Literary Christmas wishlist (prefaced by an apology)

I fell off the radar. I didn’t actually fall of the face of the internet (heavens forbid!) but I lost interest in blogging, which is something I should fight harder to overcome.

October was a bit of a crap month, in all honesty. Things like Hidden Door were excellent; being made redundant was less so. The parent charity that owned the bar I worked in went bankrupt, which strikes me as very wrong and I must stop wallowing (periodically now) as people have lost their lives–their lifelines; I only lost my job: I can get another. In the meantime, I have the joy of signing on on Thursday at early o’clock.

I was also going to do NaNoWriMo this year, the first year in five of wanting to do it that I was free, because I was out of full time education. However, losing my job messed me up and I hate the story idea I wrote 3100 words of; it might become a short story in the near future. I am, however, making in-roads on returning to education because I would really rather like to be an academic. That would be swell.

Academia segways rather nicely into literary wishlists (anyone want to donate £3500 for me to do a Masters? No? It was worth a try.)

There is this website, it is a wonderful website, I will probably spend much on this website acquiring things for friends. This website is The Literary Gift Company. These are gifts/novelty items rather than books; I have a list of books I would like longer than my arm. So I offer you these many, many wonderful things, cherry-picking favourites. Click on the images to be linked to the items.

"She is too fond of books, & it has turned her brain."

I have a real love for tote bags. I have two from The Strand, which are perfect for carting around books due to their shape, size and sturdiness. I expect Alcott mean it derisively, but it sums up so many people, including myself.

& bag

You can also have a letter of the alphabet, say your initial, but I really like punctuation. Sometimes I fail to use it but I try really hard. The ampersand not only has an excellent name, I also like to use it. Unfortunately, it looks terrible in my handwriting, however, through the power of Twitter I am using it more and (&?) more frequently. Of the punctuation bags (?, ! also) this is my favourite, though if they had a comma or forward slash I think I would dither greatly between the two of them.

The Secret Garden teatowel

The teatowel is now eponymous with cheaply reinvigorating your kitchen, or so I am lead to believe. I’m not going to lie, I think £10 is too much for a teatowel however witty, pretty or literary it is–it’s only going to get stains, burns and holes. And I know I can buy 3 for less than half that price. I still like them though, just I personally am less likely to buy them. There’s also an amazing Alice in Wonderland one, both together are very Christmas-y colours, without being restricted by good taste to 1st December to 6th January.

And what do you dry with teatowels?

Scrabble mug

Mugs!

I love tea. It does, as Gladstone more eloquently put it, calm you, cheer you, cool you and warm you. Also, it wakes me up. Soup would likely fit into these mugs, too, and help stave away the cold and hunger. Mugs, in short, are awesome. I prefer these to the Penguin Books ones, especially the Penguin Modern Classics which are BORING. I’m relatively indifferent to the Faber ones,because I’m not especially fond of poetry and, well, they also flirt with being boring. Scrabble can be boring, but then you’re doing it wrong. (Secretly, I do prefer Bananagrams, the USA’s more competitive alternative to Scrabble; I, inexplicably, get better the more drunk I get.)

They also have a delightful selection of bookplates, which I may be a one-woman force trying to bring them back into mainstream culture. (When I was looking for some at the beginning of the summer I asked in John Lewis is they had any to blank expressions and the response ‘er, what’s that’ and once I had explained they consulted each other before decided that no, they did not.) However, none especially leap out at me as being excellent. This is not to say the aren’t lovely, they all have a woodcut appearance that I appreciate. Maybe if they had a magpie one …

There are also reading journals. Reading/book journals exist to keep track of your reading, which is excellent because I read a lot and does lose track (brain being turned, and whatnot). I have the Moleskine Passions one, and while I find it’s ordering system by book title frustrating (I ask you!), it still is beautiful and makes me think about what I’ve just read, as well as being a handy reference item.

I hope that that’s some Christmas shopping inspiration for you: it’s the second week of November and I am very much at a loss as to what I’m buying for my friends and family, and I would be even without the whole no-job-thing …

A wee footnote: other places also do unique and interesting gifts for unique and interesting people are places, my favourites being: the V & A, the Tate galleries, the National Galleries of Scotland and the Bodleian Library.

Autumn Devine

I really want it to be autumn. I love A/W fashions: long coats, short coats, cosy cardigans, big knits, super thick tights, leather boots, toasty gloves, long scarves and even a fur hat. It is now September, for those that hadn’t noticed, and I firmly believe that summer should end on August 31st. It’s coat-shopping time, it’s wrapping up time, hiding inside from the elements time, celebrating a crisp, cold day time. It should be autumn.

And Tatty Devine’s new collection is perfectly in tune with the season I want it to be. I want to own pretty much all of it, but these are my absolute favourites.

Tan Aviator Goggles headband, £114

Dieselpunk? Or in line with the (faux) sheepskin aviator jackets that have replaced biker jackets in the eyes of the fashion gods? Does it even matter? Definitely awesome though. (Also, how cool is the word ‘aviatrix’? Seriously cool, that’s how much.)

Green Large English Oak necklace, £27

From dream buy to absolute bargain! I love oak trees and one day I will own a garden and plant one and I will be a very happy person. Until then I could definitely own this! Weirdly my normal magpie instincts are usurped in favour of soft wood contrasting with luscious green berries, not shiny gold leaves.

Orange Fallen Leaf Stem earrings, £21

Again, a really great price! Normally I wouldn’t pay upwards of £8 for earrings, and £12 for a necklace, but Tatty Devine is sheer quality kitsch. Tramping on fallen leaves after a frost is delightful, and something I’m looking forward indulging in in the next month or so, and these earrings encapsulate that imminent delight–glittery and orange.

Incidentally, tan, green and rust (& gold/mustard) are central to this season’s colour trends, and that’s something I’m very happy about. Take that, black! Navy also seems to be sneaking in too …

Blue Firework Brooch, £81

We’re back to the fantasy buys again. After October there is November, and November brings Bonfire Night! I find it very odd that it doesn’t seem to be a big thing in Scotland, but then again James VI was Catholic … Blue and green fireworks are my absolute favourite, with a smoky bonfire, mulled wine and parkin (Yorkshire ginger cake goodness). This brooch would look so amazing on one of my coats, though I have a sneaking suspicious that the brooch would be worth more than the coat!

Tortoiseshell Monocle Necklace, £24

Sherlock Holmes chic, methinks! Of all the pieces of the collection I think this’ll be the one I’ll buy. It’s tortoiseshell, it’s a monocle, it’s Tatty Devine. So many boxes ticked already! It makes a great companion piece to the Pocket Watch Brooch, but I have a real (new-ish) working pocket watch, and a lovely vintage clock necklace (bought before the high street was flooded with them).  And it’ll look great with my Pen Nib earrings, once I actually get a replacement earring for the one I lost in January.

All in all, hooray for Tatty Devine!

Bodyroque Tattoos

So the Fringe is thankfully over and I’m slowly tidying up my life (I have a bedroom floor once again, for instance …).

ASOS is one of my fashion sites, the clothes are (generally) affordable, interesting and in line with the latest trends. I’m not keen on following ‘trends’ slavishly, but there’s always bits and pieces I like. Lace and velvet are awesome (and back in fashion again), body suits are freakish.

Yet potentially practical. T-shirts rutch terrible under high-waisted skirts, shorts and trousers. But they’re bordering too much on underwear for the most part for me to be comfortable with them.

Bebaroque, a Scottish brand, typically known for their incredible legwear has brought out a selection of bodysuits. I found them while I was looking into long sleeved bodysuits.

I really like this one:

£140

Though this is underwear:

£365

Also, ASOS are stocking their Saylor Tights:

Ahoy there! (£45)

Of which there are a very similar pair being sold by Topshop, for the considerably cheaper price of £8:

Somewhat similar, eh?

They also have some ankle socks with a similar print for £5. And a set of temporary tattoos if you require fakery somewhere other than your feet/legs:

For the 90s child in us?

Though, the Bebaroque tights are more subtle and probably considerably better quality. And I’d rather save up for a real tattoo than pretend my legs were covered in them.

Space: the final frontier

I love reading James Lillis blog, however, it does make me green with envy for all the girls sending James pictures of his pieces.

I do own a pair of his stay-ups, which I love and are so AMAZING. I’ve only worn them once but they should be getting another outing this Friday, hooray!

Not my legs, FYI

But what has really, truly been whetting my appetite is the Galaxy Leggings.

I’m very anti-leggings. They are not trousers. BAD, FASHION.

However, this is where I get hypocritical. I am starting to need the Galaxy Leggings in my life. And because they are leggings and not tights, so made from sturdier fabric the print doesn’t distort and they should be fairly hard wearing. And:

Also not me

Unfortunately, I do not have a spare £45 (ish, $70, incl. p&p) to splash out on these super-spacey leggings.

On a galaxy theme, yesterday I saw that Topshop.com were stocking amazing space print scarves. Though only one style is left in stock now:

Cosmic Spot Scarf by Your Eyes Lie, £25

I preferred the Galaxy one, unfortunately. Your Eyes Lie also have a load of print t-shirts and dresses, my favourite of which is this:

Galaxy Vest by Your Eyes Lie, £42

Which is most definitely out of my price range for vests; I baulked at paying £8 yesterday in the New Look sale, but it has a cute tropical print on that’ll make it perfect for the theme bar we’re having for the Fringe.

A quick web search has turned up the Your Eyes Lie website, which is stocking both Cosmic Spot scarf and the Galaxy scarf! Their shipping is only £3, so cheaper than Topshop (£4), there’s 10% off if you sign up for their mailing list which’ll essentially cover the p&p. Colour me tempted!

Do I really need any more scarves? Add to basket …

Review: Latitude Festival, 5th Edition

This is a somewhat belated review as Latitude was the 15th-18th July, and we’re now into August.

I’ll start by saying I love Latitude. I’ve been twice before, the 2nd and 3rd edition (so, 2007 and 2008), and both times were incredible. 2o07 was better than 2006 and 2010 was better than 2006! Latitude has a dedicated group of returning festival goers including me now, it seems.

Welcome to Latitude, 3rd Edition

I was super excited for Spoon, The National and Noah and the Whale, and China Miéville, but some of the best things I saw were necessarily on that list.

Prepare for an epic review below …

Let’s call it emulation

As soon as I saw Louise Goldin’s studded shoes for Topshop I was head over heels in love. Please pardon the pun.

Image: Inside-Out: Topshop Blog

So shiny! So pointy! Utterly perfect! However, the £150 price tag was less than perfect.

The £12 grey suedette courts from New Look had a much more appealling price, though were sadly lacking in dangerous looking studs.

Etsy, is a magical and wonderful place. People sell super pretty handcrafted (or not) and vintage items. They also sell supplies. Living on the coast of Fife, until recently it’s been pretty difficult to find craft supplies. So I acquired some studs. Nowhere near as pointy as the Goldin ones, but pretty cool ones all the same.

One craft knife and couple hours later after exams:

Total cost = £25ish, making it 1/6 of the cost of the Louise Goldin’s. And I have plenty of left over studs (I’m thinking t-shirt customisation, amongst other things) and a really good craft knife. Granted studs on the front of the right shoe are off centre, and I still contemplating lining them with duck tape (I’m open to suggestions on this!) so I can wear tights and not worry about holing or laddering them. However, they still make pretty funky kicking shoes. Let’s call it flattery.

Charity shop haul: books

I have taken to frequently going around the charity shops here in search of bargainous bargains. These have included a Sisley jumper, a swell 50s bathing suit and Cholé sunglasses (for £5, no less).

In the last couple of weeks I’ve bagged some awesome book bargains. And while I’ve not found what I’ve been keeping an eye out for (China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station) I have been very pleased with what I’ve found.

The Difference Engine, Against a Dark Background, Abarat

The first of these was a hardback first edition of Clive Barker’s Abarat from Barnado’s Books. I loved these books as a teenager, and Clive Barker announced on Twitter that the third book will be on its way shortly, hooray! The paintings and story are so vibrant and complimentary it makes for an amazing reading experience. I considered buying the paperback some years ago, but without the paintings it would be incomplete for me.

The second is again a first edition hardback of The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, and not only this it the US edition, which is pretty cool. It’s in the worst condition though with mildew damage to the insides of the HB covers, I’m going to attempt to clean it , but I’m not sure how. Probably soapy water and a sponge. It’s a book I’ve been meaning to buy for sometime as it’s one of the earliest steampunk novels. I’m pretty psyched for it!

The final on is yet another 1st ed. HB, Against a Dark Background by Iain M. Banks. I can’t claim credit for this, my dad spotted it in Oxfam’s window display. He already has all Banks’ SF books in 1st ed. HB so I got to keep it, he’s also suggested I try and sell it on eBay once I’m done as I’ll get around £20 for it.

They’re all on my TBR pile, but I’m going to read Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde first once I’ve finished Night of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton. So much SF/Fantasy love going on in my TBR pile right now, it’s awesome.

The inevitable Wonder Woman post

I realise this is somewhat behind everyone else, because 6 days in internet might as well be 6 months. (Ah, information overload.) However, as I was looking through The Grauniad’s Life and Style pages I spotted this: Superhero Style, with the promising tagline:

Disappointed with Wonder Woman’s new look, Imogen Fox suggests more suitable costumes for the modern superhero

No, Imogen, I was disappointed with you. You. Seriously? What the heck?

For those of you that haven’t clicked the link here’s a screengrab

So-called 'superhero style'

This is how I think the creative process happened with this feature:

Life and Style Editor: Crap! Wonder Woman has a new outfit, and it’s causing consternation on the Internet! We need to appear more trendy.

Imogen Fox: Hey, L&S ed., I have heard of Wonder Woman. Why not let me design her a new outfit, because I’m sure the rest of the Internet isn’t doing that.

L&S ed.: Excellent! I go find some artist who has also heard of Wonder Woman. And maybe Superman, the Internet likes him too!

IF: It’s going to be suitable! And modern, Internet!

This is possibly mean, but look at it. Look at them. They are not modern, and not suitable. Jesus, I’m not a fan of the Big Blue Boy Scout by any means, but he has a long term girlfriend/fianceé/wife (or did, who knows what DC is up to these days; I gave up on Batman with Morrison’s R.I.P. storyline–Batman, how could a woman named Jezebel Jet not betray you, sheesh); he’s not gay, nor is Robin Hood. He also is man who wears tights. There’s even a song about it.

And Wonder Woman is suddenly a 70s throw-back. I think. It’s really very confusing.

Is this sartorial satire? If so it’s terribly done, with no awareness of any target audience. I don’t think middle class liberals give a damn or will find this funny. And, frankly, I find this almost offensive. Crimes of fashion indeed.

The only amusing thing about this feature was that instead of “loading” it said “saving trees”. Oh, Grauniad, you’re such a beardy hippy.

But my main issue with all of this is: I like her new outfit. It’s probably because I’ve never been interested in reading Wonder Woman and I’m not a prepubescent boy who thinks boobs really do look like that (these two points are somewhat interconnected, I feel). Bleeding Cool has some really great articles on her new outfit. They like it, they’ve catalogued the outcry (main issue seems to be that she’s less of a sex object now), but they noted there’ll always be time for gratuitous arse shots in comics (scroll down).

And I really do like it. Sure it’s a bit 80s, but what isn’t these days? Stargate: Universe has a bizarre 80s soundtrack, noted in my previous post; fashion in general; there’s even a Tron sequel–the epitome of the 80s. But, she has less unreasonably large boobs (still to big to run, kids!), she’s no longer crochtacular (as the Fug Girls would put it), she has a biker jacket and it works(!) and it still has the American flag stars, just not on her crotch anymore.

In short, she looks like she would (a) survive the tabloid press (in her universe) and (b) like she can kick butt. And, as I said, she looks less like a sex object. As a woman who reads comics and possess a pair of boobs all comic book artists appear to have wildly unrealistic expectations as to how boobs (a) look and (b) sit. Now, if I didn’t think half the artists in the room would sit giggling and blushing petition for them to be sent to anatomy classes. I get most of the target audience is prepubescent males, however, that doesn’t mean all women immediately become sex objects. Women get a really shitty deal out of being in comics (and Women in Refrigerators hasn’t been updated in a long time; Spoiler isn’t on the list for starters*), and female superheroes, in particular.

So, there. I like it. It’s 100% better than this. Not only is she (slightly) more real-person shaped, but she’s wearing sensible shoes. Crime-fighting shoes! Please take note, Imogen Fox, it’s difficult to do a spin kick in open-toe heels.

* Spoiler, raped and killed by Black Mask, was briefly Robin; all the other dead Robins have memorial cases in the Batcave and it took 4 years for DC to address this. Not until they brought her back from the dead, though. Also, apparently she’s now Batgirl. Man, I’m out of the loop. But until Morrison stops writing stupid Batman plots I’m probably not going back.

I have a TV deficit …

I like TV. A lot. And since I’m now a free (and poor) graduate I have been spending my time watching a lot of TV via my laptop. My poor, poor, broken laptop.

So, I’d love it if you took some time out of your 4th July (or whenever you read this)–happy Independence Day America-folks–and provided me with some suggestions. I’d be really very grateful!

I have watched the entire of Dead Like Me season one (season 2 is stubbornly not cheap on Amazon), Luther (via BBC iPlayer), Doctor Who season 5 repeatedly (via BBC iPlayer), all of Stargate: Universe (2 thoughts on this: one: MAN, what a cliff-hanger; two: what’s with the Blade Runner and Dune 80s-style music? This is a serious question), I keep dropping in and out of Battlestar Galactica (I’ll finish season 2 eventually. Maybe tomorrow, if I get bored) and have just polished off both seasons of Fringe (response to the finale, also a 2-parter; one: yeeeeeeeessss! I can live vicariously through TV! Two: whaaaaaaaaa’? No, no, no, that’s not in the game plan! Highlight for SPOILERS: though, I do love io9′s naming of Fauxlivia, perfect balance to Walternate; I demand the writers steal it RIGHT NOW), aaand, I’ve run out of TV. Also that sentence over-ran. Apologies. There was over-excitement about season finales. Further apologies.

So, I have a TV deficit and, let’s face it, all deficits must be rectified as quickly as possible, so this is call for suggestions.

TV I have watched and like (in no particular order):

• Stargate ad infinitum
• Star Trek: TOS & TNG
• Pushing Daisies
• Supernatural
• Firefly
• Mad Men
• True Blood
• The Wire
• Spaced*
• Life on Mars
• Torchwood (well, some of it)
• Twin Peaks
• Carnivale
• The Devil’s Whore
• Being Human
• Defying Gravity
• Dollhouse
• Nurse Jackie
• Rome

There’s a couple of series I started watching and never got around to continuing/finishing like Grey’s Anatomy, House and Smallville.

I’m super-open to suggestions, because there’s only so much tidying/packing I can take in one day. Currently that seems to be about an hour’s worth … I’d be very grateful if you provided me with suggestions.

Thank you, internetpeoples!

* Black Books, Green Wing, IT crowd, &c.

Clearing out my life

As you may or may not have gathered from my last post, I am moving.

This is a process being made very difficult by the bane of my life: estate agents. But also because I have TOO MUCH STUFF. This is what has prompted my recent eBay selling spree. I am currently surrounded by a fort of boxes, 5 FULL of books (with books leftover) and one of DVDs (probably half my collection). However, I seem to be making progress. Apparently folding things does make everything fit.

So far excised from the hoard:

For charity shops

• 13 tops
• 2 shirts
• 2 pairs of shoes
• 2 bags
• 1 horrible gillet my gran sent me.
• 1 zip-up hoodie

For recycling

• 1 pair of trousers
• 1 skirt (mostly chopped up for bunting)

To eBay

• 8 pairs of shoes
• 3 cardigans
• 2 jackets
• 2 skirts
• 1 dress
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of trousers

Most of those are still active auctions, so no guarantee they’ll sell, but I’m hoping. I’m also adding 1 jacket, 1 tunic/dress and 1 bag this evening.

Misc.

• One dress scrapped
• One t-shirt to be scrapped
• One t-shirt to be made into a cushion. (It’s a Batman t-shirt, ohyeahs)

And I haven’t properly tackled my woollens yet, though I’m very attached to them all; winter is cold.

However. I still have 5+ boxes of books. And 20 pairs of shoes (yes, I have a problem). And a laptop held together by parcel tape (lefthand hinge went last night, plastic came off, probably irreparable). So I’m not sure how much of my stuff is going to survive the move, because, let’s be honest, this laptop is 3 years 11 months old and is really cranky about moving ROOMS let alone to a city.