Jaz Design

The other half is an excellent cook. He received Delia’s Complete How to Cook for his birthday and since then he’s made one meal and one desert almost every weekend. I’m going to share some pictures of the delicious things he’s made, and as for the book, I’d recommend it to anyone! The resulting food is beautiful, the recipes aren’t excessively difficult and everything’s explained very thoroughly throughout the book, complete with excellent photographs. The information about eggs, fruits, veggies etc is also very interesting to read.

In addition to the recipes after the jump, we’ve also had leak and goats cheese tart and souffléd omelette. This weekend we’re having a blue cheese gratin and lemon roulade.

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I have to say, there’s nothing I love more on a Sunday than a big mug of tea and PostSecret. Yes it’s been around a while, I’m late to the party. I love art, and I love psychology. PostSecret is these combined, we say art is an expression of a feeling or emotion, these postcards really are just that. Each beautiful in their own way, some very depressing, some uplifting. It’s quite an emotional rollercoaster for a Sunday morning, but I still love it (plus the tea ballances out the really bad stuff, as we all know, a cup of tea is the answer to everything).

For Valentines the Mister got me one of the books. Yes there are more secrets than you could ever want to read on the website, but I still love books, and I love this book. It’s a coffee table book really, one you can go back to. Some artistic inspiration, some things to ponder. If you love the website and it’s message, you’ll love the book. Click here to find out more.

Everyone told me it would happen, and it did (as evidenced on the reviews page – most of those are after I finished all my work, or as I was finishing). I’ve been stuck on fiction for months, mostly the Kathy Reichs series. I’m now up to the latest book and awaiting a copy at the library of the one just released. I just cannot get through a design or photography book – much as I want to and know I need to to keep up my learning and development – I’m just in a book binge, and the books I’m reading aren’t even that great. They keep me interested, don’t get me wrong. I like Reichs’ books, but they’re not what I’d call masterpieces. I guess my brain just needed a break.

I have four (yes, four! Two of which belong at work) half finished design and photography books which I simply must finish! I’m thinking that the new rule is no more fiction until I’ve finished those, but I just know I’ll crack… hrm.

So two questions, what was your post-uni book binge like? And any recommendations for fiction for me to read now I’m up to date with Reichs?

2/5

I’ve read a lot of DuMaurier books and loved them all. This one was somewhat different, and while it had her characteristic twists and turns, I just didn’t enjoy it like I have her other books. Julius is the story of a young boy, working his way from rags to riches, anyone who gets in his way or too close be damned. It’s short, and I felt there just wasn’t much to it. I wouldn’t recommend it, but I’d be interested to hear some differing opinions.

This book brought me back to what I was beginning to like about the series. Mystery, intrigue. This time it was Brennan herself in trouble instead of a friend or family member, and I don’t recall an “I wish this…” moment, which is good, because I for some reason found those annoying. I enjoyed her relationship with [name of dog] and it was interesting to learn more about her husband.

There are a lot of twists and turns, and this one is definitely worth a read if you like the series.

2/5

My least favourite of her books so far, although I think that was just down to the subject matter really. Biker gang killings aren’t so mysterious as some of her other cases. Again, a family member is involved somehow and she has her usual “I wish I’d seen the signs…” or somesuchthing moment. It was an ok read, but like I say, probably my least favourite of what I’ve seen from Reichs.

5/5

I’d consider this book to be the original kind of crime fiction – only much better written, much more interesting, and with far more class. A story of love, hardship and some really unexpected twists and turns, this is one of my favourite books of all time.

It didn’t disappoint on the second read through – it must have been about four years since I first read it, so I’d pretty much entirely forgotten what happened, which was great because I got to experience it all over again.

There are a few things which make me think “huh?” and maybe one or two things are a bit farfetched, but that doesn’t stop this book from being a classic. Well worth a read – it has it all.

4/5

Death Du Jour is the second in the “Bones” series by Kathy Reichs, this book picks up some while after the first book, Deja Dead. Phorensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is again facing a killer who may be targeting someone close to her. Touching on the issue of “cults”, mass hysteria and ritualistic killing, Death Du Jour is another compelling read.

We begin to learn more about Brennan and her family, her relationship to the people she works with (including the agent who I assume is the series’ “Booth”), and we’re taken on many twists and turns to solve the mystery.

Being able to identify with the characters more and knowing the back story from the first book perhaps made it more enjoyable than the first. While with the first book I was unsure as to if I liked the story being told from Brennan’s perspective, by the time I’d finished this one I understood why it worked so well. It would be quite hard to relate to Brennan and the cases, I feel, if it weren’t given from her perspective. The fear, the calculation, all of it would be less “real” if it were being described by some obscure third person.

The only thing I was unsure of was how plausible the locations of the cult would be in relation to Brennan, but I suppose its fiction, anything can happen

I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first and am looking forward to reading the next book.

3.5/5

Well it’s no secret I love Bones. I thought I’d try the books. Picked this one up as a treat. Found the next one in a charity shop for cheaps. It’s not bad. The titles leave a lot to be desired, but the content is good. I was unsure about the first person stance but it works out alright. The only trouble I have is reading books like this and getting scared that every noise is someone come to kill me like in the book. I have no trouble with spooky films, books are a whole other kettle of fish.

It was a compelling read, kept me involved. It’s not the same as the show, although I guess some of the later ones might be. This is fair enough I guess, since the show is just based on the character in the books, not the books themselves. Worth a read if you like crime fiction

Thus begins my book binge!

Amazon Summary

The meticulously dismembered body of a woman is discovered in the grounds of an abandoned monastery. ‘Too decomposed for standard autopsy. Request antrhopologic expertise.’ Enter Dr Temperance Brennan, Director of Forensic Antrhopology for the province of Quebec, who has been researching recent disappearances in the city. Despite the deep cynicism of Detective Claudel who head the investigation, Brennan is convinced that a serial killer is at work. Her forensic expertise finally convinces Claudel, but only after the body count has risen…Tempe takes matters into her own hands, but her determined probing places those closest to her in mortal danger. Can Tempe make her crucial breakthrough before the killer strikes again?

4/5

I forgot to review this, I read it a week or two ago. It’s been on my bookshelf for about a year. Finally starting to get through them all. There’s a lot I’m really excited about reading, particularly some my uncle got me.

I picked this up in HMV pretty cheap, I think along with The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: And Other Stories (which I did read at the time). It’s no secret I love Burton’s work (aside from the Batman films), so to read about it was pretty interesting. I love knowing the process, the reasons they did this that and the other, the subtle things (like for instance in Big Fish, how when Edward’s standing in all those daffodils, how they’re real and not CG). If I like a film I’ll buy the DVD that has the director’s commentary (which is why I was pretty pissed that the special edition of Sweeney Todd has no commentary, the featurette makes up for that, sort of, I guess).

That said I think this is obviously a book for people who like his work, who want to know a bit more, why he does this that and the other. Some of it’s pretty funny. The intro by Johnny Depp is good. It was interesting to see why their relationship works so well. There was also a lot of things I didn’t know, that he animated some of the Fox and the Hound for example. I guess I never realised how hard it is to get a film made.

Amazon Summary

Tim Burton is one of the great modern-day visionaries of cinema, a director who has fabricated his own deliciously nightmarish universe in movies as extraordinary as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Mars Attacks! – not to mention his twisted take on the tales of Batman, Sleepy Hollow, and Planet of the Apes. Coinciding with the release of his re-imagining of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with long-time comrade Johnny Depp, this updated and fully illustrated new edition of the definitive Burton interview book casts light on Burton’s Burbank childhood, his early work at Disney, the recurrent themes and stunning designs of his movies, and the creative obsessions that fuel them. One of the best – selling books in the series, this brings his career right up to date Includes interviews on all of his most recent films, including the long awaited Charlie and the Chocolate Factory He never gives interviews, so this is the one opportunity film fans will have of hearing Tim Burton’s opinions on his work.