Flemish fiction

I've been pretty busy the past weeks with articles and reviews that I forgot to blog. Shame on me! I did however, get a lot of reading done so there's plenty to say.

I read Erik Vlaminck's Brandlucht (among many others) this month because he was the star of September's bookpage and I was amazed by the fact that I actually liked his novel, something that never happens because Flemish fiction and I rarely get along for the simple reason that I don't have any affinity with all things Flemish or Belgian seeing as my upbringing was unconventional and British at best. The language, the situations and the day to day life in these novels usually feels alien and slightly contrived to me, so I was stunned that Brandlucht didn't make me feel queezy which is quite an achievement.

It's the story of Elly, daughter of a Dutch mother and a Flemish father who grows up in Saint Thomas, Canada, and goes in search of her roots. The story is told from multiple perspectives and deals with emigration, truth and the difficulty of shaking one's past. The story was sweet and simple and had some interesting characters and vivacious dialogue which drew you in and gave the novel a simmering pace meaning, I liked it and I wouldn't mind reading more of Vlaminck's novels.

Since I started with my bookpage last December I've read more Flemish fiction than I have in the past 29 years combined, which really took my by surprise. If it hadn't been for my monthly page in Flanders Today I wouldn't have encountered the poetry of Joke van Leeuwen, the illustration's of Eva Cardon, the horror of Yves Petry, the beauty of Bart Moeyeart, the roots of Annelies Beck or had the chance to take down one of my former professors, not the mention the countless reviews I had to write that widened my literary horizon. Thanks FT for paving the road to local fiction! Who knows, we might even become friends.

Lonestar Bordello

Last Friday, the Pumpkin had a gig with his band, Lonestar Bordello, at the Nazomerfestival in Ham. It was the first time I'd seen him perform because the last time he took to the stage was over six years ago, just before we met so I was almost as excited as he was, and it was great! Beautiful melodic and melancholy music that pulls at your heartstrings filled an otherwise chilly and noisy tent with warmth and atmosphere. And I'm not just saying this because he's my Pumpkin but because I really loved the songs, which I previously had only heard recordings of that didn't do them justice. Anyway, I was as proud as I could be of the little fella and I'm already looking forward to their next gig, no pressure boys.

Thursday's trailer

Goodreads

I’ve always been a big fan of keeping lists. Even when I was a little girl I’d keep a log of all my toys. Worse, I’d keep files on my Barbies: name, address, occupation, marriage certificate... yes, I was that weird. I’ve always had this unexplainable need to organise and kept records of everything in several hundred notebooks, hence my addiction to pretty little blank books that I can massacre with my loopy (the Pumpkin’s word, not mine) handwriting.

The only thing I keep track of these days are the books I read, in a girly pink leatherbound notebook embroyded with swans which sounds worse than it is. I love flipping through these books to reminisce and see what I’ve loved and loathed over the years, something I’d otherwise quickly forget.

Nowadays most people do this online, comforting me that I’m not the only nut out there. Sure, it’s not as romantic as a notebook but it’s easy to manage, you can add friends and keep track of what they’re reading but most importantly, these sites are filled with reviews.

I started out with LibraryThing back in 2006 and spent hours (I was a student back then) putting my books on there. Sadly, you had to pay a membership fee so I went over to Shelfari when the time came to renew, seeing as this is a free book cataloguing site where I’ve spent many happy years.

Most of my friends however, have now also caught the bug and have started accounts with Goodreads, making me take the plunge with them because it’s fun to share book related comments like “Why the hell are you reading that!?!” or discovering new titles that my peeps loved. I’m just not sure I’ll add all my books like I did when I transitioned from LibraryThing to Shelfari because we’re talking several hundreds here. Best to start fresh from 2011 onwards.

So what about you? How do you keep track of all the books you read?

Books at Bedtime

I recently discovered the radio programme Books at Bedtime on BBC Radio 4. Every weeknight at 22:45pm they read for 15 minutes from modern classics, new works by leading authors and literature from around the globe. After an average of two weeks you'll have tackled an entire novel. I don't follow these readings live but listen to the podcast the next day which is available for limited time. It's perfect for people who have little time to read or love the spoken word.

I listenend to The Reluctant Fundamentalist last week, a novel I probably would never have read otherwise, and I really loved the fact that these podcasts introduce me to new material in a quick and highly enjoyable fashion. Plus, now I get the chance to get even more “reading” done. I'm already looking forward to tonight's new novel: On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry.

So True

Twirling around my laptop, throwing herself on the keyboard, dabbing the screen and knocking things off the desk, this is Molly to a T.

We need to talk about Kevin

After several years of should I? Shouldn’t I? I finally caved and read We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver. I had read several stunning reviews and heard lots of people say it really gets under your skin but to be honest, the story didn’t appeal to me so I kept putting it off. Now that the movie will be released next month, I thought it’s as good as a time as ever if I’m ever going to read this controversial novel.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the novel, it’s about a woman (Eva) whose son has killed several people in his high school. In a series of letters to her estranged husband, she tries to come to terms with the events as well as the fact that she never really liked her son to begin with, opening the whole nature versus nurture debate. Was she to blame? Was her son just a troubled kid? Who’s to say?

To be honest, I never liked epistolary novels so the idea of writing to your ex bugged me from the get go. It’s perfect if you want portray someone’s psyche, which Shriver clearly intended, but the result of this in-depth portrait is that the novel lacks pace and direction,. Eva simply reminisces about her marriage, Kevin’s childhood and her present life in which she has become a social pariah. It was interesting, but seeing as that’s all the entire novel has going for itself; it became a bit tedious and could easily have been 100 pages shorter although the pace did pick up in the end.

Eva admits that she had her son to please her husband and struggled to bond with her child which isn’t out of the ordinary. I personally know several women who love their child but don’t particularly like them at times. Now one of the reasons the novel intrigued me was that it was labeled as horrifying and shocking but sadly it failed to deliver. Maybe I’m just blasé but there was nothing I hadn’t read or seen before in this media obsessed world we live in. I wasn’t particularly shocked by Kevin’s actions but by the way society responded to them really: 7 years in prison for killing 10 people? I doubt that will put youngsters off in the future.

Is Kevin evil? Who knows because sadly not much is said about the boy’s thoughts or feelings seeing as Eva is doing all the talking, creating a one-dimensional portrait. Did Eva ruin her son by being a cold mother? I sincerely doubt it. I personally don’t believe in the supposed goodness of mankind. Call me a cynic, but I think everyone is capable of horrendous things, depending on your perspective and situation. If the “right” buttons are pushed and if you mix that with some psychological / social issues, all bets are off. Illustrated by this passage:

"I hate you, you stupid creep!" she screamed. "I hope you fry! I hope they shoot you full of poison and I get to watch you die!" It was a rapid conversation. Only one month before, she'd written an impassioned essay denouncing capital punishment.

We need to talk about Kevin gives us a clear and interesting look into the psyche of a woman who is filled with doubt, regret and above all guilt. Who is to blame in such circumstances? Biology or society? In an age where kids are being saturated from an early age by violence, drugs and radical thinking on TV, the internet and in schools, it’s not that farfetched to say they go hand in hand, making the end not all surprising. Society just nudged biology in the wrong direction.

Thursday's trailer

Decadent Daisy

Everywhere you look these days, people are starting 365-day projects such as photographing the same location, making a robot or drawing of your cat every single day for an entire year. I was naturally intrigued to start my own little project but I'm still undecided about what I'd like to do for 365 consecutive days. Maybe read all 1001 Books you must read before you die? Or something like that only less intimidating.

The past few months I've also noticed that I don't use as many photographs as other blogs do. Ok, I illustrate the City with covers from books and movies but I rarely use actual"homemade" photographs, although I am working on this (check out recent posts). I often feel the need to share images with you guys but then I think, Jeeez now I have to write something as well and that occasionally puts me off. Call me conventional, but the City was created for literary musings and not snapshots but it's time to get with the program, so I've decided to start a new blog: Decadent Daisy

Decdent Daisy isn't a 365-day project but a photo diary where I'll share some random day to day photographs for your viewing pleasure. Call it Ginny Jones: A life in pictures. It's my goal to make a personal collection of ordinary yet memorable events that sadly hardly ever get immortalised and are otherwise quickly forgotten seeing as I have a tendency to only capture our holidays on film. The Sumptuous City will still continue as she always has, filled with reviews and ramblings but if you're in the mood for less talk and more action check out Decadent Daisy, where words come to life ;-)

Sunday silliness

Thursday's trailer

Wishlist

Autumn is upon us which means loads of new book releases and stationary. It's probably me but the sight of notebooks, folders and perfectly sharpened pencils has made me giddy ever since I was a young and hopeful English lit student and it still does. Besides lusting after a new fountain pen, there are also a few titles I'm particularly excited about this season:

The third Leon cookbook for example: Baking and Pudding. If the previous two are anything to go by, this book will be scrumptious. The cover already looks stunning and seeing as the topic is puddings, the interior will be just as delectable. A genuine feast for the eyes and tastebuds!

8 years after Craig Thompson wrote his monumental masterpiece Blankets, he finally returns with and the 672-page hardback graphic novel Habibi which is based on a Middle Eastern fable and tells the story of Dodola, a woman who escapes being sold into slavery.

The Night Circus, the debut novel by Erin Morgenstern is taking the blogosphere by storm. I’ve read nothing but exceptional things about this magical tale set in 1886 about a mysterious travelling circus. Not only the story, but the book as well is supposed to be a thing of beauty.

Jeffrey Eugenides has also made us wait 8 years for his next novel, The Marriage Plot. Seeing as Middlesex is one of my all time favorite books, my expectations are pretty high for this meditation on the contemporary value of the great 19th century love stories.

When she woke by Hilary Jordan is another of this season’s hyped books. I’ve never read any of her books before but this “enthralling and chilling novel” is supposed to be a mix between The Handmaid’s Tale and The Scarlet Letter, satisfaction guaranteed.

Last but not least, the 1Q84 trilogy by Haruki Murakami finally...

Momiji Book Club collection

It's no secret that I love little Japanese dolls, whether they're Kokeshi, Kimmi or Momiji, they're simply too cute and too pretty to resist. I have however, been a very good girl and have been able to restrain myself whenever I encounter a new range of those delectable dolls but when I saw the Momiji Book Club collection in an interior design store in Kendal, all bets were off.

The Momiji Book Club collection was designed by the Argentinian Luli Bunny. These six little nerdy girls all like different genres of books and come with a cool "I Heart Books" button. Like the classic handpainted resin Momiji message dolls, they also have a tiny card in the bottom for a secret note. My girl's called Alex and likes books about magic and the supernatural. Ok, she's nothing like me but she has red hair and two funky knots.

The Group

During our trip to the Lake District, I didn’t get as much reading done as I had planned. Sure, I read Unruly Times by A.S. Byatt to brush up on my Wordsworth an Coleridge knowledge, which is highly recommended if you are looking for not a biography per sé, but a look at the time they lived in and what was like to be a writer then.

I also started in The Group by Mary McCarthy and finally finished it last week and it was great! Originally published in 1963, it is set in 1933 and follows the lives of 8 Vassar graduates beginning with the wedding of Kay Strong and ending with her death in 1940. During these seven years we see these women grow up and sadly also grow apart.

Each leading very different lives, we get a sense of what it was like to be a woman during that particular period in the US. McCarthy incorporates themes such as contraception, love, sex, socialism, and even psychoanalysis in her dazzling and strangely identifiable portrait of womanhood.

The plot is mainly influenced by the political and economic atmosphere of the time and offers the reader some sharp social criticism as well the inner workings of the female psyche. Dealing with topics such as child-raising, sexism in the work place, exploring your own sexuality, financial troubles and unrealistic expectations, these women ultimately strive for autonomy and independence in a time when a woman’s role is still largely restricted to marriage and childbirth. The Group finally, gives us a wonderful look at a time when Feminism was just slowly seeping through.

I personally loved the characters who are dealing with many issues that are still relevant today. When I graduated university, I also belonged to a group (The 8 Bachelorettes), and we were all full of hope and promise. Although most of us still keep touch, our lives have also gone in entirely opposite directions: some climb the corporate ladder, while others love to stay at home with their children making me realizes that women in essence haven’t changed that much, just society’s expectations. To me, Feminism isn’t about equality but more about choice and more specifically having the choice to be a stay-at-home mom or the head of a major corporation, the women in The Group didn’t have the option (yet).

The period in which this novel is set, 1930s New York, also speaks to the imagination with it’s glamour, hardships and progress and overwhelmed me with an intoxicating sense of nostalgia. In the end, I savoured every minute of this stunning novel which has whet my appetite for more period fiction.

Herdy

Besides some lushious Lakeland food, I also wanted to get some souvenirs that would last longer than a week in our cupboard, something to remember our kick-ass trip by and what better than a mug? Despite the Pumpkin’s initial reservations (we already have more mugs than we know what to do with), he had to admit that a his and hers Herdy was kinda cute.


Herdy is a local Lakeland brand featuring the cute and lovable Herdwick sheep, a breed that thrives against all odds on the high fells of England’s Lake District and helps sculpt a stunning landscape appreciated the world over. They produce a contemporary range of products that help support, through their sale, brilliant environmental and sustainability causes in this wonderful region such as campaigning for wool, maintaining farmland and aiding farmers.

They also use skilled potters in heart of Staffordshire’s struggling fine bone china industry to make these gorgeous woolly mugs. Everything is made locally to limit their carbon footprint to a minimum and to support the rural economy. Herdy is also committed to giving back a percentage of profits to look after the Lakeland landscape so I couldn’t leave without bringing these nature preserving treasures with me.

Lakeland Book Binge

No trip to the UK is complete without some books, am I right people? I could spend hours browsing the bookstores there with their designer coffee, eclectic range, abundance of English literature, cookbooks and ever so seductive offers. For less than 25£, these babies made the trip back to Belgium:


The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht, simply because she won the Orange Prize this year and I’m always curious the find out why.

When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman, who didn’t win the Orange Prize but definitely is the public’s favorite if sales and reviews are anything to go by.

At Home by Bill Bryson, because no matter what the man writes, you just know it’s going to be good. Plus I’ll have officially read some non-fiction this year.

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo, which is supposed to be phenomenal or so people tell me. I still have to read The Snowman first seeing as this is a follow up but I’m pretty psyched to get my teeth into these bad boys.

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson, also recommended by a friend but I never wanted to buy it because I suspect it will be sentimental drivel but at 1,95£ I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

A Widow’s Story by Joyce Carol Oates, who is one of my favorite authors and I couldn’t leave without taking a beautiful hardback version of latest memoir with me.

Money well spent if you ask me, especially seeing as the difference between the pound and the euro is marginal right now. But don’t fear, I didn’t spend all my time in chain stores. Seeing as there aren’t any real cities in the Lake District, only small villages, we only encountered two Waterstones on the periphery. And like any self respecting English village, the Lake lovelies all came equipped with their very own independent bookstore. There were teeny tiny ones, cute ones, some that never closed and all of them had an intriguing selection of new and secondhand books, but what impressed me the most was that each owner knew absolutely everything about the books in his / her shop. Granted their average age was 75, but it was still quite impressive, especially if you have a shop like Michael Moon in Whitehaven:


That's the pumpkin by the way.


No less than 13 narrow rooms filled from top to bottom with books, creating a lushious literary death trap.

Best movie poster of 2011

Written and directed by one of the most gorgeous men alive who naturally also plays a key role (is there no end to Clooney's talent?) and starring the always phenomenal Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, we've got great actors, politics, intrigue and probably a cinematic masterpiece on our hands here. Can't wait to see it, oh and did I mention the movie poster? How cool is that?

The Lake District

I have (sadly) returned from the glorious Lake District where the weather was as fickle as the landscape. We encountered high mountains, lush valleys, big lakes, little lakes, adorable villages, fairytale settings, gorgeous cottages, some utterly divine food, loads of literary references and ate a vegetarian English breakfast every morning. In short, we were dead tired, had a blast and probably both have high cholestrol now. The Lake District is highly recommended! Here’s why:

On our way back to Dover, we spent some time in the Cotswolds area aka the most enchanting place on earth, as well as in Stratford-upon-Avon to visit my main man, William Shakespeare. The result of this mesmerizing trip, besides the Pumpkin's growing interest in the Lake Poets and Beatrix potter (be still my beating heart), were 800 photographs, lots of relishes and chutneys, tea, several DVD's (HMV how I love thee) and tons of books due to offers I simply could not refuse but more on those later. For now, I'm energized, inspired and ready to cause some havoc. Balance has been restored in the Force.

Packing for all seasons

Tomorrow at 6am we’ll be heading to the Lake District, nothing but mountains, lakes, cute villages and rain. I’ve been franticly checking the weather forecast the past weeks and have come across several mentions of heavy rain and thundery showers, not good. The upside, I’ll finally have a sunburn-free summer! The downside, I’ve had to buy so many new clothes, shoes and backpacks for all types of weather that this holiday will go down in history as the most pricey vacation ever. Who knew that nature could be so expensive? Clearly “god” did not intend for me to leave the city.

Luckily, I’ve planned several indoor activities so we’ll be fine and if worse comes to worse we’ll just curl up in front of a fire, looking over the lakes with some tea, scones and a good book. The books that made the cut are (sorry Siri):

• Unruly Times, Wordsworth and Coleridge in their time by A.S. Byatt
• The Group by Mary McCarthy
• Sunset Park by Paul Auster

Now if all goes well, I’ll be spending the next two weeks here

Thursday's trailer

Holiday

I’ve been home for two weeks now and I’ve spent most of my time like this:


Writing, some yoga, a little cooking, more writing, blogging, watching movies, interviewing and out for an occasional spot of lunch and I’ve been loving every minute of it! It must sound boring to most but I couldn’t be happier. I’ve finally got the chance to pick up where I left off with “the project”. And if you were wondering if I always sit in the dark when I’m work, yes I do, I feel the need to block out the world when I’m writing. Besides, who needs reality when you’ve got fiction?

What I haven’t done these past weeks is read. For some bizarre reason I hardly ever read when I’m on vacation. I started in Siri Hustvedt’s The Summer without Men over a week ago and I haven’t gotten past page 50 yet. I’m just never in the mood which isn’t a good sign, for the book at least. It’s like exams really, when you’re busy studying, a million things pop into your head that you’d rather do right now but when you’ve actually got the time to do them, they suddenly don’t seem that appealing. I’m the same with books, plus seeing as I’m spending most of my time at home in front of my computer screen instead of out and about where I usually get my reading done, my options a have become slightly limited.

But don’t worry, I’m already looking forward to selecting the books I’ll take with me on part 2 of the vacation, the REAL vacation.

Summer in Antwerp

17°C and cloudy aka your average Belgian summer

The Night Bookmoblie

A new book by Audrey Niffenegger is always something to look forward to seeing as she wrote one of my all time favorite books The Time Traveler’s Wife. Since then, I’ve been following her work rather closely. Her second novel Her Fearful Symmetry, although good, sadly wasn’t able to reach the Time Traveler’s stellar heights. Besides novels, she has also written several graphic novels or novels in pictures as she calls them.


The Night Bookmobile is her latest “novel in pictures” and the first in her new trilogy about the role books play in our lives. It started out as a short story for Zoetrope in 2004 and was adapted into a serial graphic novel for The Guardian in 2008.

Like most of her work, there is a macabre yet soothing atmosphere that exudes from every page. The Night Bookmobile can be best described as a fairytale for adults in which she describes our fascination with reading books and creating our own libraries. It is a story about obsession and the consequences of getting what you wish for.

The Night Bookmobile is a strange yet highly identifiable tale of a young woman who accidently discovers a bookmobile that contains everything she's ever read making her realize how important books are to her. Years pass and her life radically changes but books remain a constant, something she can always count on until one day the bookmobile appears again.

This is a short and intriguing tale for booklovers that explores the darker side of our obsessions with people, places and things. Thought-provoking and fascinating, The Night Bookmobile, is a cautionary tale of the seduction of the written word.

Thursday's trailer

Pretty in Pink

Since I became a vegetarian, I started eating more cheese, eggs,… in order to get my daily dose of protein. Gradually I also began incorporating a lot of beans, lentils, tofu, seitan and what not. But then I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, forcing me to change my eating habits once again: out with the full fat cheese, eggs and butter and in with oily fish, nuts and an obscene amount of soy products.

Because I didn’t want to give up on my new vegetarian lifestyle, I tried to find a way to combine a low cholesterol diet with as little animal products as possible. I still don’t eat artery clogging meat or poultry but we do have fish at least twice a week now. Seeing as I am forced to read the labels on everything I eat, I discovered that vegetarian food is often high in fat because most pastes and burgers are filled with oil. So I was faced with a dilemma, namely where do I find low fat vegetarian cooking? The answer: Appetite for Reduction, 125 Fast and Filling Low Fat Vegan Recipes.

I doubt I’d be able to keep up a vegan lifestyle, especially seeing as my doctor ordered me to eat fish, but this book is filled with tasty and easy recipes full of gorgeous greens, tofu, quorn and all that jazz but more importantly, they’re low fat! I just loved the funky rock and roll cover (not to mention that it’s pink!) and immediately decided to give this book a go.

Although the recipes rock, the layout sadly doesn’t. The recipes aren’t illustrated, apart from a few photos in the middle, which is a shame and also the reason why I don’t use it as much as I ought to despite the fact that everything I’ve ever made has turned out great. Call me crazy, but I need visual stimulation. I often just sit on the couch, leafing through cook books just for the hell of it and dream of the scrumptious dishes I’ll serve, one day, making Appetite for Reduction less appealing. Cook books, just like travel guides (sorry Lonely Planet), need photographs, it’s as simple as that.

Founder of the Post Punk Kitchen and author of the renowned Veganomicon, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, has written a delicious and original cook book equipped with nutritional information and several innovative recipes. It’s easy, colorful and above all accessible cooking that perfectly fits into a niche audience, just don’t expect too many too many yummy pictures.

Before I go to Sleep

Before I go to sleep by SJ Watson is the talk of the town right now and seeing as I’m a sucker for any hype, I naturally had to see what all the fuss was about. This former healthcare worker’s debut novel was hailed as the must-read book of the summer and I honestly couldn’t agree more. Before I go to Sleep has already been translated into 30 languages and the movie rights have also been bought by Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free, so Watson has struck gold with this clever and compelling thriller.

The book revolves around Christine, who loses her memory when she goes to sleep. Every morning she wakes up next to a man she doesn’t know but he tells her he is her husband and that she had a car accident almost 20 years ago and as a result she has no short term memory. She begins to keep a journal, writing down what happens to her each day as recommended by her doctor who calls her each morning to remind her of her journal and where it's hidden. Her husband however doesn’t know she’s seeing as doctor because on the first page of the journal she has written that he isn’t to be trusted…

The entire story takes place during the course of one day and she spends about 75% of the novel reading her journal entries, trying to piece together her so called life. This book is a real page turner because you simply have to know what’s going on, it’s that good. Well written, interesting characters and some genuine insight into one woman’s fragile psyche make this novel a joy to read. The story however, is exciting but I couldn’t help thinking that it was the literary love child of Memento and 50 First Dates. Before I go to Sleep is nonetheless my favorite book of the summer so far and I’d highly recommend it if you are looking for an engrossing and thrilling time.

Thursday's trailer

Cartoon

This basically sums up my entire academic experience.

Deadlines

Only two more days of work and I've got an entire month off in which I plan on doing loads of reading, writing, climbing a mountain or two and sadly some more working.

The Pumpkin and I will be enjoying the calm and serene atmosphere of the Lake District the first two weeks of August but before I can enjoy myself, I'll be spending the last two weeks of July meeting several deadlines: 8 book reviews, an exposé on eBooks in Belgium and an article on Belgian Chick Lit for which I'll be talking with Saskia de Coster who has recently written a novella entitled Oh Jackie O filled with art, fashion and Jackie Onassis. So you see, my adventures in chick lit have only just begun.

Naturally, I'll also try to squeeze a little more writing of my own in seeing as I've passed the 27000 word mark, so I'm almost halfway there. Applause please.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

This month’s book club book was The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley aka part 1 of the Flavia de Luce mystery series. Last month’s The Finkler Question scarred us all for life so we were in need of some light summery reading material and this book certainly did the trick.

"England, 1950. At Buckshaw, the crumbling country seat of the de Luce family, 11-year-old Flavia is plotting revenge on her older sisters. Then a dead bird is left on the doorstep, which has an extraordinary effect on Flavia’s eccentric father and a body is found in the garden. As the police descend on Buckshaw, Flavia decides to do some investigating of her own…"

Although the story was a tad predictable, having a young starry eyed narrator was a real treat. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is genuine unpretentious entertainment. It’s a fun and old fashioned English murder mystery with an original protagonist who’s armed with tons of imagination and a chemistry kit. Quirky, witty and perfect for lazy days.

Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine was one of the most anticipated movies of 2011, for me at least. Why you’ll probably ask, seeing as hardly anyone knows of this jem's existence.

Firstly, anything starring Ryan Gosling is something to look forward to. He’s cute but not in a hunk sorta way plus he is, in my opinion, a bold and daring actor and one of the few under 35s who can display such a wide range of depth and emotion. You just know that anything he does will be freaking awesome.

Secondly, I’ll a sucker for low budget indie romances that usually lack the sugarcoating and sentiment of mainstream movies and dare to go that extra controversial mile. What can I say; I love a good love story. I’m a girl, so sue me.

Blue Valentine tells the story of Dean and Cindy who fell head over heels in love when they were both young and “innocent”. Their world got turned upside down when their daughter Frankie arrived. Cindy sees her dreams of becoming a doctor slowly fade whereas Dean rejoices the fact that he’ll soon have a family. Fast forward to the present when this once endearing couple can no longer spend 10 minutes together without arguing. What went wrong?

This movie portrays one crucial day in their present relationship and alternates these tense and harrowing scenes with poetic flashbacks filled with passion and hope. The story is pretty basic but the performances are phenomenal. Ryan Gosling and the talented and oh so brave Michelle Williams have amazing chemistry and are truly the heart and soul of this gritty yet genuinely heartfelt romance that show us that every emotion fades, even love.

Blue Valentine is movie making in its truest and most purest form. The wonderful performances combined with a terrific script (plus some sensational improvisation) have given us one of the most touching and raw cinematic delights of the past years. It’s gutsy, honest, depressing and so damn beautiful!

Reading

...reading verse can be like eating chocolate, so much more pleasureable when you allow it to slowly melt inside you, so much less rewarding when you snap off big chunks and bolt them whole, all but untasted.

-The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry

Walking on Sunshine

Last weekend, the Pumpkin and I ventured on unknown territory: we went shopping for outdoor sportswear. As you all know by now, I'm not adventurous nor am I an outdoors-y person. Don't get me wrong, I love brisk walks through nature just as long as they are followed by coffee, cakes and cute villages; hence our holiday to the pitoresque yet rugged lake district.

Stemming from a long line of fervent citytrippers, I've been brought up to believe that culture and shopping are the bare necessities of any holiday. Vacation is a time to spoil and enjoy yourself and not time to get back to basics which is also why I've never set foot in a tent. My family simply doesn't do nature so our trip to the Lake District is causing quite a commotion.

Seeing as neither of us have any outdoor gear we went in search of the perfect pair of walking shoes. I arrived at A.S. Adventure in my weekend stilettos and immediately saw that I was out of my league as I was surrounded by an army of big, brown and above all brutish shoes. Despite my reservations, I found a pair of shoes that fit perfectly and have pretty pink laces. I know, I know but I couldn't resist. I even got a matching pink fleece. They'll probably see this city girl coming a mile away, which might come in handy if I fall off a cliff.


On Sunday we decided to try out our shoes and went for a 15km walk. The roads in the lake district can be pretty steep, wet and rugged so we couldn't actually test all their capabilities, only check if they were comfy which they were. It was like wearing warm and fluffy slippers, too bad they made me look a tad butch or I'd be converted. The Pumpkin will confirm this, outdoor sportswear and I don't mesh well. And neither do long and unprepared walks because I was moving like a 90-year-old woman by the time we got back.

We've got our shoes and rucksacks now, so all that's left are the rain and windresistant outfits seeing as the weather over there will be 17°c and cloudy at best. I can hardly wait!

Raspberry Friands

I haven’t baked for weeks, mainly because I’m not allowed to eat any baked goods seeing as they’re high in cholesterol. It’s really hard to resist conjuring up pastries and cakes if you’re not supposed to use eggs or butter. I started using soy margarine now which should remove the dreaded artery clogging substance from my veins so I have to eat some “butter” but eggs or the yolks at least, are definitely banned.

Now that the picnic season is upon us, I’ve been lured into the kitchen once again to create some tasty bit sized summery snacks that will do my adorable polka dotted picnic blanket justice. I personally love a picnic, it’s the only kind of al fresco dining people without a garden can enjoy.

Anyway, I stumbled upon this Australian delight this week: blueberry friands, small cake like tarts with a little butter (which I naturally substituted with the soy equivalent) and no egg yolks! They were all out of blueberries at the market so I made a raspberry version. Feast your eyes on these babies:

• 50g soy butter, melted and cooled
• 100g icing sugar
• 25g flour
• 85g ground almonds
• 3 egg whites
• 80g blueberries or raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Pop some cake cases into a cake tin.
2. Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl, and add the ground almonds.
3. Whisk the egg whites until foamy.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and tip in the egg whites. Add the butter and gently stir to make a soft, smooth batter.
5. Fill each cake case about three-quarters full. Top each with a few berries and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and springy.
6. Leave to cool on a cooling rack and dust with icing sugar.

Martians discover a book

No matter how many times I see this video, it cracks me up every time .

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

When I had my wisdom teeth pulled three years ago, I was forced to stay at home for several days because I resembled a chipmunk who had OD’ed on blueberries. Luckily my friends lavished me with loads of box sets of, in their opinion, must see television shows. Yes, I am a child of the digital age and therefore watch too much TV.

Out of all of those shows, one stuck with me: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Seeing as the pumpkin also read Bossypants (how cute is that?), we started talking about live sketch shows and I remembered that Studio 60 is a lot like 30 Rock, minus the overall silliness.

Written by the talented Aaron Sorkin, who was also responsible for The West Wing, Studio 60 proves that TV can also be an art form and yes, you can quote me on that. Not many shows have such clever plotlines, snappy dialogues or realistic yet quirky characters brought to us by a phenomenal cast. Yes, my friends Studio 60 is amazing. It's a biting satire of television and an insightful behind the scenes look at what it's like to create a weekly SNL-like show but more importantly it's funny, heartfelt and dares to go the distance by tackling controversial topics with style and flair.

Aaron Sorkin is the heart and soul behind the series and in my opinion on of the best screenwriters in Hollywood. The way he is able to mix politics, cutting edge topics and genuine emotion baffles me. No matter what subject matter people throw at him, he delivers and rightfully deserved that academy award for best screenplay this year. It's still beyond me why they cancelled this show after only one glorious series.

Now the point I was getting at, was that I bought the complete Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip collection for the ridiculous price of 7,50€! Who knew topnotch entertainment came so cheap?

An Object of Beauty

The latest novel by actor / comedian Steve Martin is something very peculiar. I hadn't read any of his books before but I wanted to find out if, like so many actors turned author, he could actually deliver (as opposed to Ethan Hawke for example). An Object of Beauty is a without a doubt a very beautiful book, literally, if you get the hardback version at least, which is filled with lovely reproductions of the paintings that are mentioned in the story. The paperback version is pretty basic.

An Object of Beauty follow Lacy Yeager's career over the past 20 years as she takes the New York art scene by storm. There isn't a lot of plot or character development to tell you the truth, none actually but what makes this book interesting is Martin's depiction of the contemporary art world. It's fascinating to see how this world has evolved over the past two decades, how the economic crisis affected the art scene, how auction houses work, the value of beauty, the importance of modern American art,... if I'm boring you already than this book is not for you. If you're not interested in art, don't go there because that's all this novel has to offer.

Lacy Yeager seriously got on my nerves to be honest, because she's not particularly likable nor is she despicable, she's somewhere in that dangerous grey area where you just don't care. Instead of creating an actual human being, Martin has created a reflection of the zeitgeist which works well in this satire just try not to take anything seriously.

I expected more from Martin, a lot more. He is a good writer and was able to give a clear picture of something he truly cares about. As a non-fiction book, it would probably have been a lot better because the characters are flat and the story consists of Daniel Franks, a guy Lacy met at college who secretly loves her, telling us what happened to the object of his affection over the past years, so as a novel it doesn't really work. I am however intrigued by Martin. He's shown a lot of potential as an author and as an art connoisseur, it's just hard mixing both.

Thursday's trailer

Bossypants

I doubt there are people alive today who haven't heard of Tina Fey, former Saturday Night Live writer and creator of 30 Rock, or her equally renowned biography Bossypants. The cover alone, of this New York Times bestseller, puts a smile on my face.

Seeing as I'm not American and don't have the pleasure of watching SNL on a weekly basis, I was first confronted with the delightful Mrs. Fey when someone told me I had to watch 30 Rock because it was basically tha bomb (typo intended). Seeing as I'm always on the lookout for a new show, I followed her advice and haven’t looked back since.

30 Rock is based on her experiences while working on SNL. This show is silly yet realistic, outrageous yet relatable, the writing is excellent, the acting phenomenal (gotta love Jack Donaghy) and the characters are truly one of a kind. This show has it all really, if slapstick and crazed / neurotic people are your thing.

What I love the most about this show is the Tina Fey's character Liz Lemon, who tries to keep the writers, actors and her boss from causing total mayhem while at the same time trying to have some kind of (love) life, queue Jon Hamm, sigh... Anyway, this probably says more about me than I'd care to admit but I so totally get her. Despite her own freakish issues she is constantly mobilized to solve other people's crisises when all she want to do is watch TV and eat donuts. What's wrong with that? And yet, she still has a masochistic need to be needed, to be the puppet master because sometimes your inner control freak simply gets the better of you. Been there, done that.

So when the brilliant Fey's biography came out, I just had to read it. I tried waiting until the paperback edition but I just couldn't wait that long. Bossypants isn't a classic autobiography, it filled with chronological anecdotes from her youth, SNL, honeymoon, 30 Rock and naturally some life changing affirmations. Tina is just how I imagined her to be: self-deprecating, wise and above all honest.

Bossypants is a very funny memoir full of interesting behind the scenes gossip, musings on what it's like to be a female comedy writer and a little intimate details that make this book a joy to read. It's easy to relate to Tina Fey who is also a wonderful writer and someone every woman would want as their best friend basically. All hail Tina Fey!