Cal's Journal

Books Read in March

2012-04-01T11:23:20Z

Not had quite as much time for reading in March, so it's only a short list this time. The Fault in Our Stars and Phantom (though very different) were both outstanding reads. :)

Books Read in March:

15. Hunting Kat - Kelley Armstrong (Novella)
16. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green (recommended by green_maia and shadowkat67)
17. Phantom - Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole Series)
18. The Cold Season - Alison Littlewood

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Books Read in February

2012-03-04T18:19:13Z

Books read in February:

08. Chaotic - Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld Novella)
09. Still Alice - Lisa Genova
10. The Somnambulist - Essie Fox
11. War Horse - Michael Morpurgo
12. Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother - Sue Johnston
13. Miracle on the 17th Green - James Patterson and Peter de Jonge
14. Naked in Death - J. D. Robb (In Death #1)

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NHS Billboard Ads

2012-03-01T14:46:50Z

From the 38 Degrees Donation Page:

WOW! Over 15,000 of us have donated over £200,000 so far this week. Huge billboards will be going up in 150 locations across London on Monday morning.

If another 5,000 of us donate by Monday, we can take the ads to high streets across the UK. Imagine the extra pressure when billboards appear in 50 of the most marginal Lib Dem and Conservative constituencies. Not to mention those of Andrew Lansley, Nick Clegg and David Cameron! So if you haven't already, please chip in here: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/nhs-billboards

David Cameron knows Andrew Lansley’s plans for the NHS are a disaster but he thinks abandoning the bill would be too embarrassing for him and his government

Big adverts about the NHS could convince Cameron that the NHS will be an election issue if he doesn't rethink his plans

We can buy massive billboards around the city to warn voters that most doctors and nurses believe these changes will make the NHS worse

If 5,000 of us chip in we can get these adverts up on Monday!

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2012: Day 38 - TV

2012-02-08T00:23:30Z

Finally caught up on the final season of Being Erica last night. I liked it. Admittedly, there were things about the season I wish had played out differently, but I think things worked out exactly as they should (or could) have in the end. One thing I do know for sure though is that I'm going to miss this show!

Also watched the first ep of Being Human S4, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. It's no longer the show I fell in love with, but I still like it enough to continue watching - and am intrigued to see where they take it from here. I also have to admit to having a little bit of a soft spot for Tom (played by Michael Socha), which I have a feeling is partly due to how much he looks like his sister (who plays Kelly in Misfits). I also love the fact that even though the show has gone to some very dark places, it still retains its sense of humour. I thought there were some wonderful laugh out loud moments in this first episode. :)

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2012: Day 33

2012-02-02T20:24:35Z

(Picture via Sueworld and Elisi)

My country is being run by a bunch of lying, inhuman bastards.

I hope they rot in hell.

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2012: Day 31 - Books Read in January

2012-01-31T22:32:08Z

Off to a good start with the 50 book challenge this year. Let's see if I can keep this pace up for the rest of the year. :)

Books Read in January

1. American Vampire (Vampire for Hire #3) - J.R. Rain
2. Moon Child (Vampire for Hire #4) - J.R. Rain
3. Christmas Moon (Vampire for Hire Novella) - J.R. Rain
4. The Auschwitz Violin - Maria Angels Anglada
5. Midwinter Sacrifice - Mons Kallentoft
6. Hidden - Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld Novella)
7. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

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2012: Day 30

2012-01-30T23:42:07Z

There are some wonderful fandom posts/discussions happening on LJ at the moment. Although I haven't been participating in them as such (I find I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said) I'm enjoying them immensely. They remind me of times gone by and the discussions (not usually quite as friendly as the most recent ones) that used to take place while the show was still on the air.

You can find the most recent posts/discussions at shapinglight's LJ here and shadowkat67's LJ here and here.

Warning: These posts discuss the AR from "Seeing Red", so probably best to avoid if this subject is a triggery one for you.

I have my own thoughts on the bathroom scene and how it made me feel when I first saw it (on Sky One, complete with ad break), but I don't think there's anything I could say now that hasn't already been said at one time or another over the years.

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2012: Day 28 - Fire Escape!Fic

2012-01-29T00:15:13Z

As most of you who know me are aware I'm far from being a fan of the Buffy comics. However, it appears that something good has come out of them - Spike/Buffy "fire escape!fic". This is fic which uses the Spike and Buffy scene on the fire escape of Dawn and Xander's apartment as a jumping off point for new stories involving our favourite couple. slaymesoftly posts about it here and includes a list of all the stories available so far.

So today, not only have I found myself reading Spike/Buffy fanfic (something I hadn't done for well over a year), but I've also found myself reading post-S8 Spike/Buffy fanfic. And what's even more surprising is that I'm really enjoying it! It's fresh, exciting, and brings something new to the table that I think was very much needed.

I'd come to the point in my fanfic reading life where I think I'd read pretty much every Spike/Buffy scenario possible, and as much as I still loved those stories, I no longer felt as compelled to read them as I once had. But now, with the emergence of S8 (and S9) there are even more possibilities open to us. No, I don't like the source material, but I love how certain authors are using that material to create a whole new genre of Spike/Buffy stories for us to enjoy.

You know, I think there may just be some life left in this old fandom after all. :)

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2012: Day 22 - Reading

2012-01-22T12:38:42Z

So far I'm doing well with my 50 book challenge for 2012.

I've just started my seventh book of the year, so if I carry on like this, by the end of the year I should have exceeded my 50 book goal by quite a margin. Of course, as we all know, the likelihood that I'll continue at this pace is, well, highly unlikely. Every year I start off exceptionally well, but once the dark winter evenings are over, my monthly list of books read usually gets shorter and shorter! And this year, especially with a new grandchild due to arrive in July, I can see the same thing happening yet again. :D

I'll post a list of the books I've read so far at the end of January.

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Sherlock

2012-01-15T23:41:44Z

Now that was fantastic!

And apparently S3 has been confirmed. Yay! :D

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2012: Day 15 - TARDIS spotted on Sherlock?

2012-01-15T02:30:16Z

TARDIS spotted on last week's Sherlock?

So was it really the TARDIS or is there another explanation?

This is what Stephen Moffatt had to say via Twitter:

Sue says that isn't the TARDIS, it was a lighting thing. But by my cuff links, what ELSE could it be???

Hee!

Personally, I'd like to believe it really was the TARDIS. *nods solemnly*

I don't know about anyone else, but I would love to see a meeting between Sherlock and Eleven!

How wonderfully squeeworthy would that be? :D

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2012: Day 12 - Rambling about this and that...

2012-01-12T23:58:36Z

Thinking of something to say every day is already proving to be difficult, so I don't know how I'm going to keep it up for the rest of the year! *g*

Bought myself a nice new reading lamp today, for days when I'm reading a 'real book' and not my Kindle (which I use with the lighted cover) or my iPad. The majority of my reading is now done via Kindle or iPad, but I have to admit I still love the feel of a real book in my hands!

As convenient as e-readers/tablets/laptops are, I do feel that something is being lost now practically everything we own is being stored digitally. In years to come we'll have no actual physical things to remember our lives by - as everything will be stored in an iCloud somewhere! Gone will be the days of going through your grandparents attic and finding dusty old photographs or books. Instead we'll be leaving our grandchildren a link to our LJ (or maybe not for some of us? :P) or our Facebook pages. Our photographs and books will be in computer or online files, or stored in the aforementioned iCloud (whether that be Apple or some other well known manufacturer of iClouds *g*).

I love technology and everything it brings us (it brought me to all of you for a start!), but I do sometimes feel nostalgic for the things we've left behind. But that's just the way of the world, isn't it?

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2012: Day 11 - Buffy Comic

2012-01-11T21:32:51Z

So the latest Buffy comic is out.

Huh.

Now that's going to make me want to start reading S9 again!

*rolls eyes*

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2012: Day 9 - Sherlock

2012-01-09T12:25:52Z

Another good episode of Sherlock last night. I've seen mixed reviews of it online, but I have to say I enjoyed it even more than the first one. Great stuff! :)

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Cleaning up DW Reading List

2012-01-08T14:28:00Z

As I'm using DW a little bit more (sort of as an extension to LJ), I've decided to take a leaf out of rahirah's book and clean up my DW reading/access list. So I've removed any DW journals that haven't been updated in more than a year, or who are LJ friends that are obviously no longer using their DW journals. If I've removed you and you didn't want to be removed, please let me know and I'll be happy to add you back! :)

I read my LJ flist every day, but DW only occasionally (as not many of my friends are posting over there yet), so if you're posting on DW only please let me know and I'll add you to my RSS feed list. Thank you! Those of you who have been posting on DW only for a while are already on the list. :)

I'm not planning on making any changes to my LJ flist, as LJ is still my primary journal and I'm quite happy with it just the way it is. :)

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2012: Day 8 - Meme

2012-01-08T13:13:07Z

Hmm, this might have been true when I was younger, but not so sure about now...

You were born during a First Quarter moon

This phase occurs in the middle of the moon's waxing phases, after the new moon and before the full moon.

- what it says about you -

You test everything. You're sometimes unhappy with what others think is "good enough". You point out things you see wrong with the world, even if others are afraid it may cause some unrest. When something isn't right, you're the one who's not afraid to make dramatic changes. You're good at keeping your head in a crisis and reminding people that it takes a shakeup to fix things.

What phase was the moon at on your birthday? Find out at Spacefem.com

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2012: Day 7

2012-01-07T23:59:39Z

Almost forgot to post today, but just about made it in time. :)

Just catching up on S1 of "Mrs Brown's Boys" which arrived on DVD today. This show is so funny! :D Caught it for the first time over Christmas and found it hilarious. Can't believe I'd never seen it before! :)

Well, that's pretty much a post about nothing, isn't it? *g*

Hope you're all well. :)

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2012: Day 6

2012-01-06T19:39:15Z

I've been listening to my Alfie Boe CDs today, and boy can that man sing! I'm not usually a fan of classical singers (although I am a fan of musical theatre), but Alfie's voice just makes me melt. So beautiful! I really must try to get to see him one of these days - either on the West End stage or in one of his own shows. To see him live as Jean Valjean in Les Mis really would be a dream come true. His performance on the 25th Anniversary DVD of Les Miserables is absolutely mesmerising. I didn't think anyone could be better than John Owen Jones (who I've seen in the role twice), but I think Alfie may very well have the edge.

And speaking of Les Mis, I am so excited about the movie version that's being released at the end of the year. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean? Be still my beating heart! One of my favourite actors in one of my favourite musicals of all time? It really doesn't get any better than that! <3 <3

But who the heck thought it was a good idea to cast Taylor Swift as Eponine? AS EPONINE! Really?! I just can't see it working. I suppose time will tell if she's the right casting choice or not, but at the moment I have very strong reservations about it. I just hope it isn't a casting decision that will end up spoiling my over all enjoyment of the movie. :/

But still...

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean!! :D

ETA: I really must learn to proof read before I post. Stupid iPad keeps changing Jean Valjean into Jean Val Jean! *g*

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Books Read in 2011

2012-01-01T15:49:25Z

I'm disappointed not to have made it to my 50 book goal in 2011, but considering the year I had I can't say I'm surprised. Let's hope I do better in 2012! :)

Books Read in 2011:

1. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (second book in The Hunger Games trilogy)
2. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Highly recommended series)
3. Room - Emma Donoghue
4. The Long Song - Andrea Levin
5. Angelic - Kelley Armstrong
6. Counterfeit Magic - Kelley Armstrong
7. The Leopard - Jo Nesbo
( Read more... )

So, a grand total of 42 books read in 2011.

I don't think I can narrow it down to just one favourite read, but I do have several that stood out for me: "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" from way back in January, and "11/22/63", the very first Stephen King novel I've ever read, which will now go on my list of favourite time-travel books. "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" also stood out for me (in spite of the out of the blue cliffhanger ending), as did "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", which was a fascinating and moving read.

But the book that stood out for me the most (and therefore must be my favourite read of 2011, yes?) was "Grace Williams Says It Loud".

From Amazon: This isn't an ordinary love story. But then Grace isn't an ordinary girl. 'Disgusting,' said the nurse. And when no more could be done, the Doctors advised her parents to put her away, aged eleven. On her first day at the Briar Mental Institute, Grace meets Daniel. He sees a different Grace: someone to share secrets and canoodle with, someone to fight for. Debonair Daniel, who can type with his feet, fills Grace's head with tales from Paris and the world beyond. This is Grace's story: her life, its betrayals and triumphs, disappointment and loss, the taste of freedom; roses, music and tiny scraps of paper. Most of all, it is about the love of a lifetime.

( Praise for Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson )

This book moved me like no other. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it even made me shout out in anger at times, but most of all it gave me hope. It's a difficult subject, set in a time when people with disabilities were treated appallingly (and to be honest, although times have improved, we still have a long, long way to go), but is told in such a way that you can't help but feel uplifted by it.

( Read more... )

So yes, in the end there is no doubt that my favourite book of 2011 is "Grace Williams Says It Loud", a book that continues to stay with me several months after reading it, and one that is likely to stay with me for a long time to come.

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Books Read in September

2011-10-06T10:42:34Z

Only two this month. RL decided to take over for a while, as it does from time to time. Hopefully, October will be better. :)

33. Florence and Giles - John Harding
34. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

And so far for October:

35. Before I Go To Sleep - S J Watson
36. Bellwether - Connie Willis

All very different books, but all equally as enjoyable. "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" was particularly wonderful read on my iPad, as the included photographs really helped bring the story alive.

My Kindle (which I adore) would usually be my e-reader of choice, but in this case the iPad was a no-brainer. A book like this deserves to be read on a device capable of showing it off to its full advantage. :)

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Books Read in June, July and August

2011-09-01T10:25:49Z

My reading slowed down considerably in June, July and August, which it always does every year. Going on holiday and being out and about more definitely curtails my reading time, but with the autumn and winter fast approaching, I have every faith that it will soon pick up speed again. :)

June

23. My Psychic Life - Sally Morgan
24. Restless Spirits - Jean Marie Bauhaus
25. The Lantern - Deborah Lawrenson
26. Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton

July and August

27. Healing Spirits - Sally Morgan
28. Life After Death - Sally Morgan
29. Ghost Story - Jim Butcher
30. Spell Bound - Kelley Armstrong
31. Grace Williams Says It Loud - Emma Henderson (This book is not an easy read by any means, but one that I highly recommend.)
32. Tear in Time - Christopher David Peterson

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Torchwood S4 Ep7

2011-08-20T11:50:52Z

Finally!!!!

( Spoilers... )

Now that was the Torchwood I know and love.

What can I say? I loved every single second of it!

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S7 Doctor Who Casting News

2011-08-15T10:01:43Z

( Casting News for S7 of Doctor Who - SPOILERS )

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Russell Brand speaks out...

2011-08-11T20:07:14Z

Russell Brand speaks out about the UK riots:

Russell's Blog at "The Guardian"

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The True Face of the UK

2011-08-10T20:02:35Z

Link snagged from green_maia

The True Face of the UK

Just like in the Blitz, the people of the UK come together:

Blitz spirit

Janie Hampton, author of How The Girl Guides Won The War:

Community spirit came to the fore during the Blitz of 1940-41. Britain was undergoing a daily bombardment from the Luftwaffe and with many of the adults having to go off and fight, the onus was on the young and old to help out at home. The Girl Guide movement was a key part of this.

They were doing first aid and sweeping up broken glass and building canteens to feed those made homeless. There was no government body telling people to do this, it came from the community.

There were heroes everywhere like the 13-year-old girl who saved someone's life by tying a tourniquet for someone injured in the bombing. It's likely there were many other stories of courage that have never been told.

The Blitz is an example of how people come together under duress. And you could say the same is happening now with the riot clean-up. It's wonderful that people are saying they're not going to allow their streets to be wrecked.

This is what makes me proud to be British. :)

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