War of The Images...(but really it should be called something nicer.)

Yes, we do a Compulsion-To-Get-The-Last-Word Syndrome, both of us. But who cares, when that last word should technically be called the last picture, and those pictures are gorgeous?

I think the mood to my pictures today is soft. They're so beautiful...

Allie

Any vampires that sparkle are clearly fairies.

(Well? Did that sound more like a Tora-titled post?)

I've been watching a lot of movies lately. Too many. Although, really there isn't such a thing...Especially musicals. And now I can't get the songs out of my head. Even when I'm supposed to be working through my mountains of work. When I'm online, there should be an advantage to being a fast typer (aside from the fact that any keyboard I use protests vehemently to my incessant hammering) but I never seem to have enough time, ever.

Time. Healer of all wounds my- Well, never mind that. But needless to say it's tendency to run away with itself gets on my nerves. But you know how it is...the show must go on. You don't need to hear my complaining about how little time I have to do stuff. (Although, mentioning it does give me a chance to tell you about one of my favourite books ever - The New Policeman by Kate Thompson. Awesome, awesome book. Vivid, funny, and full of Irish mythical people and legends Tír na n'Óg here I come! Hey, I might even do a review of it next time I get around to re-reading it...)

Not sure how many of you will be reading this, but I haven't posted in a while, so I decided I'd better do something to show y'all I'm still alive....

Current Book: Specials, by Scott Westerfield - this author was recommended to me by a friend, but since I couldn't get my hands on Leviathan (Don't worry, I know it's supposed to be brilliant, and I'm in the process of tracking it down!) I found The Uglies series to get me through while I wait. So far it looks good - it's pure dystopian, which I can only read in small doses (Needless to say it took me a long time to build myself up to read Catching Fire, and - I know, I know, everyone shall shun me for this - I haven't read Mockingjay yet...sorry fellow Hunger Games fans!) though I do love it. Something to do with my constant state of pessimsim and depression, apparently. Too many apocalyptic thoughts are bad for the system. 

Current Playlist: Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and, er, did I mention Joni Mitchell? I am a self-confessed folk and alternative rock addict, and I've sort of been raised on old music like this, so it only seems natural that I've got one of her albums on constant repeat right now. I'll move onto something else for a while soon, but her songs are so inspiring I doubt I'll be back to stay away for long. My current favourite is definitely Woodstock...so ethereal...

Current Colour: Probably the same as usual. I don't spend so much time thinking about my favourite colours...although colours around me, now that's a different story. There was something bright, bright green I saw recently that I loved...but now I can't think what it was. 

Current Favourite TV Show: The Big Bang Theory! Thank the Lord for boxsets! Several straight hours of Sheldon have cheered me right up about my own state of geekiness. (Who says I don't do anything constructive on weekends?)

Current Book Wishlist: Still so many. To finish reading Matched by Ally Condie (to cut a long story short, I treated the bookshop rather like a library that day, but I did, unfortunately, have to go eventually. Though I was not kicked out, no matter what anyone tells you!), to get some of the fantastic YA books that everyone's talking about at the moment, and also to get a few of those less publicised novels that I haven't seen anywhere yet...including Joe Craig's Lifters! (edit- which I have just been informed isn't even out yet...the publication date was moved back to the end of September? GASPETH! What am I going to do now??)

Current Needs: to find twinsister dearest, wherever she has disappeared off to, to make the pile of work waiting for me as soon as the weekend's over vanish, and to find something sweet to eat...

Current Bane of My Existence: my internet connection, which is being decidedly dodgy at this moment. 

Current Objects Around Me: several CDs, random sheets of paper, random pens, game and DVD boxes, the night sky out the window. 

Currently Thinking: I better schedule some posts just in case I disappear for a while again...

Allie

And, by the way, Tora, I do read books for myself. I also just like to write reviews about those books. (Read: I write reviews when I've got writer's block for my normal form of writing. Just in case any of you readers didn't figure that out already...and as you can see I get writer's block often. Not a good sign. But what else can I do?) 

Waiting On Wednesday #4 - Crossed, by Ally Condie

'Waiting On' Wednesday is a meme borrowed from Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Today's Book: Crossed, by Ally Condie
Publication Date: November 24th, 2011 (Or November 1st, if you're lucky enough to be in the US...)

OK, so technically I haven't finished Matched yet. But what I did read of it was good enough to tell me that, as soon as I heard there would be a sequel, I'd want to read it...so here I am, telling the world about HOW IMPATIENT I AM FOR CROSSED TO BE PUBLISHED.

Ally Condie is a brilliant writer, and if this book lives up to expectations...it shall be awesome!

(Summary from Goodreads.com) In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake. Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever. 


Allie

Music Monday 11

Haven't done one of these in a while...meme originally hosted by Zakiya at Walking Butterfly Feet.

I ADORE Florence & The Machine! I can't believe we have to wait until Nobember for their next album to be released...but at least until then we have this. What The Water Gave Me.

Allie

Story Jamming and SftW...

The new logo - the site got
majorly revamped
a while ago!

Just promoting a site of some friends of mine...Stories From The Web (SftW) are an organisation who run a fantastic website and some other projects encouraging kids and teenagers to read and write. And it's not just the old 'Reading is something everyone has to do' or 'Write because it'll help you at school' stuff, either. (Which, in my experience, doesn't actually help, but that's another blog-post-slash-rant entirely.)

They have activities and kick-starts which develop imagination and the desire to read, but as well as trying to get children to read and write more, they provide a place for kids who are already writers and readers to express themselves. That's the main reason why I love it. Because sometimes kids find it hard to say that they like to read or write, and they need somewhere to start off and get feedback. I know I did. Now I'm completely confident in what I want to do, and Stories From The Web was one of the first places where I felt like that.

The lovely team there moderate and create new things for members all the time - you can just send in your work, everything from stories to poetry to reviews  - or you can take part in the competitions, discussions, polls, read the author interviews and look at the advice section (Another of my favourite parts - they have everything, from podcasts byAli Sparkes to tips from everyone from Malorie Blackman to Anthony Horowitz to Maggie Stiefvater, and so many more I could mention, but you'll have to go on the site to find otu because it would take me all day to list them here!) - and put an incredible amount of work into the site. They are also very, very cool to boot.

The website is a safe online environment with different sections for different ages groups, and if there are any young readers of this blog (who haven't been scared away by our insanity) I urge you to GO CHECK IT OUT - NOW!  Last year it became a members only site, but it can be accessed through libraries (there's a list of which ones signed up and everything for you!) and schools, and the blog is open to everyone. Stories From The Web really helped me when I was writing first, and it really deserves to be more widely known.

Here's the all important link  for the Stories From the Web Blog. from there you can find out everything you need to know (that I haven't told you already) - I hope you take some time to look around.

Which brings me onto another part of Stories From The Web - Story Jamming. It's a brand new spin-off site - where some of SftW's members post chapters of stories they've written based on a Story Start by author Emily Diamand. Every week the new chapters will be put up, and I'd really appreciate if y'all could help get if off the ground. You can email the team if you want to join in for the next round, so it's well worth a look. You can read the first chapters, and see Emily Diamand's Story Jamming blog here!

Anyway, enough of my rambling - I'm sure you have plenty of links to follow...

And no, that was not a hint at all. No way.

Allie

And, oh my Lord, I have just posted twice in one day? It really must be Christmas after all...

It's September. THEREFORE IT IS NOT CHRISTMAS.

Just saw a Christmas episode of a TV show that shall remain unnamed for it's own safety. It's not a programme I watch, but even flicking through the channels and seeing all the sparkly fairy lights and Christmas trees and perfectly wrapped presents and completely unbelievable and pointless Christmas-themed plotlines makes me shudder.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. If I didn't actually have to go outside the house into the cold and horrible weather sometimes it would be my favourite part of the year. Mostly it's an excuse to stay inside and read, and drink hot chocolate and/or eat food that's terribly bad for you but everyone's eating it anyway so why not me? - a win-win situation - but still, it's not supposed to happen until December. Could they pass a law that stops any Christmas-y things happening/being sold until mid-November at the earliest? It's like going shopping and seeing Back To School signs everywhere when the summer term hasn't even finished.

So I escaped here to avoid the onslaught of ridiculousness that happened to be gracing one of the TV channels. And that's my rant for today done.

Dang. Just realized it was basically all about Christmas.

Allie