Love can be bittersweet when a girl hears "no"

Not to broadcast another YouTube video... but it is Music Monday Feature!


While I was in England last week I discovered Caro Emerald's music. Caro is a Dutch girl with catchy, jazz infused songs. I seriously love her stuff! ... it sounds so... European? It is not something that fits snugly into the currently North American music scene.

Take a listen below:

Caro Emerald - You Don't Love Me
* Title for this post is from Caro Emerald - You Don't Love Me.

Best Disney Parody... ever!

I recently stumbled upon this AMAZING Disney mashup on Facebook.  I cannot tell you how much this video made my night yesterday - this is a must see for anyone who loves Disney or at least has sat through a few of their movies.  Please give it a listen (heck, its got almost 83,000 likes on YouTube!).

Crazy Kittens

I had a dream about a kitten last night.. but it was nowhere near as funny as the kitties in this video! 

Walt Disney Archives

A peak at Walt Disney Archives:



Oh, how I would love to be one of this institution's archivists!
There are an abundance of Armchair Archivist videos on YouTube.
You can check more out by clicking here.

I'll Love You Long After You're Gone

Gone Gone Gone : Phillip Phillips
It's been a long time coming, but here's the latest Music Monday Feature :)   I can't get this song out of my head... not that I would want to! You can view it at YouTube by clicking here.

Recap

Dear bloggers, readers, and once-in-a-blue-moon visitors,

I guess by now you have noticed that I haven't blogged for quite some time.  In fact, its been since August 2012 that I have written a real-time post.  I knew I would have little blogging time during September to December and decided to write enough posts to last me to the end of the year.  I had planned to create a new stash of reviews during the winter holidays that would be posted throughout the upcoming months while I diligently worked on my archival studies.  No such luck.

My winter holidays were fabulous.  I was super busy doing Christmasy things with E, family, and friends.  I did not, however, manage to write a review nor finish reading more than one book.  The book, Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan, was very Christmasy and thus I cannot even post a review of it as, well... no one is in the Christmas mood anymore.

So, after a few *polite* questions from others about my blog over the last two weeks, I have decided to broadcast my predicament.  I have no reviews for the time being.  I haven't read any books of late... besides some good archival works.  I will try to keep my blog more updated - after all  blogging is a great procrastination tool!

Speaking of which, my annotated bibliography on the management of archives and library calls me...

The Woman He Loved Before

The Woman He Loved Before, written by Dorothy Koomson, was one of the many books I bought while visiting the Land of E this summer.  It was a book which sounded like a promise of a good read but failed to come to fruition.

The Woman He Loved Before is about the relationship between Libby and Jack, complicated pasts, and twisted family ties.  Libby, Jack's second wife, is haunted by the unanswered questions behind the death of Jack's first wife, Eve.  Koomson takes readers on a tale of love, sensuality, and abuse as she explores the life of Eve and it's impact on Jack's new relationship.  Libby comes to question her relationship with her husband and the possibility of his hand in the murder of Eve.  The book's main question:  How and why did Eve die?

The Book Thief

Photo taken by Ms. C

I had been in a Holocaust-themed reading rut for a long time prior to reading this book.  In fact, I could not bring myself to read any literature on the Holocaust since visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau in April 2011. 

I could research the topic into oblivion during my Undergraduate days...  I would read book after book on the Holocaust prior to my visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.  Yet, I was now unable to read the first few pages of any Holocaust-themed item.

What was the weirdest part about my reading rut?  The actual visit at Auschwitz-Birkenau did not move me to the degree that I thought it would.  I found that the camp, while an emotional site, had become too tourist-centered.  It was only after I returned to Canadian soil that the thought of reading about events at the place I had just visited began to disturb me.  I could vividly picture what the authors were writing.  I could recall walking in that very camp the authors were so expertly describing, and if I closed my eyes, their stories and my experiences at the same site began to overlap.

Consequently, I have a large pile of Holocaust literature sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. 

I told my friend, K, my reading problems... and the fact that I really wanted to read a book called The Book Thief.  After a little persuasion, I left a store with The Book Thief placed neatly into my shopping bag.  I began reading the book later on that afternoon.

Pear-Shaped

Photo taken by Ms. C. 

I found Stella Newman's Pear-Shaped at a little bookstore in Newcastle, UK.  To be honest, I was attracted by the cover.  The light blue background, teeny tiny pear shaped white dots, bright pink font, and 1950s style woman beckoned to me.

Pear-Shaped is about Sophie, an English girl, who meets and falls in love with James, a man who is completely and utterly bad for her sanity.  James is an older and slightly overweight man who has a history of dating models and fraternizes with a host of womanizing men.  Newman's tale focuses on the turbulent relationship between Sophie and James.

I am torn with this book.  Newman's writing is, at times, hilariously funny.  I think many people can relate to Sophie's story - a girl who falls in love with the wrong man.  Newman is able to depict Sophie's dilemmas in an entertaining, engaging, and funny way.  However, most of the time I wanted to slap her characters.  Why?

Who cares what they're gonna say

You can watch the video on YouTube by clicking here (JenniferLopezVEVO, 2012).

Jennifer Lopez : Dance Again

This song has been stuck in my head for awhile now.  Maybe it's due to Glee's interpretation of the song last month or just the fact that my local radio station plays it so, so much... I can't seem to escape it!

I just saw this music video today and... well, holey glitter and people-ceiling.  So much could be said, but I think I'll just leave it at that.

Title extracted from the lyrics of Jennifer Lopez's Dance Again.

In the post

Earlier this week I received two Amazon.co.uk packages in the mail from E.  You see, sometimes the UK has things that you just can't get in Canada.  Like awesome specialty teas, Trebor Extra-Strong Mints, and good books published in London.

So, what were in the packages you ask?

J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy and Jojo Moyes' The Girl You Left Behind!

Photo taken by Ms. C.  

Photo taken by Ms. C.  

Of course, Rowling's newest book can be purchased in Canada... but I really wanted a copy of her book from her country itself.

As for Moyes - if you have visited my blog before you know I love her work.  Sadly, it is very difficult to find in Canada... there are only a few select titles available.  The Girl You Left Behind is her newest edition that I cannot wait to read.

And, the big question... what should be read first?  

I sided with Rowling, like any good Potter fan would.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Moyes' Interview

You can watch this at YouTube by clicking here (OfficialRichardandJudy, 2012).

Above is Jojo Moyes' discussion of her work Me Before You at the Richard and Judy Book Club 2012 hosted by WHSmith, a bookshop in the UK.  I absolutely loved this book and I think it's topic is incredibly pertinent in today's society - this clip is worth a listen.

The Richard and Judy Book Club 2012 have conducted interviews with all of the authors from this years reading list.  Their other interviews can be found on YouTube by clicking here.

The Angel's Game

Photo taken by Ms. C.  

I am the first to admit that I do not quite understand Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Angel's Game.  The novel centers around David Martin, a conflicted writer, and a series of spooky, sinister events - that I can assure you is correct.  However, much of the plot has left me unsure of what truly happened.

Me Before You

Photo taken by Ms. C. 

Jojo Moyes has often been labelled a chick-lit writer.  However, I think she is anything but the producer of fluffy, inconsequential romances.  Moyes does write love stories... but her tales are able to combine controversial topics, emotion, hilarity, and intense drama.

Moyes explores the everyday life of individuals with severe physical disabilities within her work Me Before You.  The story centers around Will, a quadriplegic young man who was once highly active, and his budding relationship with Lou, his caretaker.  Readers are introduced to each character before they meet - thus we are able to view Will as a young athletic business man at the top of his world and Lou as a recently laid of cafe employee supporting her parents and sister on minimum wage.  Moyes does an excellent job of developing the characters and portraying the tensions in each one's life which ultimately bring them together.

It belongs to P.F. Sloan

You may watch the video on YouTube by clicking here (rumerofficial, 2012).

Rumer: P.F. Sloan

Perhaps its Library/Archival school... but all I can think of is copyright issues when I hear this song.  Pretty fitting for mid-September, I think.

* The title for this post was extracted from the lyrics of Rumer's P.F. Sloan.

Twilight: New Moon

Awhile back I read and reviewed the first installment of Twilight (you can read it here).  I found the first book so addictive that I had to borrow K's copy of New Moon a few weeks later.

That smile on your face like summer

 You can watch the video by clicking here (matchboxtwentytv, 2012).

Matchbox Twenty: Overjoyed

Matchbox Twenty's latest CD, North, was released last week. I fell in love with this song over the last few days and just stumbled across its very own music video. The band and director Ben Boutwell have created such a cute story.

* Post title extracted from the lyrics of Matchbox Twenty's (2012) Overjoyed.

Why Have Kids? Preview

Jessica Valenti's Why Have Kids? was released earlier this week.  I eagerly await to read this book though I am not quite sure when I will manage to find time amid university deadlines.  However, I did find a snazzy little video preview of the main questions and premises within Valenti's latest work.  Check it out below. 

You can view the video at YouTube by clicking here (Jessica Valenti, 2012).

What do you think?

Picture Me Wednesday - Heart

Photo taken by Ms. C. 

My iPod Touch sock =) 

It comes with me everywhere now that I am commuting all the time.

Teaser Tuesday - The Angel's Game

Photo taken by Ms. C. 

"Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.  In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands, a new spirit..."

- Carlos Ruiz Zafron - The Angel's Game (2009, p. 430).

You can participate at Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday by clicking here.