Drawing A Day 29/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 19

Gloria: A red rose, well used to be one, thanks Sam.
Sam: Saves cash?

S: Want any snacks?
G: Er no thanks Sam, I-
S: It's ok, I'll get a small something.

S: Here's some of it.
G: Gee thanks Sam.
Passer by: Did he buy out the whole lobby?

[snacks spread over 2 seats]

S: Whoops, sorry Gloria.

S: So Rocky's least favourite rock is Chalk, which inte-
G: No more rocks! Argh!!!
Spectator: Oh lady...Shh!..

Drawing A Day 28/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 18: Sam on a Date 1

Gloria: So what are we going to see?
Sam: Wow! You look good - not that you never do-I mean - rocks? - beautiful look you...
G: -Thanks Sam
Sam: The Wrestler and the Kangaroo

S: It's about a wrestler who makes friends with Rocky the kangaroo...The kangaroo is named Rocky before as he likes collecting rocks.
G: Oh that's unusual.
S: His favourite is limestone, which is an interesting one...
G: (Oh no...not rocks)

S:...Rocks. Did you know that kangaroos are special because....
G: No....no more

S: We're here. There's a man selling old flowers - it's 1/2 price! Want some?

Drawing A Day 27/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 17

[Flashback]
Zara: I love a good rock singer...Do you like rock Sam?
Sam: Do I?! Er...my favourite rock is graphite. Did you know that there are 3 types of rock, igneous...

Z: zzzzzz
S: .....rocks. So, er, it's nearly closing time, will I see you again?

[Present]
G: YOU TALKED ABOUT ROCKS FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT?!
S: I know (who knew I knew so much?). Suffice to say, Zara with a Z is busy for the next 2 weeks, and the 2 weeks after that...

G: Tomorrow night, you're taking me to the theatre!
S: Why?
G: I wanna see Sam in date more!

Drawing A Day 26/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 16

Sam: Nope, JLS shirts only look good on JLS, not normal men like me

Girl: OMG you were a brilliant singer tonight!

S: Thanks! And you are?...

Zara: Zara with a Z. I love good singers...you want a drink? I'd love to get to know you more...

S:Err... (She seems scary)

G: Of course he does!

Z: Great!

G: Have fun you two!

[Back at Sam's house]

G: Hey Sam, how did it go?

S: Hey. Not great...

The Chocolate Lover's Diet by Carole Matthews

This is a follow up to The Chocolate Lovers’ Club, another popular story written by Matthews which follows the story of the main character, Lucy Lombard, and her three best friends, Chantal, Autumn and Nadia. I haven’t yet read the first book, but I was filled in on the events by my sister, who liked the first book enormously. However, it wasn’t too hard to get into the story, as important events were explained in the second book well, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out too much.

This book sees Lucy having to choose between two men, Chantal coping with impending motherhood, Autumn finding romance and having to deal with her drug-addicted brother Richard, and Nadia reacting to her husband’s gambling habit. What works is the friendship that these 4 women have – and this really shows throughout the book as they help each other deal with new crises that life brings, and culminates in a drug handover that Autumn gets herself involved in – showing the strength of the relationship.

What doesn’t work for me is the constant references to chocolate. I like chocolate. A lot. But it becomes frustrating to see it mentioned so often. I guess that it fits in with what brought these women together, but for me I didn’t like it so much. The main character, Lucy, is not especially likeable and her story wasn’t that great. In fact, I find myself more drawn to the stories of the women, which were more interesting, and these supporting characters were more likeable. Yes they were flawed but this added to their character.

All in all, I think it was a well written book, with its flaws. I don’t think there is anything special in the storyline but a solid effort from Carole Matthews. 3 Stars.

Drawing A Day - 25/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 15

Gloria: Wow Sam I can't believe you came!
Sam: Yeh, I thought you needed rescuing - you sounded like you were in pain
G: I know, I can't sing! You on the other hand, are amazing! You kept that secret.
S: Yeah I don't tend to sing much. Not since...well anyway, you look human?
G: Yep, well I need to blend in
S: You look different Gloria
G: Good different?
S: Great different
G: {blush} You look good too. I see you have the jacket we picked out. No JLS v-neck shirt?

Drawing A Day - 24/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 14

Sam: Gosh...I thought Gloria loved singing...I didn't think it meant singing awfully

Sam: Agh, the audience hate her. I can't let her suffer alone. After all, she's tried to help me so much....But I don't want to go on stage...Choices, choices...

{glass breaks}
Gloria: Hweh?
Sam: With or without you! (I must sound rubbish)
Audience: Oh my goodness it's amazing! He has the voice of an angel! He could be the next Olly Murs!

Gloria: Wow he came! He's a good singer!
Sam: (I hope Gloria appreciates this...Eeee...)

Drawing A Day - 23/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 13

Alice: Hey Alex! You're an Olly Murs fan no? Have you heard his new song?
Alex: Why yes I have! Oh My Goodness (rofl) it's amazing

Announcer: Give it up for...just Gloria!
Gloria: Wow he actually didn't come...Well here goes

Gloria: With Or Without You0ooOOOoOO
Audience: Oh my ears bleed! She's awful! Boo.
Gloria: (I'm losing them...)

"What's that racket...?"

Brit Awards 2012

Tuesday saw the Brit Awards ceremony screened live on ITV1 and one story stole the headlines the next day: Adele's reaction to being cut short during her acceptance speech . This article heavily criticises the singer for her less than civil reaction to James Corden's interruption, but I don't think she is wholly to blame. I'm not the biggest fan of the singer, but I think that she deserves her time to express her thanks to her fans and friends. The way in which she reacted on live TV wasn't the ideal way to express her annoyance at this, but I think the greater problem lies with the Brit Awards' organisers. It seemed to be a shambloic, underorganised show - mistimings and missed opportunities. The Critics' Choice award was won by Emile Sande, yet missing was the acceptance speech by the singer. Watching it at home I thought it was odd that we only saw a brief shot of Sande's face before Corden began a lengthy interview with last year's winner, Jessie J, which seemed to be a promotion for Jessie J's new show, The Voice, where she is a judge, sorry not a judge, a mentor. This was cruel to deny Sande her moment in the spotlight and to shine on stage in the glory of winning the award, and it is just downright strange. Hopefully, next year will see a more polished show, where everyone is given the right to collect their awards properly.

Drawing A Day - 22/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 12

Alan: Wow? Pink? It's my favourite colour!
Gloria: I know! He still refuses to wear it! Anyway back to work!

{Back on Earth}
G: Okay, so we've done extreme sports, swimming with dolphins, the makeover, now...karaoke!
S: This is fast becoming a new catchphrase of mine, but WHA?? A, I can't sing, and B, I fail to see the point in this.

G: It's a confidence thing but it'll help you express your feelings to strangers...I'll sing with you! I love singing!
S: Nope, I'm putting my foot down. I'm done with this. All of it! I wore pink you know?!

S: Bye Gloria.
G: Sam? I'll be at the karaoke night at The Pears Bad at 8pm. Please say you'll come.

Drawing A Day 20/02/2012 and 21/02/2012

20/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 10
Alan: Yo! I'm Alan, Evan's assistant. Here's a bit about the other angels.

Kristen, a goth angel, died 24. Originally from Chicago, she died saving a friend during an accident. Acts tough but has a good heart and protects those she loves fiercely. Joined ALA to fight for love to prevail.

Doug, from Bristol, died 1993, age 43. Sadly, he died from cancer, leaving behind a wife. He's grateful he had the time with his wife but sad it was cut short. He joined ALA 32B to help spread love and hopes that everyone can experience the happiness that love bestows.

Yasmin, died during an earthquake aged 22. Mischevious and with a sense of fun, sometimes misled by heart but she has good intentions. A hopeless romantic, she joined ALA to help romance.

21/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 11 (apologies for the light blue pen)
Gloria: Right, we've done the makeover
Sam: I'm still not wearing that pink shirt - I'm a man

G: Sometimes pink can be good for men, it shows your feminine side and that you are confident enough to wear pink
S: I don't care, it's still pink! I'm not wearing pink!

S: I'm wearing pink.
G: You look fabulous Sam!
S: Good to know.

Drawing a Day - 14/02/2012 - 19/02/2012

Welcome! This is mainly a continuation of ALA32B, with the old duck thrown in (not part of the story, but he has an equally important story to tell). After this, I will publish the drawings on a daily basis for the next week, so there should be something new on here each day. Check back for new doodles for Drawing A Day!

14/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 5
Sam: You're an...angel?
G: Yep...a special one - an angel of love?

S: Whaaaa?
G: Well Sam, a little birdy told me you had lost faith in love, and I'm going to set that right!

S: You;re crazy lady
G: Wait! I'm telling the truth...Don't go!

G: What have you got to lose?...I know what's happened in the past...Believe me...

15/02/2012 - ALA32B Part 6
S: Ok...you can help me...Although I'm freaked out by an angel appearing next to my bin...
G: Naturally...Ok first thing...

G: I've noticed that you've lost confidence since...
S: ....since Clara (What's that?)

G: Well I want you to get that confidence back. Over the next week it's all about you, we'll try lots of new things...and improve on the old...And then we'll move on to stage 2!
S: Hmm what kinda things?

16/02/2012 - ALA32B Part7
Evan: Evan's the name, I run ALA 32B with Alice (Alice...sigh)
There are two types of angels - those who were originally human and those who are pure-born - angels born in Heaven. Alice, Alan and I are pure-born angels. The rest of the ALA were human...
To become an AL (angel of love) you have to sit exams and pass the training. Yasmin is our newest member, we have been training her. She's trouble, but she means well, and will be a great AL.
Why did I join? I've seen the wonder that love can create, and the pain when love is absent. I wanted to fight love's corner!
I work in a ALA yet I can't seem to express the deep love I have for another angel. Isn't that strange? One day I will...I hope it won't be too late when I am finally ready...

Alan: What? 2 Olly Murs songs in the past 30-40 mins on Hallam FM? Yonks!

17/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 8
How a case comes to be...
A: Poo...Love...A man lying in the road?!

A: Hi Sven! Urgent! There's a man lying in the road! His girlfriend has left him!
Sven: K, Alice, I'm on it!
A: His girlfriend has broken up with him afer deciding she can't handle the long distance...

Man: I don't want to live...Not if I can't be without her...WHY?!
S: Hey, what are you doing down there?
Man: It's been 2 months and I can't stop thinking about her...

S:Hmm...Hey phone for you

Man: Huh?
Girl: Hey...I got told they are transferring me back to New York...I've been a fool, these past 2 months I can't forget you. Forgive me, give me a second chance?

Man: Yes! I will! I love you too!
S: Well he's off the road!



19/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 9
G: Bungee Jump?
S: What? I hate heights!

G: It's good to try new things! I don't want you to be too frightened to do things. Face your fear Sam!

S: Eee...can't we try something different?
Man: 1..2...3...

Sam: Argh!
G: isn't this fun?

G: How did you find that?
S: It was...kinda awesome

19/02/2012 - Fat Duck
Fat duck roams the sea, looking for a friend
But he can't find anyone, and it's driving him around the bend.
Yet who is that who lurks behind that tree?
Why it is Fat Frog, and he'll be FD's friend for eternity!

Drawing A Day 07/02/2012 - 13/02/2012

I'm slowly catching up with publishing these...thank you for your patience! This week sees a lot of random things, capturing my sister's love for Sherlock, my ability to predict football scores, and a new cartoon called Angel Lover Agency 32B. Still no word on the lost drawing of 4th Feb. I guess it is consigned to be the "lost one" in history...



07/02/2012 - Pyramus and Thisbe (love story for Valentine's Day next week)
T: I love you
P: I love you too!
For many years, the 2 loved each other but could not be together. They whispered their love through the gaps in the wall.

T: Oh no! A lion!
One night they met up, where Thisbe met an unlikely visitor

P: I hope I'm not too late...What's this? Noooooo Thibe!
All that remained was her blood stained shawl...Moments later, Pyramus arrived.

Realising he couldn't live withough his love, he drew his sword and killed himself.

T: Phew, lucky I escaped that lion....Noo Pyramus!
But Thisbe remained alive, and discovered her lover had made a mistake.

Thisbe plunged Pyramus' sword into her heart. Cruelly separated during life, they could not be together forever in the afterlife.

08/02/2012 - Happy Wednesday 8th February - Lenny the lion
Likes leaping, lacrosse and Lee from Steps (no relation to the lion in the earlier story)

09/02/2012 - A mish-mash of Wednesday evening
Sunderland vs ~~~ FA Cup - Who will win?
Jenny: Sunderland rock! I hope they win. {They did win. The week after I predicted a win for my favourite Italian team, AC Milan, against Arsenal. They won. Last Saturday, Sunderland played Arsenal. Feeling loyal to Sunderland I predicted a win. They won. Wooo....my favourite teams are amazing!)

A: Hahahah. You cannot watch Sunderland play. I MUST WATCH SHERLOCK! (Burp) and I "accidently" downloaded a picture of Sherlock. (Burp)

Who does A like best? New Sherlock vs Old Sherlock with side parting (hat not at jaunty angle sob)

Percy: Uh uh uh uh = stoopid Percy

10/02/2012 - Angel Lover Agency 32B Part 1
Sam: But wha?...I love you...
Clara: I'm sorry...I'm leaving you...I've found someone new....

"Hi! I'm Carol! I like stamp collecting!"
"Bonjour! I am Marie! I recently broke up with my boyfriend. I HATE ALL MEN!"
"I'm Cherie...You like Coldplay? Johnny, my ex, used to like Coldplay...You like cooking? Johnny liked that too...He could make a mean brulee..."
Sam: Errrr.....

"Hi it's me Carol. I think we should end things...You're too boring."
Sam: Even Carol?

Sam: How do I move on? It's been 7 years...7 years since she broke my heart...

11/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 2
Watching over Earth are groups of angels who work their magic for the course of love. One of these groups of angels of love is Angel Love Agency 32B, so called as it is the 32nd joint best ALA. These angels, led by Alice and Evan, are given cases to bring about love, and have been successful, so far...

12/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 3
Alice: Hi Gloria! Guess what? The old lady you helped got married yesterday!
Gloria: Oh I;m so happy! Doirs deserves this happiness! I love it when a plan comes together!
A: Right new day, new case...there is a man in London, Sam Smith, who is about to give up on love. Your mission is to make him fall in love and believe in love again!
G: I can't wait to get started! He won't know what's hit him...

Sam: I think I'll just have to accept that love is not for me!

13/02/2012 - ALA 32B Part 4
Sam: Putting out the bins, putting out the bins....tralalalal...is this what my life has come to? Sining about bins?
{Plimpf}

S: What was that?
G: Hello?

S: Hello...who are you?
G: Hi Sam, I've been sent to make you believe in love again....I'm Gloria, your angel of love!

Sam: Whaaaa?

Drawing A Day 31/01/2012 - 06/02/2012

Recently I have discovered a drawing that should have been included in the last post, but due to my sister's sneaky hiding habits, I didn't find it in time to include last time, so it is added in this one. But whilst another one reappears, it seems another one goes missing. This time my sister decided to lose one of them, so you won't have one for 04/02/2012. This week sees a variety of things, and the continuation of Twilight, Jenny-style (bad drawing and sketchy storyline)

Enjoy!



26/01/2012 - a mooing duck and two lovers reuniting

31/01/2012 - Twilight Part 2
E: Hey meet my family!
B: Ok!

Rosalie: Grr
Emmet: Let's play baseball!
E: Special baseball...
B: Ok!

B: Wow interesting

Alice: Oh no...I sense danger...

01/02/2012 - looking for the one.
"Argh"
"Hello?"
"Where are you? 我找不到你..."



02/02/2012 - The sadness bear - "Woe est moi"

03/02/2012 - Twilight Part 3
E: Stay behind me. I'm sorry
B: What?

Carlisle: What are you doing here?
L: I'm Laurence
V: I'm Victoria
J: I'm James, a vampire with a ponytail
L: We're travelling through...Hey...baseball! Can we play?
C: Er we done man!
L: Ok another time then!

E: Cripes!

J: Human! Rarg!

E: Noooo!

{Kerfuffle}

L: Sorry we'll be on our way!
C: Bye!
J: Seeth. Hmm.

B: Phew...
E: What? No phew Bella! He'll be back! And this time it's personal!

05/02/2012 - Amy the fool and some duck

06/02/2012 - Jedward
I'm John! I'm Edward! Together we are Jedward!
Our entry for Eurovision 2012 (yes it is truly happening!) is called WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER or something like that. Vote for us!

My Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook - Matt Dunn

This story slightly parallels Lindsay Kelk’s “A Single Girl’s To-Do List” in that it follows a break up of a relationship and the main character’s journey into transforming themselves to be a different and stronger person. Instead, it follows a man’s journey, Edward, who has been “dumped” by his girlfriend, Jane. His womanising minor-celebrity friend, Dan, takes it upon himself to produce an Excel spreadsheet listing the changes that Edward must go through in order to become more attractive and win Jane back, and agrees to help him personally to achieve this. Dan is a horrible character in terms of his attitude towards women, but at times, his stupidity can be endearing, and it is shown that he really values Edward as a friend, despite his clumsy attempts to help him. Dan’s interaction with the barmaid Wendy, who is angry with Dan for the way he mistreated her flatmate, is spiky and punchy, and did lead me to wonder whether the two would get together at the end of the book. What eventually happens to Dan and who he ends up with at the end is a surprise.

Edward is a character you can sympathise with, and as the story goes on, and more about his relationship with Jane is revealed, you do start to wonder whether Edward should be concentrating on winning her back, and it is a question that Edward does come to ask himself. Dunn has managed to craft a great story and good characters who gel really well together. The different things Edward does as part of the Excel spreadsheet are hilarious and the dialogue is well written. By the time Edward sees Jane again, what happens is quite a poignant moment. This book is a great read, I couldn’t put it down and managed to finish it in a day! It is interesting to see how a failed relationship plays out from a male perspective. 4 stars

A Single Girl's To-Do List - Lindsay Kelk

This is a funny, at-times emotional, read that focuses on Rachel, who has been cruelly dumped by her boyfriend, Simon. Together with her two best friends, and the “single girl’s to-do list”, the reader follows her on her journey on getting her life back on track and undergo a dramatic makeover, get a tattoo and get arrested for breaking the law! Kelk creates likeable central characters and the reader really empathises and connects with Rachel and is willing her to succeed in the end. Emilie and Matthew are two likeable characters, and are the two best friends a girl could have! It is strange that the story takes place over such a short amount of time (just over a week) and there are a lot of guys who fall for Rachel along the way, but this is a fantastic read. As the story advances towards the ending, the story takes an unexpected turn and leaves you gripped. Its merits are similar to My Single Friend by Jane Costello in that it is well written and the characterisation is fantastic, but between the two books, I would favour Kelk’s story. It just left me with the feeling of loving the book, and whilst My Single Friend was a great read, this story just has that extra special something. As a whole, the story was just amazing. 5 stars.

My Single Friend - Jane Costello

I picked up this book after reading the blurb and settled down for a read, and I managed to finished this book in one day! This book is about Lucy, a successful career woman who has a string of unsuccessful dates. She lives with her best friend, Henry, who is completely lost in the world of love. Lucy, and her two friends, Dominique and Erin decide to give Henry a makeover to turn him into the “perfect man” and by the end, Henry is a gorgeous, charming ladies’ man – which was the goal of Project Henry. Little does Lucy know that this project has another effect – she begins to have feelings for Henry.

In an earlier review, I gave the book 3.5 out of 5, but I would be tempted to give it a 4 now. Jane Costello has written a great story in her plot, writing style and characters. Sometimes, I disliked the way that the book was a bit too adult but this was a minor inconvenience. Lucy is a great, sassy character and her dating disasters are hilarious to read, especially the incident with the nail! Henry, Dominique and Erin are also likeable characters – which is a first for a book that I’ve read. There are plenty of modern cultural references, which I enjoyed as I was able to understand them. Usually, some chick-lit that I have read refers to instances in the 80s which I don’t have much knowledge of, so it was good to understand things this time round!One major plot point is the leaking of confidential documents about an advertising client – I thought the most likely suspect would be Lucy’s nemesis, Drew, but I thought that Donique’s new partner, Justin, seemed a bit shifty, so maybe he was the one who leaked it to the press. Instead, it turns out that Drew was the culprit, but it did lead to an important event in Lucy’s story. Towards the end, there is an unexpected twist and as I was nearing the end of the book, I was wondering whether the expected happy ending would surface, but the ending of My Single Friend left me satisfied. I think that the first half of the book was stronger that the second but on the whole, it makes for a solid, enjoyable read. Not perfect (but I don’t dish out 5s so readily!) but a great way to spend a day. 4 stars.

Welcome to the Real World - Carole Matthews

Welcome to the Real World details Fern Kendal’s story; how her life changes from her dead-end job in the King’s Head pub when she lands a new job as Evan David’s new assistant. The story is unbelievable at times but provides escapism, for example, Fern becomes a big star at the end of the book, and the relationship between Fern and Evan feels a bit contrived and their strong feelings for each other seem to have come from out of nowhere. The point at which Fern catches Lana and Evan together and wrongly believes they are engaged is a major plot point and I feel that the situation could have been easily resolved at that point: surely the sensible thing to do would be to declare that Lana is marrying your friend to stop the woman that you love from walking away? The Fame Game storyline is dropped quickly after Fern quits the show – who won? How did Evan feel judging it?

The characterisation is something that causes the book to be both weak and strong. Evan David, the famous opera singer, is supposed to be this handsome, arrogant but actually nice guy that Fern is mad over but why Evan is this amazing man doesn’t really come through in Matthew’s words. Even with Evan’s sad backstory, he doesn’t come across as a character that illicit great sympathy or holds great likeability. Instead he is bland, selfish and irritating as he continues to do the wrong thing by Fern. Surely, the better choice would be Carl (despite being creepy at first and making sexual remarks to Fern), who on the whole is more caring and loving of Fern. Fern is the most appealing character and– she is lovable, caring, funny and really likeable as a character. Although I didn’t like the way she leads on and uses Carl – for example, she feels jealous of Carl’s budding romance with Shelley and not long after, she sleeps with him – she is the best thing about Welcome to the Real World. Welcome to the Real World hasn’t got the best storyline nor is it the most interesting tale, but through Matthew’s writing and characterisation, it does make for a good read. 3 stars

A Hopeless Romantic - Harriet Evans - final update!

OMG!!!! I have finally finished!!! This is the best day of my life!!! Trying to read this has been a great chore. At first I abhorred the book and the author for making her main character, Laura Foster, so selfish and unlikeable, especially during her affair with Dan. Her life then goes bad, but it is a bit too much to expect the reader to feel sympathy for her. Later she goes on holiday to Norfolk with her family, which felt like it dragged too long, before she met Nick. Initially I like the way these two characters fell for each other, and the fairytale storyline, but after Nick’s secret was revealed, the book started to lag again. Nick become a dithering, weedy character and Laura became selfish, whiny and self-obsessed again. After that, the story just falls flat. Nothing in the rest of the narrative stands out, and none of the characters present themselves as likeable. At the end, I didn’t really care what happened to Laura, and the events that followed in the final parts of the story where predictable, and I think that Evans hasn’t achieved in telling the romantic story she wanted to. I’ve given it a chance – with other books, I would have stopped reading, but I thought that perhaps it might get better, but overall, A Hopeless Romantic has been a great disappointment. Reading the blurb of this book, I thought it was a nice idea, but I just never took to the character of Laura, and never interested in her story. 1 star.

Andrew Collings - That's Me in the Corner review

As a big fan of the Collings and Herrin podcast (which has ended – sobsob), I decided to try reading Andrew Collins’ book, That’s Me in the Corner. I’ve already read Richard Herring’s How Not To Grow Up (I’ve reviewed it on this blog) and was really surprised. I really enjoyed it, so I really wanted to like this book.

TMITC recounts Collins’ various jobs as he reaches the age of 40. Some of it is good, I enjoyed the early bit about his job at Sainsbury’s and his take on the supermarket hierarchy there, both for the most part, it was not interesting enough, and perhaps slightly self-indulgent. I felt Collins namedrops a lot which can be a bit frustrating, and I think due to my age, I haven’t connected with the book as I don’t understand the rock/indie musical or 80s/early 90s references. Overall, the writing style just isn’t strong enough – it mostly reads like a list of anecdotes, factual for the most part, with the odd celebrity name dropped in and there is little to gain from reading this. HNTGU was captivating as Herring had a set theme – reaching the age of 40 and whether he should be more adultlike – and incorporated several events from his life. You don’t need to have prior knowledge to read it, it is pretty accessible for any reader, whereas I felt like I was missing something when reading TMITC. Another thing that was successful about HNTGU was Herring’s writing content – it is witty and interesting, and it also probes deeper into his feelings about career, life, health, history and his love life. Collins doesn’t do anything of the sort, and it seems quite pointless and shallow on some level. I frequently found myself skim-reading or skipping large chunks whereas with HNTGU I was hooked on every page and could not put it down.

That being said, I do enjoy Collin’s wry throwaway observations which are casually thrown in and I enjoyed the chapter about writing for Eastenders but taken as a whole, it isn’t my cup of tea. Perhaps I am being too harsh, Collins isn’t a comedian like Herring so I can’t expect it to be a hilarious read and maybe it is unfair to compare TMITC to HNTGU, but I do expect to enjoy and get something out of reading the book, but sadly, with Collins’ book, I don’t get anything at all. 2 stars.

*It was announced that Richard Herring is to get married yesterday – perhaps he had finally grown up after all!

Alphabet Of Me

The Alphabet of Me section has just started up and running, where I will attempt to write a blog entry for each letter. Check it regularly for new updates! I have just finished the letter B.

http://chocolatedigestivebiscuit.blogspot.com/p/alphabet-of-me.html

Today's Celebrity News 08/02/2012

"MC Harvey backtracks on his secret romance with Cheryl Cole" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/07/charles-dickens-200-birthday-quiz?CMP=twt_gu)
An interview in Now magazine saw MC Harvey of So Solid Crew "fame" claim that he had had a scret relationship with Cheryl Cole. Now this sounds ludicrous in itself, although you have to remember the Gareth Gates-Jordan affair a few years ago which shocked everyone. However, MC Harvey is more well known for his love affairs and misdeeds, first cheating on BGT judge Alesha Dixon with Popstars:The Rivals star Javine Hylton, only to cheat on Javine later on. Now that he is changing his mind about things makes the whole situation slightly suspect, and I can only predict that Harvey will go on to change his story yet again next week.
 
The Bill and Footballers' Wives star Ben Richards fighting cancer (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2097676/Ben-Richards-battling-cancer-Footballers-Wives-The-Bill-actor-39-reveals-Twitter.html)
 
Harry Potter Gone Bad (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2097711/Daniel-Radcliffe-implies-hes-night-stands-despite-love-Rosie-Coker.html)
Recently, whilst doing interviews he had confessed to excessive drinking and now this, showing that he had shed his good-boy image. Is it because he is growing up or is is just to publicise his new film, Women in Black, which actually sounds like a good film...
 
 

X Factor Fans...It's Time...To Face...Marcus Collin's New Single!

It's in the news that Marcus Collins, runner up in 2011's X Factor, has been taking a lot of criticism. Now he seems like a nice guy but sadly the single is not great, and met the low expectations I had when he announced that he was to do a cover of Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.

Nevertheless, you might think different, read this and listen to Collins' new song - you never know, you might be a fan.

David Mitchell's Soapbox

I recently came across this a few months ago and it is a delight to watch. Mitchell's ranting is usually hilarious to watch as he picks up on the things that annoy him the most, from bad grammar to hairdressers. Sometimes, the sheer randomness of his views is funny such as his video on shirts - the only one where he wears a blue, and not red, shirt. My only complaint is that these video podcasts are too short, but maybe I am just being greedy!  There have been 3 series so far, which you can find on itunes for free. I have my fingers crossed for a 4th one later this year...

Drawing A Day

Continuing the Drawing a Day idea - it should really be called Doodle-a-day, but it sounds likes doo-doo-a-day, and although my drawings are that great, I wouldn't call them poopoo, although you might - I am due to publish this week's drawings, continuing my version of the Twilight film, some hills and a bear. There has been some drama...one of this week's library sheets have gone missing!!! And another one that I thought didn't exist from the first week has reappeared!!! Oh the chaos!!!

Anyway, keep an eye on www.chocolatedigestivebiscuit.blogspot.com for the Drawing a Day  30/01/2012 - 05/02/2012!

Hustle

I am very sad that this series of Hustle is the last series. All good things must come to an end, like Desperate Housewives.

Hustle's joy is that it never takes itself too seriously, you know that when you are viewing it it is a light-hearted comedy-drama - it doesn't proclaim itself to be anything but. The villains are extra evil and the actors and actresses portraying them waste no time in showing this to the audience, sometimes bordering on overacting, but it makes it fun to watch. And the crew are funny, clever and cool. Matt Di Angelo won't win any acting awards, but his role as Sean Kennedy is perfect for him, it doesn't require too much, but he is able to fulfil the charming, good looking role that is expected of him, and Hustle suits him quite well. The bonds and relationships between the hustlers is so tight and there is a lot of chemistry between them that their friendship seems quite believable.

And the storylines...well pretty much it is the crew trying to con a nasty person...there is a twist in the middle but everything is resolved in the end with the crew winning - Huzzah! Some might say it is predictable but I like this, and it makes it interesting to guess how the Hustle team will work their way through the times when their plan goes "awry". I liked the episode with Patrick Baladi as the policeman, and how tenous the plot was in how the team were recruited by the Superintendent and knew all about what Baladi was planning, even how they would recruit Sean's ex to spy on them.

I'm not sure how they will finish the series - will it continue to be the same as the other episodes? I've heard Jaime Murray is to return for the final episode - might there be a story between Mickey, Stacey and Emma - a love triangle? I would hope for Danny to return too as he was a great character in the earliest series. Will the team finally get caught for their crimes? Will someone die? I can't wait to find out but I am also dreading it as I have been a great fan of Hustle - it is so slick, funny, clever and the main actors and actresses in the Hustle team, and Eddie, make it a treat to watch. I'll miss the Hustling action after it has ended!

Being Human

Tonight sees the return of Being Human on BBC3 at 9pm, and this series sees a lot of changes. One of the things that has worked so successfully for the show is the interplay and relationship between Annie, Mitchell and George, and last series culminated in George performing the greatest sacrifice for Mitchell, by staking him to avoid being by the Head Vampire, played by Lee Ingleby. Whilst Mitchell (Aidan Turner) goes on to star in The Hobbit, Russell Tovey and Sinead Keenan recently announced that they were quitting the show. This paves the way for new characters Hal, and Tom (who we saw in the last season) to join Annie (Lenora Critchlow), but this is a massive gamble. However, sometimes the show has to change to keep fresh and new, and whilst George and Mitchell will be sorely missed, it's time to see what the new boys can do...

The 4 O'Clock Club

This new 13 part comedy is currently airing on CBBC and it is a treat. The 4 O’Clock Club follows Daniel Carter, a failed rapper turned teacher, who works at the same school his younger brother Josh attends, which is Josh’s biggest nightmare! Right from the theme credits, you know that you are in for a bold, loud, exciting show, and that’s what you get. The show features rap songs from the two brothers (working in a slight rap-musical way), which are catchy and show off the talents of the two actors who play Daniel and Josh. As well as the songs, the school setting might set the precedent for predictable storylines (such as the romance between Daniel and Miss Poppy), yet the show is snappy, funny and really well written and performed. I could easily see the show return for a second series (and I would hope it does) as this show works a treat. The weird thing is that whilst it is called the 4 O’clock Club, it is aired at half 5 in the evening. Strange…righttttttt?

Flower Drum Song

After doing some research on Chinese portrayal in the Western film scene (on Wikipedia, naturally), I came across the musical, Flower Drum Song, one of Rodger and Hammerstein’s lesser known works, in fact I hadn’t heard about it before I read about it on Wikipedia. The musical follows the story of Mei Li, an illegal immigrant who arrives with her father in San Francisco, to honour a marriage contract between her and local club owner, Sammy Fong, who is dating Linda Lo, a performance artist who works at Celestial Gardens. Fong tries to pass Mei Li on to Wong Ta, who at the same time happens to be dating Linda Lo, who is getting frustrated at Fong’s lack of commitment.

It interweaves many themes, such as the dichotomy between the older, traditional Chinese living in America and the younger, more Americanized generation – reflected nicely in song. As well as the people, the theme of love is prominent, whether it is the formalized arranged marriage reflecting older Chinese traditions, or the more relaxed type of love typical of America.

I think that some of the musical is well done, such as the dance numbers, and some of the songs are fabulous – such as Love, Look Away (an emotional number sung by Helen) and I enjoy being a girl (a friviolus, fabulous performance by Linda). I wasn’t a huge fan of Mei Li’s opening song, which was repeated again a few times in the film to my chagrin. The film had a lot of comedic elements and didn’t take itself seriously, which was quite good.

I did feel that the musical played up to a lot of Chinese stereotypes through character and storyline, and the dialogue included lots of Asianisms which I felt were unnecessary e.g. “You’ve got egg foo yung on your face!”. Wong Cheong was a stereotypical Chinese elder who sought to uphold the Chinese traditional values of love and honour. I also though it glorified America too much, such as the importance of television make a big contribution in the finale, and the way that America and Americanism was promoted. No one could read Chinese at the start of the film, all of the other Chinese people thought it was strange!

Some of the characters were stronger than others, Wong Cheong and Madame Liang were fantastic as they tried to make sense of the modern Western world that they lived in, and Mei Li’s naiviety was endearing at times. Wong Ta, although handsome, was a bit too dithery for my liking as he couldn’t make up his mind what he wanted or who he loved, and when he did it was left to Mei Li to act to let them be together, despite him promising in that later stages of the film to come up with an idea (fool). However, the star of the show was undoubtedly Nancy Kwan as the fabulous, sassy Linda Lo – who had a confident turn as the singer.

This musical played a big part in Asian portrayal in Western cinema. At the time of the musical’s release, and prior to this, there were hardly many Chinese stars or films around. In the 1920s, Anna May Wong was a popular star yet she was the only Chinese actor/actress to gain any sort of recognition in America. Asian roles were scarce and often European actors and actresses were hired to play them. Flower Drum Song was notable for being a film that starred almost all Chinese actors and actresses, and it highlighted Chinese culture and values. Some feel that it may have not been entirely successful, but I think that it was the first film to do any sort of thing like this, and should be commended for this.. It is amazing to see Chinese culture portrayed in Western film – it is not really a frequented area for film, and sometimes, Rodgers and Hammerstein do go a bit overboard, but it is good to see the results on screen.

Overall, I think the film was light and funny, and there were some great moments. Right from the start, when Mei Li and her father made their arrival in the boxes and made “yelp” and “argh” noises; the two men responsible for overseeing the imports put it down to being stomach noises, as stomachs often make those kind of noises – this was quite funny to watch, and it kicked off what was a great film to watch. It was reported that many Asians find Flower Drum Song offensive, but I would disagree. As a Chinese person myself, I do sit at unease with some moments. Some moments do appear quite outdated and don’t really fit in with Chinese values today, and sometimes the script is a bit heavy-laden with Asian references, such as “I‘m going to break his…rice bowl”, which are a bit unnecessary, but I would still recommend this film to watch. It has somewhat been forgotten from Rodger and Hammerstein’s back catalogue which is disappointing. It would be great to see Chinese culture represented more in Western cinema today.

New Girl pt2

Having watched the earlier episodes of New Girl, it is actually a very funny sitcom. I actually prefer the guys rather than Jess, and the scene where they start singing in the restaurant in the pilot was hilarious. It's a shame that Coach left, there was quite a lot of potential for him, hopefully he will return in the future. The wedding episode didn't seem as funny as the earlier episodes - i wonder if it was just a one-off, or perhaps the sitcom has grown on me as i have got used to it. I still think that Jess has the tendency to be over kooky and annoying though at times...

New Girl

Now there's been a lot of hype surrounding this new US comedy, but from the trailers i wasnt really that impressed. I thought that Zooey Deschanel was a bit too kooky for my liking in this comedy. I gave it a go during the wedding episode, and whilst it didn't have me roaring with laughter it did have its charm, and i like the interplay and relationship between the main 4 leads. It's also become obvious that the writers will pair Nick and Jess together so i hope that doesnt spoil this interplay. There are times when Jess can appear too kooky that it becomes annoying but when she reins it in she becomes a likeable character. It will be nice to see how this sitcom develops!

Coronation Street

Today's Corrie saw Peter & Carla's affair revealed and Jane Danson as the wronged Leanne proved to be a great actress as she coped with her husband's betrayal, but she was outshone by Simon's reaction to her exit, one of the greatest and emotional pieces of acting I've seen on soaps!

Update on A HOPELESS ROMANTIC by Harriet Evans

As you know, i've started reading this a few weeks ago and I found it awful, but I am pursuing with it...slowly. The good news is it does get better with the arrival of Nick. Laura isn't as bad as she was earlier in the book, but she is far from being likeable, and i like the general fairytaleness of the plot (marquis falls in love with commoner, etc.). However, now that the truth has been revealed, Nick is starting to sound a bit weedy as he tries to hide his relationship from his sister & there is still a long way of the book to go. At the point where I have reached, it is starting to lag again, and I fear I might start getting frustrated with the story again...I'll press on nonetheless...

Giraffe bread

In the news it was reported that a 3 year old wrote a letter to Sainsbury's asking why tiger bread was called tiger bread even though it looked nothing like a tiger, more like a giraffe. Not only did she receive a £3 GIFT CARD but the store are planning to rename it giraffe bread instead. Result! Only age 3 and already making a big difference in the world...