SEMI F-LOCKED



Personal stuff, photos, rants etc are f-locked. The rest, my creative ramblings and comments on life, are open to everyone.

I like to speak in French sometimes as well.

I love making new friends, as long as we have something in common :)

( Books/Movies/Episodes Challenge 2009-2010 )

Yesterday I got an email from Liverpool with an offer. Yay! This morning I got two letters; one from Manchester confirming that I'd got an offer (which I found out on UCAS last week) and one from Swansea inviting me to interview! They'd pretty much say I'd get a place, which is good. But I haven't actually BEEN there yet (it's my 5th choice) so Mum is saying I should go down and have a look, because the course might suit me more than Cardiff's (my other back up.)

So I now have offers EVEYWHERE apart from Newcastle.

Not amusing.

BEST

1. Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson - this was the first book I ever read that was so throughly engaging and truly transported me to another place. As with all of Ibbotson's books, the characters are wonderfully sketched out in the most beautiful language, you never for one moment want to put the book down. But this one of her books especially has stayed with me, and inspired my love of the Amazon and it's Indians.

2. Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman - This is a sparkling, hilarious book that I usually read three times in a row because I can never move on to another one afterwards. It sweeps you up in the magic and mystery of 16th century Bellezza (a parallel Venice) with a fantastic, ever-changing plot and a host of brave, intelligent and extremely interesting characters; my favourite, of course, the first Duchessa, Silvia Bellini. It deals with death better than any book I have ever read, whilst still managing to be incredibly witty.

3. The Silver Sword by Ian Seraillier - Without a doubt, the most moving book I have ever read. It tells the story of four children fighting for survival in war-torn Warsaw, and then travelling across Europe tow Switzerland in the hope of finding their parents. I must have read it about fifty times since I found it in the attic when I was a child, and I cry every time.

Special Mention - I cannot complete this list without mentioning The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson. Whilst it is not an Adventure story in the same sense Journey is, it is absolutely completely the most BEAUTIFUL book I have ever read, and has probably had the biggest influence on my life since the Agent Angel series. Characters are sketched more thoroughly in a paragraph than they are in several chapters of Pride and Prejudice, in language so delicious you feel you are wading through a warm bubble bath or eating pink fairy cakes or truly, in Imperial Russia itself. It is a grown up fairy story, centered on the wonderful Anna Grazinsky, a Russia Countess in exile after the Revolution and working as a servant for the Earl of Westerholme, who she fulls in love with (slowly, believably, and incredibly romantically). The book is dotted with allusions to European culture and snippets of Russian and I believe I have read this book more times than the other three put together. It is SO. GOOD.


WORST

1. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - I got given this three years ago, and struggled my way through the first half, not quite pinpointing what was so bad about it but unable to keep reading. I had a quick flick through when the fourth came out, seeing if I had misjudged it. I understand how people can love it, but for me, it's boring, badly written with characters that are completely unbelievable (regardless of their immortality and blood-sucking abilities).

2. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan - arrogant, icky, with extremely annoying characters.

3. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - I HATE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I hate the characters, I hate the language and I hate the plot, although the idea is genius.

I've been ill for a week now. I went back into school yesterday, thinking I was better, and felt so ill in the evening that my parents insisted I stay home today and phoned NHS direct this morning. My mum thinks I have The Swine. They're both quite worried, I think, cause I've never been ill this long before.

I'm just terrified it'll develop into an ME type virus and it'll never go away. I'm off ill about 3 times every year for a few days with a virus; it's the only time I ever get ill. So I am so worried i'll get what other girls my age have got an become exhausted and house-bound for months. I'm cutting out all fatty and sugary and acidic food and loading up on the vitamins.

Buuuut now I have to entertain myself sans my PC! Or the TV. Lots of reading for me today :D

Although at some point I am going to begin Gavin and Stacey S1.

Crackin'

I've just got a new custom layout for the Smooth Sailing theme, but I can't move my sidebar from left to right. Someone else had managed to using the same layout so I wondered if anyone knew how?

I GOT AN OFFER FROM MANCHESTER!!

A newspaper, an ipod and an episode of Deal or No Deal

Vogue asks this question in their December issue, and I'm not sure I agree with their answer.

What do you think?

Live not as though a thousand years are ahead of you. Fate is at your elbow; make yourself good whilst life and power are still yours.

Let go.

I will give it my all.

Oh I cannot pick one!

The beginning of the Roman Empire, I think around the turn of the millenium, because the Augustan era is my absolute favourite in Roman history, and of course there is the birth of Jesus, and at that time there are SO many people alive who I would love to meet.

St. Petersburg, Russia 1904-1914 because Imperial Russia fascinates me, and to see everything unfold... also of course Pavlova and Karsavina and the Ballets Russes and so many LEGENDARY names.

Venice 1560-1570, because it's the closest I'd get to Bellezza.