Monday...

I've managed to buy two volumes (the first and third, irritatingly) of what looks like being a very good fantasy epic - one where the characters are strongly drawn and credible and no-one speaks pseudo-biblical or pseudo-Tolkien-esque waffle instead of real english. Believe me, I've looked at so many book jackets with titles like "Gryphon in Gyres" or "Warlocks and warmongers" or "A Princess of the Felalackhit'ii"... So "King's Dragon" very nearly didn't merit a glance, purely for the predictability and banality of the title. However, it has turned out to be well-written, original (not easy, this, in a genre packed to the gills with tripe [forgive the unpleasant anatomical mixed metaphor!]) and gripping.
So - if anyone has the second volume or the fourth onwards of the "Crown of Stars" series by Kate Elliott, and doesn't want them, a) you don't know good fantasy when you meet it, b) can I have them, please?(!)
I've also discovered, sideways from this, that one of my favourite SF authors, Orson Scott Card, has a personal website full of his thoughts and opinions. I've tried to list it as one of my fave bloggs but I don't know if I did it right (given my general hopelessness with computers). If it's there, tho', do have a look. His review of "Mamma mia!" is quite something.
Hurrah for this, too:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-outsiders-johnny-marr-on-the-misfits-and-mavericks-who-make-music-magical-1017107.html
Even if you have to cut and paste to get that into the address bar, do have a look at it. Johnny Marr of The Smiths writing incredible inspirational common sense.

Another Friday evening...

Sneaking onto Blogger at the end of a fairly busy day; at least I think I've dealt with everything I meant to do, which is always a good thing. Except I'd intended to write to a penfriend and now finding myself with just time to do one thing I've plumped for this... So - it's friday already, ect ect and so on about time flying by and where did this year go...
Off to see Femi Kuti at the South Bank tonight, then another quiet weekend - but I must sort out some things before I go on holiday next sunday. My trip is just beginning to seem real now that I've had my jabs (yow!). I need to get a couple of good books and a new pan of ultramarine blue for my watercolour box. I wonder if I'll have time to do much painting during the first week? - it's one of those move-on-every-other-day tours. Followed by four days sitting on my backside on a beach, swimming in the Caribbean and drinking fresh mango juice (& stronger stuff in the evenings...)!
I've never had a long-haul flight before and this is the one thing I'm really NOT looking forward to at all; the boredom of air travel is horrendous. The bad movie, the staggering view of the back of the seat in front of me, the stiff butt, knees and ankles, and, if I am really lucky, the half-a-pocket-handkerchief sized window on my left, showing a totally featureless cloudscape for ten hours... But hopefully it will be more than worth it!
Have a good weekend, everyone.

Friday evening...

Slightly tired after "Aida" last night at the ENO - wonderfully OTT production, embracing the fact one cannot make a revisionist statement about what is certainly one of the silliest but also vocally lushest pieces in Verdi's ouevre, and in effect saying "The hell with it, let's field elephants and trumpeters and tumblers, and dress everyone in brilliant colour, because we may waste a lot of time if we try to find an intellectual core buried in here". (ouch, sorry; pun not intended). A temendous Aida in Clare Rutter - dare I say her voice reminds me of recordings of the young Tebaldi? Absolutely gorgeous singing, from her and from Iain Patterson's Amonasro in particular - the latter overcoming a severe burden in the form of his costume...
Have also now had a fairly busy afternoon at work, and some fairly odd enquiries. But I have a completely clear weekend and am looking forward to doing some STUFF, finishing my latest sewing project, and possibly going to the WWT in Barnes for one of their indulgent veggie sunday lunches and a damp afternoon with (hopefully) lots of lovely migrant birds to sketch. Of course, I also have to do my grocery shopping and run the washing machine, and I need to find out where in Shepherd's Bush Kerry's film is screening on Monday night.
Have a good weekend, everybody!