The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Dearest fellow ape-descended life forms,

I wish I could claim that my long absence was spent exploring the Galaxy to bring you back the really cool aforementioned Guide... I really do... Sadly, nothing even remotely exciting happened in the past few months (well except maybe for a certain event related to L. - but I don't think she'd forgive me if I mentionned it here).
 
Yet don't despair, oh intrepid reader, for the Great Douglas Adams and his bountiful imagination have provided us with ample material for excitment (I can see those of you who have already read this book nodding enthusiastically!). I am of course referring to his world famous 5 book trilogy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (H2G2).


Writing this post in under 50 pages was a serious challenge for me. To give you an idea, when re-reading H2G2 a couple of months ago, I decided to fold the corner of each page on which I found a funny quote I wanted to use later - by the end, I realised I had marked almost every other page of the book. 
So, in an effort to be synthetic, I asked an expert in keeping-it-short (namely, Ailonn) how he would describe this book, and he replied: "In one word: Improbable." Never could have put it better. Before I lose you completely though, let's start at the beginning:

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move...

Ok let's skip forward a few hundred thousand years...

On an ordinary Thursday, around lunch time, Englishman Arthur Dent sees his house bulldozed down, finds out his best friend (Ford Prefect) is an alien, and barely survives the demolition of the Earth by hitching a ride on a Vogon ship. There starts the most improbable adventure of his life.

After being thrown out into deep space by the Vogons, Ford and Arthur are suddenly saved by another spaceship, just in the nick of time. Here they are now, passengers of the Heart of Gold, a brand new starship prototype propelled by the Infinite Improbability Drive. This is how they find themselves traveling in company of the President of the Imperial Galactic Government, a couple of mice, an Earthwoman called Trillian and a manically depressed robot called Marvin.

Life? Don't talk to me about life!

Guided by the well informed Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which is well on its way to supplanting the Encyclopaedia Galactica), they wander on a strange quest for quasi-mythical planet Magrathea - no one really knows why, but at least Eddie-the-computer is cheery about it.
On the way, they find out the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything (42), they visit a life size catalog for custom made planets, 2 very agressive missiles are turned into a bowl of Petunias and a very surprised looking sperm whale, and we learn the recipe to a great Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster (please drink responsibly).

I want you so much to read this novel, but just grab the book and read the first page or two, and you'll be convinced of Douglas Adams's hilarious genius far better than by my poor prose. There's no need to be a sci-fi lover to appreciate his work, but it is easier if you are not put off by some absurd sense of humour. 

H2G2 is a great read for everyone (except maybe if you are hyper sensitive to the fate of sperm whales, then you might find some scenes too shocking). It is also the key to understanding all those private jokes people have been making for years around you, answering 42 to every question and asking you at the weirdest times if you remembered to take your towel.

So if you could never get the hang of Thursdays either and are looking for a great read, grab your towel, some peanuts, a copy of the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I can promise you some serious fun! 

Min'
Your devoted carbon-based bipedal life form descended from an ape 
(but not from Genghis Khan)

Can't be bothered

Salut, 

La période critique est de retour,  celle du "Bon sang de bois, sur quoi vais-je bien pouvoir écrire?!". Parce que oui, chers lecteurs, figurez vous que trouver un livre qui vous donne envie de crier sur les toits "c'est formidable, lisez le !!!" et en fait plus rare et difficile qu'on pourrait croire. Du coup, à chaque problème sa solution, aujourd'hui, je vais vous parler des livres que je n'arrive pas à finir.

Une de mes déceptions du mois s'appelle: 

Hope a tragedy de Shalom Auslander.

Voici un petit résumé emprunté  à Good read

The rural town of Stockton, New York, is famous for nothing: no one was born there, no one died there, nothing of any historical import at all has ever happened there, which is why Solomon Kugel, like other urbanites fleeing their pasts and histories, decided to move his wife and young son there.To begin again. To start anew. But it isn’t quite working out that way for Kugel…...more

Ça avait pourtant l'air de bien partir, les critiques en ont fait l'éloge, disant que c'est drôle, satirique, border-line de mauvais goût. Et pourtant... J'ai trouvé ce livre très ennuyeux, alors peut être que c'est parce que je n'ai pas compris les subtilités de la langue, mais quand même...Conclusion, quitte à se frapper 350 pages de névrose, autant mater un Woody Allen. 

London Folk Tales de Helen East: 

London—the greatest city on earth. Travelers, traders, buyers, beggars, soldiers, settlers, leaders, and laborers have crossed paths here, all languages and walks of life jostling and mingling. Two thousand years of stories are waiting to be told. This wonderful collection, which is as light and dark, quirky and diverse as the capital itself, brings these stories to life by professional storyteller and long-term London resident Helen East. Drawing on oral history, folk sources, and written texts, she retells old favorites like Dick Whittington alongside glorious new discoveries, such as royal rats, Saint Uncumber, ghosts and fateful fish. With 50 beautiful illustrations, this book will charm and delight residents and visitors alike

Bon alors là, c'est pas du tout la faute de l'auteure, c'est juste moi qui suis un peu une caguette comme on dit chez moi. Surtout quand je suis toute seule, qu'il fait gris, qu'il pleut, et que la nuit tombe et que je n'ai aucune perspective de compagnie amicale pour la soirée... . Ce livre est (pour le moment), super intéressant, par contre, si les histoires de fantômes et d'animaux enterrés vivants vous font flipper, il serait judicieux de le lire en été, sur la plage, en buvant des Daikiris (mais ça pourrait plomber l’ambiance...).

 ps: la couverture n'est franchement pas top, mais ne pas s'y fier. 

 Catch 22 de Joseph Heller, 

Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved. 

Bon, je ne l'ai pas fini, ce n'est que partie remise,  mais je ne sais pas, sur le coup j'étais pas tellement captivée. A reprendre bientôt et je vous dirais! Si vous l'avez lu et que vous pouvez me motiver, n'hésitez pas! 

Sur ce, il est l'heure de fermer boutique! Et si vous avez des recommandations livresques faites tourner! 

L.

 

♪ Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all ♪

"Dear Friend,
Girls are weird, and I don't mean that offensively. 
I just can't put it in any other way." 
Charlie

Dear reader-friend, thank you for coming today!

Today's post is about a book I read a couple of weeks ago and really loved. I had walked into Waterstones looking for a very specific book they didn't have, and almost walked out of a bookshop empty handed for the first time in years. Almost. I ended up buying two books, and this is one of them. This was one of my best compulsive buys ever.

I am always skeptical about novels written as a letter exchange, but this unusual one way correspondence works perfectly well and allows us a deep insight into Charlie's world and in his unique style. 
I think this is my latest favourite book, maybe like Charlie would say, because it's the last one I read - but that would only be partly true...

This book wasn't just entertaining, it made me wonder. Remember days when I would question the world around me, when I still had time to find existential questions in my every day environment and actually ponder them. When I remembered the exact birth date of the people I cared about without having to rely on FB or my iphone, when I also knew exactly what Christmas gift would make them feel special, what food they didn't like and took the time to chat for hours or send long emails to the faraway ones. 
The time when, like Charlie, I made mix-tapes (then CDs), photo albums and sent postcards whenever I was out of town. 

Who's Charlie? I'll cheat a bit and use the book cover synopsis because I couldn't put it any better than this: 
Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. (I wish I'd written that!) 
This is exactly the essence of Charlie and his story: a touching coming of age tale, the tale of this unusual boy, the touching paradox that he is: innocent and awkward, with a huge heart and yet passionate, ready to throw himself headfirst into Life without a backward glance. Charlie and his love for his friends (Sam and Patrick) and family, so unknowingly talented and completely unaware of his effect on people. I loved seeing the world through his eyes, and even though I can't pretend I can completely identify with him, maybe this made me nostalgic of all the things I mentioned earlier, of not making more rash decisions when I was a teen, of not being able to keep in touch properly and give people the attention they deserve...



As Charlie puts it so well:

You are special, thank you for being here! I hope you find your Sam and Patrick and get a chance to listen to a song on a ride with them and feel infinite...

Have a great day!

Min'

PS: did you recognise the song in the title?

 

Good Cheese

Hallo, hallo,

New post! 
I was procrastinating about this one. Why? You may ask when one is writing in such an awesome blog? Because I was reading! 

Two weeks ago, I was a bit desperate to find a book about which I would like to write. Last week something amaaaazing happened, it was sunny and warm in London! As we say in French, "ni une, ni deux" (Min' will explain this one) and I was in the French bookshop in South Kensington to find something to read in the sun. After a few anguishing minutes, I found a book which looked mildly interesting and big enough to last one or two weeks. Picking up this book, I wouldn't have thought that I would like it that much. Especially when you know that romantic, full of love and good people tend to make me slightly sick. 

This book, called "Le Goût du Bonheur" and written by Marie Laberge is really good, so I'm gonna write a short post in order to go back to my reading (I'm sure you will understand). 
I didn't find any summaries in english so you will have to believe me when I say it's good. 

This story takes place in French Canada before the 2nd World War. The writer tells us the story of Gabrielle (the main character) and her family (5 kids, her cool husband, and 2 more or less cool sisters).  You have to bear in mind that the world is starting to move and change quickly at that time. It's the beginning of the suffragettes, and a young generation of women are starting to feel the difficulty of living a life where they have got to keep their place, raise their children and to be good, obedient wives to their husbands (thank goodness that's over now!). In this very interesting context, Gabrielle tries to raise her family her own way, which means full of maternal love, understanding, freedom for her children and high moral standards (sounds quite boring described like that, but it's cool)...
The characters are highly endearing, you want to carry on following to know how they will grow up (good job that it's a trilogy and the 2 others are about the next generation). It's a very nice and comforting read and at the end you soooo want to be like Gabrielle (with more drinks).

Well, as I was telling you, it is a short post, but I hope now you want to read this book and let us know what you think about it!

Peace out!
L. 

Where it is (not) Christmas

Dear readers, 

(Pour nos chers lecteurs francophones, je vous réfère au joli article de Tam-Tam qui m'a donné envie de lire ce livre.) 

Here we are again, Wednesday and the weekend seems so far away... 
What helps YOU cope during long winter weeks? Last time, I wrote about Escapism (it was in French, but here is a good definition in English), its risks and virtues, and I told you how much I love getting lost in a good book! 

Well today has come the time for me to admit to one of my "Pêchés mignons" (guilty pleasures): romance novels. I used to feel nothing but scorn for this kind of literature (does it even count as literature?) and would not have been caught dead reading one of these books. Then Princesse Chi-Chi decided it could not go on any longer and took it upon herself to educate me. You see, Chi-Chi (along with co-blogger Tam-Tam) is a sort of romantic literature high priestess and I was soon to be initiated to the world of good romance. The key word there being good - yes, romance is literature and it can be good. Oh-so-good! Today's post is not meant to be a manifesto on romance novels, so to keep it short: well written romance has wit, humour, style, sometimes suspense, fangs, thrill, sci-fi, history, always love, and most of all a 100% dependable feel-good factor (if it doesn't end well, it is not good romance - and I don't mean cheesy, yuk!). 

You've guessed it, this was the kind of books an irredeemable escapist like me had been waiting for all her life. So when Monday blues threatens and I need a quick fix of "warm-and-fuzzy", I visit the Princesses' library to find inspiration - and they strike every time with surreal accuracy (how I wish the Princesses' blog was also in English!). 

This week's Monday post from Tam-Tam was about "Twelve Days" by Teresa Hill. Yes it is the Twelve Days of Christmas, and yes I know it's not Christmas at all, but yes it's such a nice story you can read it any time of year. 

Unable to have their own children, and after unsuccessful attempts at adoption, Rachel and Sam McRae register as foster parents and welcome young Will into their life and into their hearts (what do you mean it's a cheesy phrase?). 
We pick up their story a few years later, about a month after Will is taken away from them to live with his biological mother again. Devastated, Rachel has been slowly sinking into depression, and her life with Sam into a deep, unforgiving silence. Rachel and Sam have been married for 12 years and despite their deep love for each other, life's hardships seem to have finally gotten the better of their relationship. 
On this first evening of a 12 day local festival leading up to Christmas, Miriam, Rachel's aunt and a social worker, shows up on her doorstep with 3 siblings in want of shelter for the holidays. Emma (11), Zach (5) and baby Grace (1) have been abandoned in a motel by their mother and Rachel and Sam are their only hope to spend the holidays in a safe place without being separated. Rachel's first reaction is anger, at what she feels is a cruel joke from her aunt, putting her once more in a situation that will most likely hurt her, when she is still mourning the loss of Will (and more?). How could she, really? Still, the children's needs come first and Rachel agrees to take them on (without checking with Sam) but only for the holidays. As she goes to tell Sam, she overhears a conversation and discovers he plans on leaving her just after Christmas. 
In spite of this shock and of the painful memories the kids trigger, Rachel decides it's time to pick up her life and to give the children the best Christmas of their lives, in the long tradition of her own big and loving family. Sam, clearly not thrilled by a situation he knows will hurt them more, plays along, and suddenly the big and silent family house is filled with the sound of children. 

This is not a typical romance, which would start with the heroes meeting and falling in love, not with a 12 year marriage and 3 children, but the story still remains centered on Sam and Rachel's relationship. It does not suddenly become perfect again, and I think that is one of my favourite aspects of this novel. Rachel and Sam have a lot of work to do, a lot of silence(s) to overcome, years of unspoken guilt and hurt to express and grief to process. They have to go through these Twelve Days with the uncertainty of when the children's mother will be found, of knowing if Sam will really leave her (Rachel hasn't told him she knows), of figuring how he will live without Rachel (Sam is leaving her to give her a chance to be happy) and with irresistible children who need their love but might soon break their hearts. 

Teresa Hill really takes just the time needed to let Rachel and Sam work out their problems like any real couple, knowing it takes more than the magic of children in a house to heal a relationship. I really enjoyed watching them slowly break the silence and the distance between them, how the children actually help the couple as much as they are helped and I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series (there are 3 more books, one about each child). I was also touched by the way Rachel struggles to learn again what faith means, whether in God or in her marriage and by the way Sam struggles, even after 12 years, to accept the love of her wonderful family and of their community.

When I say really enjoyed it, I must be completely honest (it's part of a 12 step program to deal with my compulsiveness): I couldn't put it down, read it in one evening and didn't sleep until 2:30 am... on a week night... but it was worth it!

So go for it, it's a lovely book that's sure to make you smile: who can say no to that? 

More than halfway through the week! Yes!
Good luck!

Min'

Winter is Coming - and goodies with it!

Hello dear Reader and a Happy New Year!

After such a long silence, it was high time we got together for a good start of 2013. Tell me, tell me, what did you read, what did you watch, what delicious foods made you happy during the holidays? My list is so long it would take a few posts to tell you all about it, so to make up for our long absence I chose for you: 

one book, one movie and one tasty treat.

The Book

"A Game of Thrones" (GoT) is the first book of "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, a fantasy series taking place in three different settings with interconnecting plots: The Seven Kingdoms, The Wall and The East. 

In the Seven Kingdoms, at the end of the Summer, in a world where seasons can last for years, this book is mostly centered on Eddard Stark, Lord of the House of Winterfell and his family. The plot revolves around his relationship with King Robert Baratheon, and the consequences of his nomination as Hand of the King, forcing him to leave Winterfell for the southern capital city King's Landing. 

In the North, the brotherhood of the Night's Watch guards the Wall, huge barrier of ice stone and magic that protects the Seven Kingdoms from the wildlings and the Others, nightmarish creatures supposedly haunting the icy woods of the North. Men of the Watch come from all paths of life and swear an oath to serve a lifetime of celibacy and complete dedication to their duty.

Meanwhile in the Free Isles of the East, Viserys Targaryen plots tu use his sister Daenerys (Dany) to reclaim the throne of the Seven Kingdoms that was taken over from his father Aegerys Targaryen by Robert Baratheon. For that purpose, 13 year old Dany is wed to Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo and his barbaric army. 

George R. R. Martin skillfully unfolds an amazing saga of love, war and magic, plots and revenge, dragons, wolves and epic quests. Creating universes as rich and complex as Tolkien's, he transports us from icy desolate lands to luciously green cities and spicy deserts. In these amazing settings evolve a number of fascinating characters, each with their unique personalities, inner conflicts and relationships. As the author takes us from one to the other, slowly weaving the web that connects them all, you can't help but want to know what happens next, feel the hot wind in your hair as you ride through the Dothraki sea of grass, be thrilled by the sound of the Starks' howling direwolves or shiver at the idea of what lies and hides behind the Wall. 

In spite of its size (700+ pages), I managed to finish it within 3 very busy weeks and am currently reading the second book ("A Clash of Kings") so I would definitely recommend it to all Fantasy lovers. 

Oh, and did I mention there's a dwarf?

The Movie

Speaking of dwarves, you must have guessed by now which movie was the highlight of my holiday season: the long awaited (by me at least) "The Hobbit, an Unexpected Journey" by Peter Jackson. 

As you may recall, I had read the novel recently in anticipation of the film coming out. Well I wasn't disappointed: keeping in mind that this is only the first part of three movies, Peter Jackson stayed quite truthful to the book and his few adjustments worked just fine for me. The characters were true to form thanks to some amazing acting (can I just mention Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage here) and the decors up to any expectations we might have had after seeing The Lord of The Rings trilogy. 

I must admit to having a slight bias as a previous fan of Richard Armitage, who plays Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the dwarves. How Peter Jackson managed to make a dwarf even remotely sexy is a mystery, but I am sure Richard's deep barytone of a voice and intense blue stare didn't hurt! I am yet to meet someone who doesn't get gosebumps as Thorin is joined by his dwarves in a few moving choruses of the Misty Mountains by Bilbo's fireplace. Gandalf's facetious nature and sense of humour show perfectly through Ian McKellen's subtle acting and Martin Freeman really got the hang of the oh so British and conflicted Bilbo on his life changing adventure. 

I'll let you refer to my previous post on The Hobbit for more details on the story but as a final argument I will only add that after 2h50min of movie, my friend who knew nothing of the story or of Tolkien's universe exclaimed: 
"The end? How long do we have to wait to see the second part?" 
My thoughts exactly!

The Treat

What better way to conclude this post than with one of my favourite Christmas treats: 

Chocolate Truffles. Chocolate truffles are very easy to prepare and make a delicious sweet or lovely gift but require a bit of patience (plan at least 2h30). So here's a basic recipe with a few possible variations. 

Ingredients: 

• 250gr dark baking chocolate
• 20cl creme fraiche (or double cream)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder

In a bowl, start melting the chocolate, either with 2 table spoons of water in the microwave (medium power) or in a water bath (bain marie). Boil the cream in a sauce pan then add to the chocolate. Mix until you get a smooth creamy texture. Let the preparation cool down in the fridge for about 1h30.

Once the mix is thick enough (hard), spread some cocoa powder on a plate, use tea spoons to make small balls of chocolate and roll them in the cocoa power. Your truffles are ready! You can present them in little paper cases. 

Traditional recipes include 1 or 2 tea spoons of liquor or rhum. You can also replace the cocoa powder with grated coconut - I ran out of cocoa this Christmas and even tried almond powder which nicely counterbalances the very sweet chocolate mix. How about white chocolate truffles? Just let your taste buds fuel your imagination!

So, what book, movie and/or food was the highlight of YOUR holidays? Come one, share, we're REALLY curious!

Min'

There and back again

Hello again,

Today is a double first : first post in English and first post about a book!

As we are all getting in the lovely spirit of December and eagerly anticipating the coming of - yes, you guessed it - "The Hobbit" on screen (who said Christmas?), I thought it was time for me to (re)read the book. 
If you are not (yet) eager to see the movie (and Richard Armitage as Thorin!), just read the novel - there is still time before the movie comes out, and it's pretty short after all!

Ah, but this is not about the yet to be seen movie. This is about my first ever encounter with the fantastic genius of Tolkien. I read The Hobbit (in French "Bilbon le Hobbit" at the time) in my early teens and decided to read it again, in English, before going to see the movie. Let me tell you, its magic hasn't faded a bit!

"The Hobbit, or There and Back Again", is a fantasy novel by the Master of the genre, J. R. R. Tolkien. It's its immediate success that lead to the writing of a sequel, "The Lord of the Rings" (ever wondered where that ring came from?).

"The Hobbit" tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a very respectable hobbit, who is dragged into a year-long quest by wizard Gandalf and a group of noble dwarves lead by Thorin Oakenshield. I'll let you imagine poor Bilbo's shock, when 13 mighty dwarves first invade his neat and cozy hobbit hole, uninvited, and at tea time! How they then convince our little hobbit friend to join them... well, that would be a spoiler.

On their journey to reclaim the dwarves' fabulous inheritance from terrible dragon Smaug, the unusual party comes accross many dangers and adventures (goblins, elves, were-bears, giant spiders...) that lead them to learn much about themselves.
Yet "The Hobbit" is so much more than just another "coming of age" epic quest. This is where Tolkien's genius makes all the difference. Bilbo drags you along in a complete new world, Middle-Earth, with its own civilisations, peoples and history. How one man had the imagination and dedication to create this whole universe, complete with languages, legends and geography, in such baffling detail, I cannot imagine. 

Have you read before a book that comes with its own soundtrack? You have missed much indeed, if you have never spent an evening dancing by the fire to the sound of elvish songs, or smoking your pipe while dwarves sing of the glories of old days.

All you have to do, dear reader, is let yourself get carried away through Middle-Earth, from the soft comforting hills of the Shire to the stark Desolation of Smaug - and back again...

Min'