Lips Touch Three Times

'Lips Touch Three Times:'This is a compilation of three short urban fantasy stories (hence the “Three times” part of the title) written by Laini Taylor.

Each story opens and concludes with a series of illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo, which makes these short stories appear like modern teenage fairytales, which I loved.

As it is the middle of winter at the moment, and it is bitterly cold, these dark (and don’t mind the pun) grim pictures add another dimension to the story and the mindset in which we are to read them.



Goblin Fruit- The first of the tales is about a girl, Kizzy, who’s family believes in the supernatural, including goblins. Goblin’s thrive with humanities “need” and “want,” and Kizzy needs and wants, therefore, making her the next target. Laini Taylor wields incredible use of language, which captivates a reader, as it is words are delicious and aesthetic. One of my favourite passages was when Kizzy “wanted:”
“With a deep, visceral ache, she wished her true form might prove to be a sleek and shining one… something glittering, something startling, something dangerous…”

Spicy little curses such as these- This takes you to the exotic India in the early 1900’s. And the story itself can definitely be classified as a ‘fairytale’ styled fable, where a girl at birth is cursed with a voice that is so beautiful, but to anyone who hears it, will die. It involves a demon, an ambassador of Hell and a romance. It is short, but has the essence of a good bedtime story.

Hatchling- “She loved the life she lived with her mother. It was beautiful. It was, she sometimes thought, a sweet emulation of the fairytales they cherished in their lovely, gold-edged books.” This particular tale is more complicated, more disturbing, and entering  more of a fantasy genre than the urban fantasy, with the focal point surrounding the mythical creatures, the Druj: immortal, able to shift into animals, and the Queen has children as pets. It is a creative legend created by Laini Taylor.

“Like a magpie, I am a scavenger of shiny things: fairy tales, dead languages, weird folk beliefs, fascinating religions, and more.” Laini Taylor

6.5/10

Butter chicken rice

Today I had to make an improvised meal for myself, so I looked around the kitchen and created one of the easiest, quickest meals ever (plus, I thought it was really nice). It is simple, and some might find it too bland, but I would like to think of it as holding 'delicate' flavours. It basically consisted of rice, chicken (so I wouldn't recommend this to vegetarians), butter and sage.

Ingredients:

Chicken thigh (per person)
Cup of risotto rice (per person)
Butter (I don't know how much butter exactly, but about a table spoon sized chunk, like the image on the right- the smaller piece)
Handful of cut up sage (per person)

What to do:

1. If you have a rice cooker, put the rice in the cooker with water. If you don't have a rice cooker, put rice in a pot with water until cooked.
2. Cut up chicken into small pieces and fry with a bit of oil so it doesn't stick to the fry pan
3. Add the handful of sage to the chicken when chicken is no longer raw
4. When the rice is cooked, add the butter to the chicken, which allows it is melt, and then pour everything in the pan on top of the rice.

And that is it, and I really enjoyed my dinner tonight, which I'm glad, because I had no idea what I was making at the time and was just hoping that whatever I made would come out edible. 

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of my meal, or couldn't find an image that could resemble it, so I thought I should just go with a picture of rice in general. 

Terrible Things

A beautifully tragic song, sung with so much passion, which is equally found in the instrumentals, 'Terrible Things' by Mayday Parade definitely moves the listener through an iridescent array of emotions, as the lead singer, Derek Sanders guides us through a story. 

I don't want to say too much about 'Terrible Things,' because it is one of those songs that just needs to be heard and enjoyed, without being told about how it progresses. I highly recommend to pay close attention to the lyrics, as that is the main focus in the song; as I said before, it tells a story that will make you cry, while the single piano at the beginning of the song provides more movement, building up to the climactic point, which breaks your heart, making the words even more emotive. This song is so painfully beautiful and so real. And that is all I'm going to say about it, so I hope you fall in love with this song just like I did... 

Skins- favourite characters

One of my favourite television series is 'Skins' (the BBC/ original version), and I have finally completed watching the sixth series, which means that I have watched all the different generations, and now I can come to a conclusion to who my favourite characters are from each series. For those who don't know what 'Skins' is about, it is about a group of friends (and in some cases, frenemies) and their last two years of high school. There are different "generations," which means that there is a changeover of cast every two series, as each group graduates from the high school, and there are three generations in total.

These people are not the best role models in the world at all; with drugs, alcohol and sex, however, despite these things playing a major part in the world of 'Skins,' it is a masterfully written script, where each episode focusses on a different character, allowing the viewer to delve into the complexities of that individual and allowing us to understand their motivations, their personal problems and why they are like who they are. I probably don't recommend 'Skins' to people who don't want to be confronted, because it is a very confronting and raw series, but it is brilliantly acted, and you learn to love most of the characters, and if you are like me, you get really attached to them, which is why I decided to write about my personal favourites from each series.

I promise not to give too much away for anyone who hasn't seen it and are planning to, but hopefully I reveal enough to inspire some viewers or prompting past viewers into thinking who their favourite characters were. The fantastic thing about the show is that, some characters that you used to love, you may begin to hate, and the ones that you used to hate, you begin to love, as you discover more about their lives. 

Series 1 (first generation): Cassie (note: Sid was also)

Cassie is one of the most unique characters, as she doesn't care what other people think of her, which allows her to embrace all eccentricities. Her common phrase is "wow," as she finds the whole world absolutely incredibly amazing and a wonder, however, sometimes life and everything becomes too much for her, as she suffers from an eating disorder, as well as being suicidal, as there are times when she can't cope with what is happening around her, like experiencing love, heartbreak and having self-loathing. She is the sweetest character, and all fans of the show would probably agree with me, that your heart goes out to her and you wish for her to find all the happiness in the world. Cassie also says some of the most profound lines (I think the first two generations have really deep lines about their views of the world, which are really impressive). 

Cassie- "Don't say you love me unless you really mean it, because I might do something crazy like believe it"

Series 2 (first generation): Chris (Tony was also)

I didn't like Chris in series one, but as the story lines for each character was growing even more intense, I realised that there was more to Chris than the pill-taking hooligan that we thought him to be previously. As he learns to completely fall in love, a sweet and complex character emerges, that has secrets that were so hidden, that no one could have guessed what was in store for Chris in the second series. I wouldn't have said it in series one at all, but in the second series, Chris is actually quite charming in a different sort of way, and strangely enough, Cassie began to annoy me a bit in this series, however a cute friendship blossoms between these two. 

Chris- "It's kinda easy when you've got nothing because nothing can be taken away from you"

Series 3 (second generation): Emily (Effy was also- I think she was my all-time favourite character in the whole of 'Skins')

When the first generation said goodbye, I was like "how can I continue watching without them? It won't be the same!" But I have to say, that I loved the second generation so much, and sometimes I think that I like them better than the first, because the stories become darker and more complex as new problems between characters and within characters arise. Emily is the walked-over twin, but in the series, she begins to break away from her sister, Katie's, shadow and has the courage to become her own person. She's in love with Naomi, and she has to deal with family issues and their acceptance of her sexual preference, as well as Naomi's insecurities about being with Emily. 

Emily- "I think you want someone to want you. Well, I want you. So be brave and want me back."

Series 4 (second generation): Effy (Cook and Freddie were also- I just liked everyone in this series actually)

Effy was in 'Skins' since the first series, as she is Tony's younger sister. She is the girl that Cook and Freddie both love and have fought over since the first episode of series three, and she at first appears like she doesn't care about anyone else, however that couldn't be any further than the truth. She takes drugs, drinks, plays with people, but all because she feels too much and is one of the most insecure of the second generation. She is also, I find, the most complex character, as she is terrified of the world, and as a defence, tries to build up walls to protect herself, but only hurting herself even more. She is a mystery to the others, and that seems to be her charm, but underneath it all, she is lost.

Effy- "I went crazy when I was with you, I can't let that happen again."

Series 5 (third generation): Grace (Rich was also)

I think series 5 went downhill, as the relationships and story lines became a bit cliched, but I think it is still worth watching all the same, just to see a comparison, and also some of the episodes were really enjoyable. I wasn't a massive fan of this generation, because I found that I didn't actually like most of the characters- a lot of them were just horrible and you don't really get to understand why, in this series. However, Grace is such a lovely person, living in a fairytale, believing in love and happily ever afters, who was so nice to everyone. It's like she is the sunshine amongst the grey clouds that are the other characters; she was a refreshing break from all the meanness between the others, and her relationship with Rich is nice to watch.

Grace- "I am who I need to be"

Series 6 (third generation): Mini (note: Alo also)

Minnie was horrible in series 5, but you were able to see that she was just insecure about her place amongst the others. The sixth series stories began to improve from the previous series, which was a relief, because I love 'Skins' so much, and I didn't like being disappointed. The story lines returned to revealing the complexities of each character, and by beginning the series with a tragedy, the series has a continual focus on how each character learns to cope. Minnie does revert to the horrible person she was in series five occasionally, but you begin to see the "true" Minnie, the one where she just is scared about the future. 

Mini- "Just tell me it'll be okay, and will be"

Reunited

I definitely know that one day I want to go on a road trip with a group of friends, where we just drive and see what happens; the adventure of spontaneity and the thrill of the unknown! But for right now, as my friends and I say: "I'm living vicariously through books," and I have finished reading the book 'Reunited' by Hilary Weisman Graham, which features an eventful road trip.

We have always been taught to never judge a book by it's cover, but that is often rubbish, because the cover is always a good indication of what the story is going to be about, or at least reveal the genre and who the book's audience is intended to be, so I'm going to refer to the cover, that says:

"1 concert. 2000 miles. 3 Ex-best friends."

And that pretty much sums up the book. It is about three ex-best friends after graduating high school, who four years previously, fell out and consequently, grew apart, one being the popular girl, another being the moody different one, and the other, just wedged in the middle. But when they were best friends, they were massive fans of the fictitious band 'Level3,' which also broke up four years before the novel takes place, and it is because of a one-time reunion of the band that brings the three girls together again, taking them across America just to see them perform. And during that time, they have to cope being around each other, but knowing that they have to eventually confront their past. 

Like most of the books I'm reading at the moment, because of the miserably cold weather, it is an easy read, and a book that suits summer time, is perfect. I especially liked how each chapter begins with an extract of lyrics from different Level3 songs, which fit well with the story. The book isn't extraordinary, however it is a fun read, and as I explained before, it is the closest I am to being on a road trip at the moment. I personally like stories that take place during a road trip, or another form of travel, as we readers get to experience (well, imagine) the physical journey, as well as the emotional journey of the different characters, and it does show that a change of scenery can change a way someone behaves in certain situations, as well as taking a character out of their comfort zone, encountering unprecedented situations, which actually parallels with what real life actually is all about. 

7/10  

Please don't say you love me

Music Monday: 'Please don't say you love me-' this is a song that I was told about yesterday by one of my beautiful friends, who seems to always find the perfect song to suit my mood. She is the same friend who introduced me to Tori Kelly, who's music I played on repeat for over a week, because I could relate to her songs so much, and absolutely loved them. Since then, so much has happened in my life (because, let's face it, that is what happens when time passes), so now I'm listening to this new (new to me) and wonderful song on repeat, absorbing every word sung, understanding them so well.

Gabrielle Aplin is an English singer, who's debut album (she only has one album at them moment- but let's hope she writes more) is called 'English Rain,' which is folk-pop. Aplin is a singer-songwriter who has such a sweet melodic voice and it is so pleasant to listen to her singing. I'm serious when I say: when I clicked onto the link that my friend sent me of 'Please don't say you love me,' and I heard the first few notes, I instantly went on iTunes and bought the song. I later found out that the week the song was first released (as a single), it had reached number 6 on the UK charts, which, being her first ever single, is very impressive, so no wonder I love it.

The lyrics are sweet, just like her voice, and I believe that many people who have experienced young love would be able to relate to this song greatly: it speaks of the fear of a new and strong emotional connection with someone, and the hope that everything will last, because what has been found is beautiful and could become more, but acknowledging how fragile everything is and that it might not last if things are rushed.

Just please don't say you love me

'Cause I might not say it back

Doesn't mean my heart stops skipping when you look at me like that

There's no need to worry when you see just where we're at

Just please don't say you love me

'Cause I might not say it back 

Reliving childhood

The other day, my friend and I were walking around the city and found a book shop. Book shops have become a bit of an endangered species over the past few years, since most people have begun buying books over the internet, so we were very excited and entered. Walking around the different genres, admiring all the books and pointing out what we've read, what we recommend and what we have been planning to read, we finally stopped in one section and stayed there for the next hour. And that section was the kids' picture book section.

Although there were many new picture books, there were still heaps of books from when we were growing up, and as a result, we decided to relive our childhood and look through all of the beloved stories from our pre-school days. First there was 'Where's Wally-'  and I discovered that my observational skills have greatly improved since I was three (which I'm very happy about).

Can you find Wally? He is there

And there was the very much loved 'Hairy Maclary' series, with my favourite characters, including Schnitzel Von Krumm, as well as many other books from my childhood, like 'Possum Magic,' 'Diary of a Wombat,' 'There's a sea in my bedroom,' 'We're going on a bear hunt,' 'The Jolly Postman,' 'Owl babies' and 'Where's Spot' (with the accompanying toy!) just to name a few, and believe me, this is really just naming the hundreds that we found in this incredible bookshop.



And to my absolute delight, we found some of my favourite picture books as well: 'Guess how much I love you,' 'Where the wild things are,' 'The very hungry caterpillar,' and 'The rainbow fish' (which I have to admit, I still have the poster of it hanging in my room). Okay, I have to just emphasise how amazing 'The rainbow fish' is, but I have to warn you, this is a plot spoiler: it is about a fish that has scales the colour of rainbows and sparkles, and he was very proud and wouldn't play with the other fish because he thought he was more special than everyone else. Then one day a small fish asked if they could have one of his scales, and he was like "NO!" and all the other fish then didn't want to have anything to do with the rainbow fish. And the rainbow fish got sad, and I quote "I really am beautiful. Why doesn't anybody like me?" and he saw this octopus, who said that the only way to be happy would be to share the scales with the others and be friends. And at first the rainbow fish was like: how can I be happy without my beauty? But he realised that he was beautiful and lonely, so when the little fish came back,  he thought: what was the harm of giving one? And then seeing how happy he made the little fish, he began sharing his scales with all the others, until he had only one sparkly scale left. And he was happy and had friends at the end. It is such a beautiful story with a fantastic moral/ life lesson!

Anyway, hopefully some of these book titles brought back fond memories for you, as they did for me. My friend and I then continued talking about favourite kids TV shows we used to watch, but I guess that nostalgia can be saved for another post for another day.