Sunday 2 September 2012

Sunday Sundries

Ah, this week, this week. Let's see. I've been struck down by a cold since Thursday, so I can't really remember anything that happened before that. Oh! I know. Mum had some hospital appointments that she didn't let me accompany her on ("There's no point in buying two travelcards!" etc etc) and the long and short of it is that she's starting radiotherapy on the 19th September, and after either 13 or 15 sessions (we're not sure which...) she'll be done! Which is awesome. Also, I don't know if you know this but they tattoo you with teeny dots before they do it, so my mum totally has tattoos before me. So jealous! (Not really. But you know.)

So that's the BIG news of the week, and other than that... We had a bit of a family lunch on Monday because it was a bank holiday here, and I went shopping a couple of days and helped my sister out in her classroom on Wednesday (she's a teacher. Obviously) FOR WHICH I got a massive bruise on my thigh and a lot of nagging. So don't do good deeds is basically what I'm saying here. (Although my sister did fall into a bin, so... It could have been worse.) And then, yeah, ill! I mean, I say ill, but I'm not that ill. I just feel all groggy and I have a cough and a lot of snot, so basically it's the perfect excuse to stay in bed and watch Netflix and/or DVDs all day. 
DAMN, it's a good job I'm not a 'lifestyle blogger'. Who would want to read about snot?!
Ahem. So, not much life stuff. It being the beginning of a month, though, means that there's some blog stuff to wrap up and stuff, so let's do that! Remember this?:
Yeahhh, so I kind of did two things that I'd pinned. Which, actually, is all I said I'd do, which isn't that bad! And also technically I can count going to Haworth, since I pinned it on my Places to Go board, so... Three is even better! What I will say about this challenge though, is that it kind of encouraged me to do more things that I hadn't pinned, but that I still wanted to make, if you know what I mean? Like, this week I made pizza from scratch, AND a chickpea curry (that was SO good, by the way) and I don't think I would have felt as motivated to make them if I hadn't had so much fun/been so successful making the Nutella Doughtnuts. So I consider THAT a success.

AND now for the super duper exciting new thing... RIP VII!!!! 


I might be a little overexcited about this, but I can't help it! I've literally been saving books ALL YEAR because I'm like 'ooh, that would be good for RIP', I bought The Haunting of Hill House in like February or something with RIP specifically in mind, and overall, yeah, I'm just very very excited! Especially because, last year I wasn't fully committed to it because I'd decided to do Orwell October, but this year I am just GOING FOR IT. Really. 

Behold!
This is my RIP pile. And I know it's ridiculous, so don't even tell me. But it is what it is, and it's going to sit on my bedroom floor until October 31st, and DON'T think I won't hear shit about that, cause I totally will. You want to know what's on it, don't you. Well, I'll tell you. From top to bottom:
  • Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  • Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
  • Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
  • The Godfather by Mario Puzo
  • The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Readalong book! Yep, another readalong!)
  • The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick
  • Sweeney Todd by Anonymous
  • Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (cause Sweden and vampires go SO WELL)
  • Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
  • The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
  • We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison
  • The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
  • The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
  • Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
  • The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
  • Burton on Burton
Not pictured: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Just cause it got left behind, not because I don't want to read it. It's on the pile now, don't worry!

So, I understand that I can't read all these books. But I WANT to. Although I know I can't. Off the top of my head, I really want to read Let the Right One In and We Need To Talk About Kevin; The Godfather, Nights at the Circus and Beloved are all challenge books, so I kind of want to get them read, and I really want to read The Fifth Child so I can decide whether or not to completely reject Lessing or not. But also, I want to read them ALL! (Except maybe Murder on the Orient Express, cause how does one review that?! I really don't know.)

But anyway. I'm really very very excited. I would tell you which Perils I'm doing but reading like 20 books isn't really part of RIP (also, I'm not reading 20 books. I'm NOT!). But I guess I'm doing Peril the First (read 4 horrifying books) and also the Peril of the Group Read. So, yay! Also I'm reading Attachments (LOVE IT!) and Crime and Punishment (also love, so far) and this book about ADHD, so... I'm going to be reading solidly for about 2 months. I may need to be nudged every now on then to be reminded to wash and stuff. Anyone want to take on that responsibility? Anyone?

20 comments:

  1. ZOMG that is a frickin' awesome reading pile. That's the second mention of RIP I've seen in the last day or two - methinks I may have to check it out... I do love me some scary autumn reading! I wonder if I can fit a post in before I go away? *runs off to get typing* We might even overlap on a few of these - I think KEVIN might be coming on holiday with me next week...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is SO awesome, hence my excitement and wanting to read them ALL-ness! I am ALL about the scary autumn reading right now! Except that I'm basically just reading Crime and Punishment. Hmm. (I still don't think you should take KEVIN with you! It seems TOO scary!!)

      Delete
  2. Can you explain to me the difference between a bank holiday and a national holiday? /American

    Glad to hear your mom is (hopefully) almost done with her radiotherapy.

    I hope you feel better! Drink lots of tea :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ummm... I don't think there is one really! Other than that your National holidays seem to be for good reasons (veterans day, Martin Luther King day etc etc) and bank holidays are just like, the first and last Mondays in May, and the last Monday in August, and don't really have names. So, yeah.

      Well, she hasn't actually started the radiotherapy yet (possibly should have made that clearer lol!) but once she does it's only for like 3 weeks which is nothing and so that's a yay from me!

      Bluergh, tea?! NO!

      Delete
  3. Oh my goodness, there are so many good books on your pile. Let the Right One In is the perfect October book. It's so creepy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yayyy! Good to hear! I wanted to read it last year but sort of ran out of reading time, so it's been patiently waiting for a year! I think its time has come :)

      Delete
  4. That reading pile is soooo good - I'mma hop over to my library website right after this and put a bunch of those on hold. GOOD IDEAS.

    I hope you and your Mom are feeling better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DO THAT! We can readalong by ourselves! Or... just read them at roughly the same times and post about them near each other. That.

      And thannnks! We're trying our best(s)

      Delete
  5. Sweeney Todd! I have that book! Haven't read it though, so I don't know why I'm mentioning it, but I want to. Let the Right One In was good... but I didn't think so while reading it. It's one of those books that I appreciated a lot more after I finished it and realized that I KEPT thinking about it. And I haven't read anything else in that pile because I am a big, big wuss.

    Dude, why are always sick? Stop that! And I hope that when your mom starts the radiotherapy it goes well. I'll send good wishes your way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahhh, I love the books that you were 'meh' about at the time, but you can't stop thinking about! Prettty awesome! I tried to read Sweeney Todd earlier this year but wasn't really into it, so I might give it one more try and then get rid of it if it's not working for me (getting rid of books! Yessss!)

      I haven't been ill for a really long time, it feels like! And I'm not that bad, just a bit cold-y. It's a really lame illness haha. Thank you for the good wishes! I'll keep everyone updated, obviously :)

      Delete
  6. Shutter Island is amazing! And I'm reading The Little Stranger too :) I read Affinity last year by Waters and adored it so I can't wait to crack this one open! Have fun with all of these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yaaay! I've only read Tipping the Velvet by Waters, which isn't at all scary, so I'm very intrigued to see what she can do with ghosts and stuff (there are ghosts in this, right?) And Shutter Island! I hope I get to it, but I'm not making it a 'priority book' (don't really know why I put quote marks around that, but there you go!) because I *have* seen the movie. But yeah, we'll seeeee :)

      Delete
  7. AHHHH! BURTON ON BURTON!!!! I want to read that so bad! I adore Tim Burton. You're lucky. I haven't been able to find it anywhere and I can't exactly trust myself to buy it online because that turns into buying tons of books and I just can't. Sigh.

    I was just thinking that I should reread some Anne Rice this October. Perhaps I shall.

    I'm glad that your Mum is doing well and that she's going to have a tiny "tattoo". I didn't realize that your sister was a teacher. At least I don't think I knew. Is "bin" the same thing as a "trash can"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, I so got it from a charity shop, it was really cheap! And... I should probably stop bragging now. Sorry. So, yeah, I'll let you know what it's like and all ;)

      I think you should definitely re-read some Anne Rice! I suggest Interview with a Vampire, and then it'll be like we're reading it together! :)

      Hmm... I'm not sure I have ever really mentioned that my sister is a teacher, I guess! I honestly don't even see her that much when she's working, so I don't really have much cause to talk about her! Bin IS the same as trash can, so now don't you think that's a hilarious story? :)

      Delete
  8. Such great selections for RIP!! I love this time of year. And yay for good news about your mom!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love your reading pile, it's like all the piles I ever make for things - totally impossible and ridiculous but you should see it as an inspiration. That's what I always tell my husband they are. Not stupid and impossible and in the way; an inspiration. :-)

    Also also, The Bloody Chamber is AMAZING. YOU MUST READ IT NOW. Like, really really. It's only short stories anyway and will take you no time and be amazing. Seriously. Do it.
    We Need to Talk About Kevin is also great and The Godfather and I'm due a reread of both of them, although I've still not seen either of the films. And before you say anything, yes, I know it's some kind of social crime to not have seen The Godfather movie. I will do it one day I promise!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, no one has commented on my massive book pile yet, but if they do I'm totally going with the inspirational thing. And maybe a little bit of 'It'll be gone by November!'

      I started reading The Bloody Chamber! And I liked it! And then I lost it and I haven't ever picked it up again which is really stupid. I'm reading We Need To Talk About Kevin right now, and I really want to stab the mum. Which is probably not good.

      And this deserves a whole new paragraph because SERIOUSLY, how can you not have seen The Godfather?! I kind of want to come to Kent RIGHT NOW and make you watch it, I'm not even kidding! It's so so good. It's so good I don't even feel like I need to read the book, but I've acquired it from somewhere so I feel obligated now. But OMG THE FILMS! But not the third one *shudders*

      Delete
  10. Yay that your mom is almost done with all the hospital stuff! Or at least that's what it sounds like (yes?)

    That book pile is awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, she's sort of on the finishing stretch of being done? And she'll be done early in October? Which is awesome! So yeah.

      The book pile is amazing and I'm reminded of it's amazingness every day! It's a good life :)

      Delete
  11. I do so love your enthusiasm, as I share it myself. What a great looking pile of books. I read The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle a few years ago for R.I.P. and they turned me into a card-carrying Shirley Jackson fan. She knows how to tell a good, eerie story, dripping with atmosphere.

    I'm enjoying the Sarah Waters read along thus far. It was a great choice and I'm glad I'm finally reading it.

    And The Bloody Chamber is an amazing collection of short stories. I've read it more than once and am aching to read it again.

    Thanks for taking part this year!

    ReplyDelete