year of the Dog

No, I'm not talking Chinese astrology but the 2007 Mike White movie starring Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard and John C. Reilly. As usual, another Sundance favorite although it's not really one of mine.

Molly Shannon (more depressing than neurotic for a change) plays Peggy, a woman whose social life revolves around her beloved dog Pencil. When her fury friend dies, she start re-evaluating her life and decides to allow some hairless males into her life, the kind who walk on two legs. However, she soon realizes she needs a fluffy fellow as well and goes down to the local animal center where she meets Newt (male, semi-fluffy and homo sapiens) and Valentine (big bad pouchy). They all bond until things take a nasty turn. Dum dum dum... In the end, Peggy has become a full fledged animal rights activist so some good has come of it.

This movie has a lot of potential, quirky characters, interesting plot and a lot of heart which is basically what kills it. Mike White himself, is also a vegan and animal rights activist as more people should be but sadly, his directorial debut is suffering from some slight ideological overkill. His admirable views on both subjects slowly but surely hold this otherwise well-written film in a lingering stranglehold, making it seem more like a twisted recruitment video than fiction.

The Year of the Dog may be White's first venture behind the camera but he has had plenty of experience in front of it. Bedises acting, his main purpose in life is writing odd, semi-endearing and pretty flaky movies like Orange County, School of Rock and Nacho Libre. It also gives him a chance to work with his best bud Jack Black. Seeing as I'm living with a die hard Black fan (nobody's perfect) I gave these unconventional movies a try. They're not bad but I wouldn't go as far as calling them good either.

So why would I want to see a movie by a man with such a peculiar track record? Well, his last more "dramatic" venture was the splendid Sundance favorite The Good Girl which was funny (in a bitter sweet way), heart felt and had more emotional complexity than all this other movies combined. Who would have thought, the man is actually pretty talented. Together with director Migual Arteta (with whom he also created the"unique" Chuck and Buck), he was even able to get Jennifer Aniston to act, go figure. The woman is actually able to be someone else than Rachel when she puts her mind to it, sadly it doesn't happen often.

Aniston plays Justine, a woman with a dead end job at Retail Rodeo and an even worse husband (coincidentally also John C. Reilly). When Holden, the ever so baby faced Jake Gyllenhaal, starts working at the Retail Rodeo things start to look up. He's young, granted, but he hates life almost as much as she does. Their friendship evolves into a sinister and sexually complicated concoction that is oh, so good. Smiley happy people they surely ain't but real characters trying to make the best of things opposed to surreal struggles of Nacho, the masked luchador.

Anyway, despite his ambiguous resume, I haven't given up on White just yet. He may have written some mediocre movies but every once in while he is able to tap into his talent and when he does, it's good. Real good.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

This week was apparently Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Although I don't consider myself a pure book blogger seeing as I tend to ramble on about anything that catches my fancy, the majority of my posts are about books. I do follow several book blogs but I'm not an active blogger meaning I don't comment that often and I haven't joined a community. I just like to stay on the sidelines and observe.


Anyway in honor of BBAW I decided to take part in this meme that's been going round this week to show my book blogging potential.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack? I try not to snack when I'm reading seeing as I have a tendency to spill and stain. I do love a hot cup of cocoa or tea when I'm reading but unless I'm sitting at a table, that's as far as it goes.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? I never write in books actually, not because the idea horrifies me but because I know that the chances are slim to non-existent that I will re-read those marked passage. If I really love a certain passage, I'll copy it in one of my notebooks which save me the agony of looking for the book first.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open? I used to use post-its, dog-ears or breaking a book's back are just plain cruel. A few years back however, I bought a cute bookmark in the Winnie the Pooh Shop in Canterbury. It looks a bit tattered due to several cat attacks but it's been my loyal companion for quite a while now, making the journey from book to book.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Fiction. Besides the occaisional biography, non-fiction doesn't interest me that much. What can I say, I just love stories and make belief.

Hard copy or audiobooks? Hard copy, definitely. Audiobooks make me restless seeing as you just have to sit there and listen. I've tried multitasking but end up losing track of the story. I'll take an actual book any day of the week, preferably paperbacks.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put down a book at any point? I always read until the end of chapters. If I don't have enough time to finish one, I won't start a new one. It's that simple.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away? I have a dictionary with me when writing, never when reading. Shame on me.

What are you currently reading? The Book of Rapture by Nikki Gemmell.

What was the last book you bought? And the Ass saw the Angel by Nick Cave. I wanted to read his new novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, but decided to start with his first novel instead.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? I always read one book at a time, otherwise it takes to long to finish a novel. I used to have a book for when I was on the bus, a different one before going to bed,... and they just started to drag on plus I started mixing up the stories. Now I like to invest all my time in just one book.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? I love to read when I'm on the bus, the journey just flies by and there's nothing else to do. It's just me, my fictional friends and my Ipod, 20 minutes of bliss twice a day.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? I never read series books before I read the Twilight series and the Stieg Larsson trilogy (which is outstanding) this year. I still prefer stand alone books but if the characters are great, it's fun to encounter them every now and again for some new adventures.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? Except for Salinger, I don't have an author whose complete oeuvre I love. I do seem to regularly recommend: The Time Traveller's Wife, Kafka on the Shore, Middlesex, Oryx and Crake and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close just to name a few.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc). I organize my books alphabetically by author's last name. 80% of my books are fiction so that works pretty well. The other 20% I organize by genre: children's books, graphic novels, biography, travel, cookery books, art, film,...

Rapture?

The good news is I finally finished The Angel's Game, the bad news, it was so not worth the weeks I wasted away on it. But that's another story. I finally get the chance to read something new, like The Book of Rapture by Nikki Gemmel aka my choice for next week's book club. I started this afternoon and I am already having second thoughts seeing as the structures is just plain weird.

The blurb looked promising: "Three children wake up in a basement room. They have been drugged and taken from their beds in the middle of the night. Now they are here. Alone. Where are their parents? Who can they trust? The family has been betrayed to the government and Salt Cottage, their home on a cliff top above the ocean, is no longer safe. Their mother's scientific work has put them all in danger. To protect them, she must let them go. She must put her faith in an old family friend -- and in her children's own resilience and courage. Searing, provocative and unputdownable, The Book of Rapture challenges our beliefs about science, about children, and about trust. As passionate as The Bride Stripped Bare, it will compel, seduce and haunt you." Good right?

It kind of reminded me of Margret Atwood's phenomenal Oryx and Crake mixed with The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan which was basically the only book he wrote that didn't literally annoy me. I've only read the first 30 pages and I'm already getting slightly irritated. The chapters are only 1 or 2 pages long and the story is being told out of synch to one of the characters, the mother, which is odd to say the least.

I had never heard of Nikki Gemmel but she was the writers of the month a few months back on the glorious BookDepository so I got to "know" her a little better plus I loved the cover. Apparently, Gemmell is Australian and has written several internationally and critically acclaimed works of which I knew none. She is considered "one of the most original and engaging authors of her generation", the French even describe her as the female Jack Kerouac which is quite unnerving. Her breakthrough novel was the 2004 anonymously published The Bride Stripped Bare which has been described as literary pornography, hence the anonymous part probably. It's about a good wife and mother who decides to go on a voyage of sexual awakening, all in a days work.

I don't know, maybe it just takes a little getting used to but The Book of Rapture surely is a very strange and experimental book. I wanted to try something new and I definitely got what I paid for. I read somewhere that 50% will hate the book, the other 50% will adore it. I just hope most of the book club members are part of the latter.

Where the Wild Things Are

In 1963 Maurice Sendak, writer and illustrator of children's literature, wrote his masterpiece Where the Wild Things Are. It went on to win numerous awards and soon became an American classic, us Belgians on the other hand, have never encountered mischievous Max and the Wild Things which is a downright tragedy.

The story revolves around a naughty boy in a wolf costume named Max, who is sent to bed without dinner. Suddenly his room turns into a forest, bordering on the ocean. Max gets in a boat and sails off. He ends up in the land of the Wild Things, strange fanged monsters with big sharp claws. Max however, is not impressed and is able to tame these ferocious creatures by staring into their eyes without blinking. In utter awe of this little lad's peculiar power, they decide to make him king. Several adventures later, he decides to leave this magical world because he smells a lovely meal. The Wild Things are hesitant to let their king go but Max sails off into the sunset. Back home, dinner turns out to be ready.

The story is very sweet, innocent and filled with amazing drawings of mythical creatures that are oddly love-able despite their fierce faces. Where the Wild Things Are is only ten sentences long but contains all the right words to make this a quick and cosy afternoon delight.

Soon enough this story will conquer the world, aided by the film adaptation that was directed by (a personal favorite) Spike Jonze. I absolutely loved his surreal and offbeat Being John Malkovich and the hallucinatory and hilarious Adaptation, although Charlie Kaufman's writing had probably something to do with that. Although Jonze has a quintessentially explosive visual flair, his movies are few and far between. He spends most of his time directing music videos or compilations but seven years after his last cinematic venture, he's back and wackier not to mention furrier that ever.

Where the Wild things Are, based on Sendek's ten tantalising sentences, was written together with Dave Eggers. They naturally made the story a tad more elaborate but stayed true to it's unique atmosphere. It will also be Jonze's first trip down screenplay lane. Fluffy critters may be something completely different for Jonze who is used to psychedelic montages and the quirks of contemporary life but still, this "family" film full of strange characters, gives him another opportunity to explore the immense scope of his imagination.

The Arrival of Shaun Tan

My first encounter with Shaun Tan's work was while I was still working at that bookstore. The Arrival had just been translated into Dutch and was eying me up from across the sales floor. It looked simply gorgeous: a hardback that was made to look like an old and tattered book with beautiful details and ethereal dreamlike drawings. Inside you find a magical and touching tale about a man who leaves his family behind in search of a new land and a better life for all of them. This new land turns out to be a strange yet comforting place where nothing is as it seems. It is filled with odd little creatures and beautiful buildings.

The story is told without words and depends solely on the incredible talent of Tan who was able to create a moving memoir using dazzling sepia drawings. He worked on this book for five years, making The Arrival his own personal tribute to his father who emigrated from Malaysia to Australia. The Arrival went on to win numerous prizes making Shaun Tan a force to be reckoned with.

But who is this Shaun Tan exactly? Tan is an Australian illustrator who at an early age got bitten by the science fiction bug. Most of his works features strange yet adorable alien beings and surreal places. He truly has a knack of creating his own worlds. He started illustrating science fiction and horror stories from the small press but eventually became a freelance illustrator and author of several sublime books. He even worked as a concept artist on films such as Horton hears a Who and WALL-E. His books may seem accessible to all ages due to their lack of text and colorful content, but the themes he subtly intertwines with the exterior excellence are often quite socio-political. He is currently directing a short film.

I have to admit, that this is the first "graphic novel" that has been able to move me solely based on illustration. Tan's work truly is art. And in February he'll have his first Belgian show in Hasselt!

Irritatingly ingenious

Wes Anderson is an ingenious director who has always bothered me for some reason. His visual flair is uncanny, his characters are sad and quirky, his humour is dry and his screenplays verge on perfection, so I should like this guy, right? And sadly despite the fact that I can name several details I really love about his work, I just don't like the big picture. I can even say that his movies downright annoy me.

It all started with The Royal Tenenbaums: great cast, unique characters, twisted story and basically beautiful but oh so unnerving. This is a movie that has it all on paper but crumbles on the screen, making me wonder: bad writing or bad acting? Basically neither but Anderson's distinct type of intellectual humour doesn't always work. You know this is supposed to be funny but that's as far as it goes. Some will love it, others like myself will simply cringe at the awkward but splendidly shot psychedelic scenes.

I'm not going to condemn Anderson completely because I only saw The Royal Tenenbaums but the experience was so disturbing that I haven't been able to watch any of his films since which could actually be quite good, great even.

Anyway, Wes Anderson isn't just a director and screenwriter, he's also involved in the production, design and music so he's basically quite the renaissance man. His style is a visual delight full of bright colors, intricate details and an overall retro feel. His films (or should I say film) are heartfelt, clever and very poignant intertwined with dry humor and subtly shot, giving his work a very independent atmosphere. His characters, finally, are flawed, real and wildly original misfits so why can't I like them?

He also has a habit of working with the same people over and over such as: Owen Wilson with whom he co-wrote three movies and actors as Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston and Jason Schwartzman to name a few. We should all be blessed with such talented friends.

Now the reason I decided to mention my love-hate relationship with Wes is not because I like to complain but because I'd love to see his next movie. Not because I'm a masochist but because it's a remarkable stop-motion picture, and George Clooney had something to do with it. George Clooney, funny and fair as always, will be portraying The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the children's book by the same name written by Roald Dahl. So we have Clooney, stop-motion and Dahl, not your run of the mill Wes Anderson flick, right?

Who knows, maybe I'll warm up to the guy. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited look promising enough so maybe, just maybe I'll end up adoring Anderson afterall.

Why hardback are...hard

It has taken me almost a month to get halfway through The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and I'm even contemplating quitting right now. I really wanted to read it seeing as I was very curious to see if Zafon is really talented or The Shadow of the Wind was a fluke accident which many first time books often are and sadly, it was the latter. Full of excitement, I decided to buy the hardback instead of waiting patiently for another year or so until the paperback is released, big mistake.

I'm actually a die hard devotee of the paperback: it's cheap, easy and fits in your handbag. A hardback on the other hand is naturally fancier and does wonders for the overall allure of your bookshelves but they're expensive and just to damn big. Whereas you can take out a paperback anytime, anywhere, I always get the feeling when reading a hardback that I have to sit down quietly and politely on the couch without (god forbid) eating so that I don't damage the bugger. I do most of my reading while enjoying some form of transport so that's why The Angel's Game has been dragging on, I'm just too afraid to take it out during the hustle and bustle on the bus.

Hardback's are all about presentation, not content. Ask anyone, I'm a sucker for pretty books and packaging. The downside however, is that I barely read them 'cause I don't want to hurt the beauties. The Catch-22 with books of course, is that it's what's underneath that counts. In order to get to the essence, we have to destroy the object, yet in order to enjoy the object, we never get to see it's content and thus never let the book realise it's potential. This is why I have decided to only buy paperback versions of books I really want to READ and only buy hardback versions of books that are pretty, illustrated or cheap as was the case with The Angel's Game, thank god. That narrows it down, a bit anyway.

These hardback hardships combined with a story that's not great but not really terrible either have kept me staring at the same book for a month now which is starting to freak me out as well. I'm so ready for something new.

Home Made

A few weeks ago I bought Home Made by Tana Ramsay online. It is a truly scrumptious cookbook with easy and surprising recipes. I don't buy cookbooks all that often and certainly not online seeing as I believe that these kinds of books need to be thoroughly examined upon purchasing but I fell in love with the beautiful pink cover and that fact that it contained "home cooking".

Tana Ramsay, wife of notorious British chef Gordon Ramsay, has made a selection of simple and tasty dishes that require a minimum of effort but make your taste buds burst with maximum delight. Complicated and refined dishes usually freak my out seeing as I'm a total klutz and not capable of doing anything elegant even if my life depended on it. This is why I love home cooking, although it looks great (in the books that is), it's the taste and simplicity that counts. No exotic ingredients or expensive appliances needed. If you feel the same way, Home Made is the way to go. Not only are the recipes easy but to book is also very user friendly, giving you a clear overview of all the magnificent meals like last night's lemon chicken stew, peach cobbler, sesame beef salad or sweetcorn and coconut soup to name a dazzling few.

This is my first encounter with Tana but overall I just love British chefs: they're spontaneous, fun-loving and just a delight to watch. I also adore British food. Say what you must, but I think it's wonderful. I was raised on cumberland pies, bubble and squeak, toad in the hole and trifle. So whenever I find a book that takes me back to that cozy atmosphere and those gorgeous smells from when I was a little girl, I have to admit I just crumble... uhm... crumble...

Sense and Sensebility and Sea Monsters, why the hell not?

A few months ago Pride & Prejudice and Zombies took us all by surprise. It created a phenomenal hype and headed straight for numerous bestseller lists. When it comes to hype, I have to admit that I usually cave. Not because it's cool or great (experience has taught me it's usually neither) but because I'm so damn curious so naturally when they decided to drop zombies in peaceful Merryton I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Granted, it is quite original to drop hardcore horror in a period piece but also quite disturbing and not in the way the creators intended. The result was classic Jane Austen with a few plot twist to make it "plausible" and some new scenes. Horror fans will think it's lame and Austen fans will be offended, leaving the majority of the population to fend for themselves. I've never been a big Jane Austen fan, that having said, I've only read P&P and seen the countless adaptations, so I didn't feel they desecrated her work. What did annoy me however was the abrupt change in style. Rewriting the entire novel would have been a lot of work but these alien passages simply made me quiver. But I'm glad I read it. It surely was a unique experience.

Quirk Classics, the people behind this piece of unnerving entertainment have decided to take things a little further. Probably still high on the zombies hype, they have now created Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Experience has taught me to beware but I can't help but wonder...

Her Fearful Symmetry

After a summer of silence, I'm back, willing and able to take the City to new and uncharted territories. But first some news that made me go into a delightful frenzy this morning: Audrey Niffenegger is back and more productive that ever! Six year after her spellbinding The Time Traveller's Wife, she brings us Her Fearful Symmetry, a ghost story set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London.

This soon to be contemporary Gothic classic is about a recently deceased woman who ends up haunting her own apartment. Just like The Time Traveller's Wife, Niffenegger has created a wonderful ensemble cast consisting of the woman's lover, her twin nieces who now inhabit the spirited apartment and an upstairs neighbour with severe OCD. Her Fearful Symmetry is an exploration of self, relationships, love, death and everything that makes life worth while. What more could you ask for?

What I love about Niffenegger's work is that she is able to create such vivid and unique characters that will have you rooting for them (not to mention staying up late) until the very end. Even if they aren't that like-able, they will surely have an impact. She also intertwines universal themes and pop culture with such spectacular and wildly original stories that you can't help but be in awe of the her talent.

If that wasn't enough, she has also made a serialised graphic novel for The Guardian, The Night Bookmobile, which will be published in 2010 and her third novel, The Chinchilla Girl in Exile, is being conceived as we speak. Joy!