Bout of Books 14 To be read

I've signed up to do Bout of Books 14.

You can find out more information about Bout of Books at: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

I've chosen the following books:

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
The Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller
We the Animals by Justin Torres
How We Are by Vincent Deary

I'm going to start with 'We the Animals'.  Michael Cunningham described it as a 'dark jewel'. The blurb says its about 'three young brothers who tear their way through childhood'. From a quick look inside, the style is poetic and sparse. It looks intriguing.

I've finally done it - my first book haul on YouTube. It's a little bit rough, but I'm hoping to improve!

Vanity Fair and the Middle Classes

So I managed to get to the Vanity Fair exhibition last Sunday. I finally got there at around 3.20pm to be met with a queue that was winding its way out of the door and onto Queen Street. I queued for about half an hour. I couldn't really avoid hearing conversations in the queue. Some mundane but strangely sweet:

'What do you want to do - do you want to wait or we could go shopping instead?' asked a guy with a t-shirt with a slight tear in the neck

His girlfriend, blonde pretty in a Woody Allen film kind of a way, didn't reply

'We don't need anything, do we?'

'No' she replied. I want to see the exhibition'

'Ok'

Once we were in the gallery, a tourist started to randomly take photographs of the ornate murals. And then, left the queue and stood behind the security guard who was talking to a woman about her ticket. The tourist didn't say anything but just looked confused.

The exhibition was great. I loved a picture of Greta Garbo pushing her hair back in frustration and boredom, and was strangely drawn to an image of Charles Laughton with his strange clownish face. I found out the next day that he was gay.

There were a lot of parents with children who tried to bump the queue on the account that they had reproduced, produced said offspring and now deserved privileges for this natural act. The security guards recognising that the act of procreation doesn’t actually take any intelligence refused them.

But the manners of these people always shock me - when did the middle classes get so rude. A few weeks back, I went to see Macbeth at the Lyceum. It was their special 'all tickets for a fiver night' so of course the theatre was full of basil growing, organic chomping, Boden wearing yuppies. The bar was the usual crush not helped by everyone pushing past to get to the water jug and cups, for their free glass of water.'Excuuuse me' they all said, and with it expressing their god given right to run ram shod over anyone in their way -including my friend who had the audacity to be waiting to be served for a drink that she was going to pay for.

I don't know what's happened but this attitude of 'I'm a shit and I don't care who knows it' seems to sum up a lot of people these days. No, I'll correct it. That attitude seems to sum up a lot of middle class people these days. God knows, what the farmer's market will be like.

Got Milk?

Sean Penn and James Franco? In a film about moxes? Actually, in a film about a great mox? I can't wait. Here's the trailer!

Working it out

I'm determined this weekend to do things that I actually like. Sometimes I just waste time doing things I feel I should be doing rather than what I want to do. So I'm making a list of things I want to do. Here goes:

1. Write some of my novel

2. Read something entertaining

3. Watch a film with popcorn

4. Hang out with friends

5. Go to the Vanity Fair exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery

6. Go out for coffee

7. Buy 'The Elegance of a Hedgehog'

This list really is quite simple but I don't seem to be able to do any of the things on the list. This has to change.

But I'm starting the weekend off on the right foot. I'm taking part in a theatre workshop on Macbeth later today at the Lyceum here in Edinburgh. I'll be really nervous but I know I'll love every minute of it.

Last temp tango

Well I haven’t blogged for ages but that’s not, er, really unusual for me. However, I did have high hopes for this month. After attempting National Novel Writing Month, (I got to 9000 words rather than 50000 but still my heart was there) I decided that December would be my National Blog Writing Month. That actually hasn’t happened yet but I’m going to make a start from today, and keep posting daily to 8 January.

So a quick update – after 3 years of temping hell (Addecco, Pertemps, Hays I’ve had them all) I now start a fixed term job on Monday. I’m so temp institutionalised that I can’t get round the idea that I’ll get a salary – that I won’t have to do a timesheet every week feels very strange. Plus I have a pension, sick pay, holiday pay, and money off at the gym. Hurrah!

What else? Still no whisker of a love life but I did finally break my 18 month ‘no relations’ spell with an old friend from university. To be honest , there aren’t many gentleman callers on the scene but I can see some possibilities.

So I’ve just been hanging out, going to the cinema, reading, and clubbing at Edinburgh’s new gay club GHQ. Edinburgh’s gay scene is small so it was about time for a new venue. GHQ is swanky, and big but still lacks something. It still hasn’t settled in and the music policy seems to be playing Britney Spears ‘Gimmie More’ in several different versions several times.

Blog wise I’ve still been enjoying my craft blogs, and I was so inspired that I made a small yellow bag. Although using easy webbing instead of sewing together probably wasn’t the best idea. I’ve also been enjoying book blogs. Dovegreyreader – a nurse by day, and a voracious reader at night and at the weekend is fascinating. I’m always impressed by how many books she can read (she has 6 on the go at all times) and can read any style, and any book from any time or country. I’m also secretly jealous of all the free books she gets – ooh I love a free book.

God, this entry is dragging so I’ll finish it up. But as we are getting nearer to Christmas – I’ll ask ‘What would you like for Christmas this year?’

What's in my bag? (Click on the photo for annotations)