Final Preparations For The Big Day

World Book Night is FINALLY on the horizon! Only one more sleep (who am I kidding; there's no way I'll be sleeping tonight) until the big day! 

Having written in and inserted my extra note into all of the books, and re-read a copy of one of them so I can confidently suggest my favourite story to new potential readers tomorrow, I decided that I wanted to test my rubbish art skills yet again in order to grab peoples attention. As such, my new t-shirt was born:




Where it might not look like much to anyone else, I couldn't be happier with how the t-shirt has turned out. So to anyone wandering around Manchester City Centre tomorrow; if you see me wearing this then, dear lord, come over and say hello! You might even get a book out of it! I'm keeping my fingers well and truly crossed that I meet a lot of new and lovely literary enthusiasts and even manage to create a few new ones.

I'll be ending the day at the Deansgate Waterstones for their World Book Night event that includes readings, of their favourite books/stories, from variety of authors such as; Sam Mills, Rodge Glass, Chris Killen, Joe Stretch, Socrates Adams, Simon Savidge, and poets; Carola Luther, Evan Jones, Grevel Lindop and Helen Tookey. It's free to attend and starts at half past six. 

See you all tomorrow, have a wonderful World Book Night!

My Plans for WBN

I wanted to make World Book Night really special so I have made little notes to put inside each of the books I am going to be giving out:

 

Each one with a tiny request on it. I want people to take a picture of themselves holding the book (or if people are too shy then just of the book itself) next to a sign with the name of their home town, city, or even country to show just how far the book has travelled!

 
I intend to make a map on here with book cursers in various parts of the country and, hopefully, other countries too, that when clicked on show the picture that people have sent! I just thought it'd be a lovely way to see just how many other book lovers are out there and possibly make some new friendships out of it. 





 
I don't know if people will actually send me anything, or if they'll just send me abusive emails (I certainly hope I won't receive the latter!) but I am going to remain hopeful never-the-less. If nothing else, the readers will receive a lovely little bookmark! Only time will tell!


I wish myself luck!

World Book Night Update!

I officially have my books! HURRAH! I am now the proud owner foster parent of twenty four copies of Roald Dahl's 'Someone Like You'. They are the prettiest books I've ever seen, they even have a sonnet printed on the inside of the back cover to commemorate William Shakespeare (in birth and death) as the date was chosen specifically because of him. i won't tell which sonnet is in this book, but it complements the overall theme of the collection perfectly! I tried to suss it out beforehand but just couldn't!

Anyway; I got a little camera happy and took many photographs of them:



I was so excited that I ripped open the packaging and then sat in awe (and mass amounts of mockery from my friends; damn them).

After writing my name, point of pickup, and the unique Book Crossing tracking number in them all, I stacked them up and took another photo. They ARE on a table as well as myself being sat on the floor when I took this. 

  

Being the nerd I am I decided that I wanted some pictures of the books in the daylight (as flash and the yellow glow from the houselights distorted the image too much), so there we have it! My beautiful World Book Night books that I just cannot wait to give out!

This one even jumped into my bag and is dying to get out into the world and bring someone the same happiness that it (and it's brothers) has brought me.

I really am hoping that this 'random' approach to giving them out will work as well as it does in theory! If someone were to, randomly, hand me a book in the middle of the street, or a pub/cafe, or if I were so lucky to stumble across one in my city (which Lord knows I pray for on a daily basis) I would be overjoyed! I would read it, treasure it, no doubt blog about it... I hope that other people share my enthusiasm on the day! I have a lot planned for the day! More information tomorrow!

Bucket List Update and Crosby Beach!

Number Twenty-Two: Get a Pen Friend
My friend from university has moved down to London and we have decided to keep our love for letter writing and the written word alive and be pen friends! I will also see who I meet at Groezrock Festival in Belgium and see if any new friends would care to be my pen friend also. I enjoy mail!

The Moustache Postits and Letter is from my new/old penfriend and the book is from another pal, both birthday presents! I have lovely friends! 

Number Forty-Three: Steward Leeds Festival 2012

I applied to be a steward for Leeds Festival 2012 with Oxfam Stewards and it has been confirmed that it is a definite go ahead! Hooray!! After looking at multiple stewarding photographs and chatting to other volunteers I can say that I am thoroughly excited for summer! Also by working this years festival it brings me one year closer to completing my ten year run of going to the festival (number forty two on my bucket list) only one year left!

Crosby Beach
With the formality of the bucket list out of the way I can tell you all about my lovely trip to Crosby Beach on Thursday! A lovely pal of mine had returned from his duty to the Army for a few days and since I had the day off and he had a car we decided to head to the beach! We got lost though and this resulted in me shouting 'CROSBY' very loud whenever I saw it on a street sign, but we got there in the end so that is all that matters. I got very excited and started running around and playing on the sand dunes, Lee mainly laughed at this and took some pictures of me being a big kid:



Once over the dune we had a full view of the beach and the amazing, if not a little unsettling, installation by Anthony Gormley called 'Another Place' which consists of a hundred metallic life size statues of men facing the ocean. Standing at the edge of the water looking out to the horizon provides the eeriely beautiful sight of a multitude of figures half submerged in the water, anyone who didn't already know about the statues would instantly think that someone was in danger. Unfortunately I could not get a good photo of the men in the ocean as my blackberry camera is past it's prime and blurry as anything; but if you follow this link you can see an array of pictures of them:

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/art/news-iron-men-crosby-beach

And before I left I made sure I made my mark in the sand

 
It is a beautiful, inspiring, little beach which I think is way too underrated and plan on making many more trips there in the future.

The Timewaster Diaries: A Year in the Life of Robin Cooper.

This is without a doubt the funniest book I have ever read. It is a joy to pick up, a breeze to read, and is guarenteed to leave any reader laughing and wanting more.




The fictional Robin Cooper has the most interesting outlook on life; I would definitely describe him as a dreamer with an extremely enthusiastic, almost childlike, attitude to life (one which I am happy to say that I too share). He is hell bent on becoming a world reknown inventor, with each hair brain scheme being a 'sure fire, billy boy hit!' Some of my favourite ideas are:

• Aqua Choc - the world's first water centered chocolate bar!
• Bird Beddie - a device that utilises the power of lullabies and underwear to safely capture birds, but instead introduces the vital character of Smithy the Wood-Pigeon.
• The Nest Egg Kettle - ever since reading this book I have wanted to cook an egg in a kettle; the big corporations really SHOULD create this!
•  The Tortimikeppi - a hat for turtles.

And many, many more, however my all time favourite invention of Robin's has to be Orag (Opposite Rhyming Animal Game)! I won't explain the rules though as it really is something wonderful, and hilarious, that every reader should discover on their own. I will say that I HAVE played the game with a friend though and it really is so much harder than Robin makes it seem. If anyone else has played it; feel free to tell be your best Orag!

Other characters that appear in the pages of Robin's 'Dear Diary' are: his clumsy but loveable wife Rita; who is proned to spraining her ankle, Tony Sutton; Robin's alcoholic, foul mouthed/tempered best friend and occasional house/shed mate, his mother Hilary Cooper; who enjoys eccentric hairstyles and is part horse, Miss Marsh/Captain Wig Wham Tommy; a learner driver/triangular hero of dreams, and many others.

My copy of the book (as seen above) is very tattered and at the point where it could fall apart on me at any moment, but keeps permanent residence on my bed as a light and uplifting read before I fall asleep. I've tried not to give too much away, as there is just too much I love about this book, but the only thing I can really say is that it's an absolutely fantastic book which everyone needs to read at least once in their lives. If anyone reading this already has then I ask; what was your favourite part?

Oh Dear...

I have neglected my blog lately, I do apologise but I have a good reason; it was my birthday on April 5th and I have been out being silly and pretending I'm not as old as I have turned. I will get back on blogging tomorrow as I have a lot of built up anger about tents to diffuse (mainly, and hopefully, by purchasing a tent today!) but I DO have two reviews; of Angela Carter's 'The Magic Toyshop' and Robin Coopers' 'The Timewaster Diaries' to copy up from my notebook. 

Many apologes once more, and until tomorrow here is a picture from my birthday of me surrounded by the people I love the most!