Notes on a non-blogging year

As much as a non-blogger I've been this year, I'd be really sad if I didn't at least write a little about what this year has been about for me. I know it hasn't been much about reading. I have hit my lowest reading level since 2007. I have also more than halved my posts compared to last year. At some point I nearly thought I was done with blogging. But to be honest, I miss it.
So as for a first New Year's resolution, I'd like to try to make friends again with regular blogging and stick to my earlier idea of blogging about anything I want to, whenever I feel like (although, obviously, more often than I have done lately).
Aside from neglecting my blog, this has been a very good year for me. I have lost my bookselling job at the end of February, but that has given me the opportunity to figure out what I really want to do with my life and start planning it. I haven't finished planning yet, but I'm working on it, which is good. My idea was to open a cooking business delivering vegetarian lunch boxes to shop and office workers. I'd still love to do it, but in this current Irish climate, I doubt I will be able to get funds. Also, I need people who are willing to be my partners, cause doing it alone is out of the question. But I'll see what the new year brings.
In the meantime, I'm back to the idea of taking my writing seriously. I do mean it this time. I'm very proud of myself for finishing and editing my first novel with Nanowrimo, but I don't want that to be my only finished project. This year I'm going to finish my neverending children story which I started aeons ago. And hopefully I'll get more ideas after that.

Looking back to my 2010 resolutions, I can say that I stuck to the one about creativity. With so much time in my hands, I was free to create lots. And had great fun with it. Knitting, photographing, painting jars and making bookmarks. That's probably what I liked most about this year. That's exactly what I needed, and what I want to keep doing in the new year too.
My digital camera was my favourite buy of the year. I haven't parted with it since. My jar-decorating thing is getting better and better. And the knitting thing has produced some much appreciated Christmas presents. I'm gonna have to learn how to knit socks next. It'd be amazing.
Also a jumper would be nice...

The other resolution from last year was to reread more. That, I must say, wasn't followed through. I only reread one Harry Potter book, and I have listened to Neil Gaiman reading The Graveyard book, while knitting. It was such a treat. I wish he had read more of his books, so I could enjoy his voice again and again.
As for the new books read, they weren't many, but there were some great ones.
My favourite in no particular order have been:
The Deportees by Roddy Doyle - a very entertaining collection of short stories about being an immigrant in Ireland.
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan - an engrossing story with a fairy tale touch to it.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale - the blogging hype on this one wasn't without reason. Such a good book.
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness - a wonderful ending to an epic story. I still sometimes think of Todd and Viola and miss them.
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown - a lesbian coming of age story. I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did. So ahead of its time. I will never forget the main character.
Blankets by Craig Thompson - It's unbelievable how the art and the narrative mix so perfectly well in this memoir. Mesmerising.
Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce - I really wish I wrote a proper review for this one. I had so much to say about it, but now I can only say it was adorable, and funny, and clever, and you should read it.

I have to admit I haven't read much not just because I was busy being all artistic and stuff. I've also spent an insane amount of time online. Specifically on that evil invention design to suck you in and never let go until it's too late to do anything else, aka Tumblr. I could say that it helps my mind find inspiration, but what really it's pure procrastination.
So another New Year Resolution is to be strong and Spend. Less. Time. On. The. Internet.

OK?

Another way I have used my time was watching the It Crowd obsessively since this summer, and having a massive crush on Katherine Parkinson.
If you have never watched the It Crowd, I sort of envy you, because you can still experience its awesomeness for the first time. But don't leave it too late, cause it's worth it.

And now I'm going to wrap it up by sharing with you some of favourite songs of this year,meaning songs I have discovered this year, not necessarily *released* this year.

Cathy Davey. She has released a great new album this year called the Nameless, but I have discovered her previous album, Tales of Silversleeve, and fell in love with it. I like all the songs in the album so it's hard to choose, but anyway, I have to. (Oh by the way, if you know of a better way to upload music on blogger, please let me know, I'd love to use one of those streaming devices, I just don't how to).
"Harmony"


and "Mr. Kill"


The Concretes "Kids"
I've listened to this band a lot this year. They are a bit similar to Camera Obscura, so I had to love them. This song in particular is the one that made me listen to them more.
I love this line: Music could really knock you over back then, so we would lie on the floor just to be safe.


Of course I'm gonna have to repeat myself, because this is a year's summary and I've posted this video already. This song is part of this year's soundtrack so it has to feature:
Slow Club - "When I go"


In my opinion, the coolest, most faboulous Irish singer around at the moment. I can't wait to see her live in February
Imelda May - "Mayhem"


Marina and the Diamonds - "Seventeen"
Why the hell wasn't this on the album??


Amiina - "What are we waiting for?"
The discovery of this band was such a gift. Their music makes me enter a state of incredible relax and well being. I love them so much I bought the full album.


This band's only a recent discovery, but I like them very very much
Allo Dalin' - Kiss your lips


OK, I better stop here. I realise I could go on and on about all the songs and bands I've discovered, so maybe I'll leave it to future posts.
Hope everyone's year has been a satisfying one, or at least one to remember for a few good things. I also wish everyone's new year to be full of new exciting discoveries, love, art, moving reads, tasty food, fun parties, and good company.
Talk soon,
Val :)

A quick note

[one of the things I've been making]

Hey guys,
my book reviewing has been put on hold lately, but I've been busy busy making artsy stuff out of magazines and glass jars, photographing anything shiny that catches my eye with my new gorgeous digital camera, watching episodes of the IT crowd over and over again, and generally playing with the internet a lot. The latter activity has resulted in me adventuring into new blogging grounds i.e. TUMBLR! It's a mysterious land, and I'm still finding my feet there, but it's fun, and quick.
This is my page: La stella piumata. Feel free to have a look!

New Directions

Lately I've been trying to come up with a cool name for a new blog, a place where I could talk about other things beside books. About all the stuff that are going on in my life, about the music I listen to or the things I've knitted, or what my latest cooking experiment tasted like. I thought I wanted to leave this place for books only, although there hasn't been much of those here either.
But then I realised the easiest solution would be to just use this one. It's my blog after all, I can post whatever I want, right?
So yeah, from now on, officially, I will talk about anything, which will include books too (I could never give up those. Actually, I will post two reviews soon), but not exclusively.

Ever since I lost my job at the bookstore (oh yeah, another thing I never mentioned here...) I have had lots of time to dedicate to the things I love doing. Less reading and more "making". I'm editing my NaNoWriMo novel, which is due to be finished by the end of June, in order to avail of the offer for a free printed copy. I still very much doubt my ability to write anything close to good, but it's a good exercise and I'm taking it for what it is.
Also, only recently I've started to exercise again. I live just beside a wonderful park, and I've taken up jogging there in the morning. I like it so much that I have to stop myself from going every day. Apparently there needs to be a day of rest in between training. I'm increasing gradually the running time and I love to see how much I'm improving each time.
Then of course there's the knitting. I haven't made much lately, but I'm not giving it up. I can't wait to get those photos ready so I can show you the pretty stuff I have made.
More importantly, being unemployed meant that I could apply for a training course free of charge. I had been thinking of starting my own business for quite a while now, and here was my opportunity to make it come true. I won't talk about what it is until it's closer to being actually real, but I'm really excited about it. So now I'm still doing this business course, there's about a month to go and then there will be hundreds of things to do to make it happen. It will involve cooking, this I can say. I have long given up teaching. It was cool for a while, but it's not my thing. While I think this may very well be it.
So that's about it. I hope it's going to be fun:)
I leave you with some more videos of songs I've recently come to love. Hope you like them. xxx

"Old Times" by Whispertown 2000


"The ghost who walks" by Karen Elson


"Rabbit Fur Coat" by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins


and lastly, a band I'm loving lots at the moment. This song sounds so much like those cartoon songs of my childhood, and obviously I'm mad for it:)
"I'm glad I hitched my apple wagon to your star" by The Boy least likely to

Other stuff I've listening to (and stuff I've been doing)

Slowly I'm returning to my usual self. I'm just back from a much needed holiday in Madrid. I had never been to Spain and I loved it. I struggled at first with the language, but by the second day I was already able to have a simple conversation with the locals! When they learned I was Italian they stopped answering to me in English and let me experiment with my elementary Spanish, which was fun. I took Spanish in school but that's like more than twelve years ago (at least)...I remember liking it very much but I never used it until this week. I was surprised at how much it came back to me speaking it.
It was also my first experience at travelling alone and it was definitely a hit. There were so many other people travelling alone and always ready for a chat or to join me to explore the city. I met some very strange but joyful people, and ate lots of delicious food (mostly tapas). I will post the pictures as soon as I develop and scan them (yes, I still don't own a digital camera...)

This holiday also brought me back to books. I started reading The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint on the plane. I chose a short book as I didn't trust myself to read something too long. But by the end of the first day in Madrid I had finished it. So I went book-hunting. I found a bookshop which had books in English and bought My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell and I am enjoying it very much. Then I also got a YA book in Spanish, cause I plan to keep re-learning it. I've already read two chapters, for which I'm really proud. The book is El coleccionista de relojes extraordinarios by Laura Gallego García, who, according to the local bookseller, is a good author. I'm really intrigued by it so I'll let you know my thoughts on it.
I decided to leave Enna Burning at home, cause I only have the last few chapters left, and didn't want to finish it too soon and then carry it around for nothing. But I will finish it today or tomorrow. I did love it, although it has taken me ages to read it.

OK, so now for the music part of this blog post:

I love love love the Slow Club. I wish they played here. I wished they did the Electric Picnic, it'd be perfect. I need to see them live! I love almost all their songs but this one, I can't get enough of. I love singing along to it, it's lovely.
ps: I was sure there was a beautiful music video for this song, but I can't find it anymore.


Another band I'm loving for their soft 60's sound is Camera Obscura. This is their best song i think:


As most of these artists, I've only started to listen to Cathy Davey very recently, but I immediately loved her style. She's playing here soon, but I'm still thinking whether I should go. 26 euro seems a lot for someone I just started to know, but I know I would enjoy it. Hmm, dilemmas...
This is her latest single:


On an extremely different note, I'm loving the latest Beth Ditto look on Gossip's new video for Pop goes the World. The song is cool, but her hair is the best part. It's purple! And Blue! And her make-up! And her whole thing! Fantastic.

GOSSIP - POP GOES THE WORLD from V Magazine on Vimeo.

I'm finishing here with a treat for myself, basically. It's Florence's new song. She debuted it in Dublin, but I couldn't get tickets. Thank the Internet Gods for Youtube. I knew she was going to play something new, and I couldn't wait to listen to it. You can barely understand any lyrics, but it doesn't matter. It's Florence's new song for Pete's sake!! What else could *you* want?!