Picture of the Day – 3

It is springtime in England…

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed–and gazed–but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

Quote of the Day – 3

“Richard had noticed that events were cowards: they didn’t occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once.”

Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere.

Tim Burton Exhibition (Paris)

I was in Paris for the weekend (hey, I did warn you I travel a lot!) and I took this as an opportunity to have a look at the Tim Burton Exhibition held at the Cinémathèque Française. This exhibition was in New York City (USA) in 2010 and now it is in Paris (France) until August 2012. If you don’t mind crowds and if you like Tim Burton’s movies and artworks, this is the exhibition to see.

Here is what the MoMA had to say about the exhibition two years ago:

“Taking inspiration from popular culture, Tim Burton (American, b. 1958) has reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking as an expression of personal vision, garnering for himself an international audience of fans and influencing a generation of young artists working in film, video, and graphics. This exhibition explores the full range of his creative work, tracing the current of his visual imagination from early childhood drawings through his mature work in film. It brings together over seven hundred examples of rarely or never-before-seen drawings, paintings, photographs, moving image works, concept art, storyboards, puppets, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera from such films as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman, Mars Attacks!, Ed Wood, and Beetlejuice, and from unrealized and little-known personal projects that reveal his talent as an artist, illustrator, photographer, and writer working in the spirit of Pop Surrealism. The gallery exhibition is accompanied by a complete retrospective of Burton’s theatrical features and shorts, as well as a lavishly illustrated publication.”

I was especially thrilled to get to see Edward Scissorhands’ costume, Sweeney Todd’s razor blades and animatronics from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

 

So, if you happen to be in Paris before the end of August this year and if you are interested in Tim Burton’s work, I would recommend to check out this exhibition!

The Apocalypsies

Today I wanted to mention The Apocalypsies.

What are The Apocalypsies?

The Apocalypsies is a group of  authors whose Middle Grade/YA books are all 2012 debut. 2012 being the year of a supposed apocalypse, they came up with that witty name to promote their books.

Who are The Apocalypsies?

So far, around a hundred 2012 debut authors have joined the group.

Where can I find out more about The Apocalypsies?

You can check out their blog: http://apocalypsies.blogspot.com/

Any favorites among those Apocalypsies?

I have to say I’m eagerly awaiting the release of:

THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS by Claire Legrand (Simon & Schuster)

BLACK CITY by Elizabeth Richards (Putnam)

WHEN THE SEA IS RISING RED by Cat Hellison (Farrar, Straus, Giroux)

… and I shall stop there.

Which book from The Apocalypsies are you waiting for?

Waiting On Wednesday – 1

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Today I’ve chosen Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London (Expected publication: May 29th 2012 by HarperTeen)

From Goodreads:

“This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters….

Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.”

Does this sound awesome or what?

Top Ten Tuesday – YA Books

The Broke and the Bookish is a great book review blog and it hosts what is called the Top Ten Tuesday. I have decided to take part for the first time, since I like (and already do) lists on this blog. This week is the Top Ten X Genre books and I have chosen to list my favorite YA books.

So, on my bookshelf, you can find…

1-      Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Witches in South Carolina. Wonderful writing and setting. My number One.

2-      The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Gossip Girl in the 19th Century. A delight to read.

3-      The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

A girl who can see the future in 19th Century Baltimore. What more do you want?!

4-      Abandon by Meg Cabot

A retelling of the Persephone myth. I loved the idea but this book was so short! I felt a bit cheated. Now I’m waiting for Book 2.

5-      The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Werewolves! And such a gorgeous cover…

6-      Evermore by Alyson Noel

Immortal lovers who have to find each other again every time they are reborn. A good idea but I didn’t like the heroine.

7-      Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

Already a classic. And I bought it at the Strand Bookstore and read it while I lived in New York. Good times…

8-      I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Extraterrestrials! Teenage hormones! Not my favorite book of all time but a good read, with a great suspense.

9-      Fallen by Lauren Kate

I bought this book for its cover, I’ll admit it. It’s about angels. And there’s a love triangle. A good read, but nothing highly original.

10-   Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Angels, again. I liked the plot, but I loathed the main male character. Which is why it’s my number Ten.

What is your Top Ten?

Book of the Week – 2

This week I’m reading Fever (the second book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano. I loved the first installment in the series and I was very excited to get my hands on the second one. It is a Dystopian novel with a wonderful sense of setting and a great plot. I recommend it!

What are you reading this week?

Picture of the Day – 2

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

(2004 American film directed by Brad Silberling)

Three orphans + A great villain + Amazing Gothic costumes and settings + Emily Browning and Meryl Streep

= one of my favorite movies of all time.

Music for Writing

I cannot write without music on. Some people need a quiet environment to write, I, however, need music to focus and be “inspired”. Sometimes, if I’m being lazy, I just turn the TV on to a music channel. But most of the time, I listen to music I love and know will help me to write.

Here is my writing soundtrack:

Within Temptation (1996-present)

Genre: Symphonic/Gothic Metal

Favorite song: Fire and Ice

Apocalyptica (1993-present)

Genre: Neo-classical Metal

Favorite song: I don’t care

Nightwish 51996-present)

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Favorite song: Eva

Delain (2002-present)

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Favorite song: See me in shadow

Thirty Seconds To Mars (2002-present)

Genre: Progressive Metal

Favorite song: Hurricane

Sucker Punch – Movie Soundtrack (2011)

Genre: Movie Soundtrack

Favorite song : “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” – Emily Browning

Wicked The Musical (2003)

Genre: Musical

Favorite song: Defying Gravity

What about you, do you have a soundtrack for writing?

Quote of the Day – 2

“Never try to change the narrative structure of someone else’s story, though you will certainly be tempted to, as you watch those poor souls in school, in life, heading unwittingly down dangerous tangents, fatal digressions from which they will unlikely be able to emerge. Resist the temptation. Spend your energies on your story. Reworking it. Making it better.”

Marisha Pessl, Special Topics in Calamity Physics