Reading challenge

Until this year I didn't read that many books, maybe only one or two books per month. I thought that was too few, considering my 14-pages long "books-to-read-list". So this year I joined the reading challenge at Goodreads and decided that I should read 100 books in 2011. Right now I'm halfway through, so I hope I'll be able to keep up the standard. I haven't read much in June because of my exams, but I managed to read a few books. Unfortunately, only one of them deserves a recommendation.

"Special topics in calamity physics" by Marisha Pessl. Blue van Meer is a 16-year old intellectual, who is living a nomadic life with her father, professor Gareth van Meer. He travels around the country to lecture at different universities and Blue comes with him as her mother died in a car accident. In her senior year of high school they're staying for a whole year, so Blue can finish school. Here she gets involved with a group of friends, which goes by the name of "the Bluebloods". Blue and the Bluebloods always eat Sunday dinner at Hannah Schneider's house. Hannah Schneider is film teacher at the school and there's something mysterious going on around her...
I enjoyed the book, even though it was a little bit heavy in the middle. The book is full of references to other books, mainly classics. To begin with it's no big deal to read all the references, but it becomes kind of annoying when you haven't read all those books.

Inspiration

Next week I'll be off for this summer's ceramics course, so I've been looking for a bit of inspiration for my clay projects. Last year I made tons of small bowls with different glazes (and I really don't know how to use them all), so this year I'll try to make less, but in a better quality, which means I'll focus on improving my technique.



The cups (or whatever they're called) in the bottom left corner of the collage have the most incredible paper-thin sides. I have never seen ceramics as thin as that. And I love the yellow colour. They are made by the Danish potter Bodil Manz.
I also like the two baskets (upper left corner) made by Malene Müllertz, but I don't think I'll be able to make anything like that myself. But they're beautiful.
Last but not least, the lamps full of holes from feinedinge. I think I'll try to make something similar, just for candles. Now I just have to figure out how to make the holes. Not sure if I dare to "ruin" the vases I make by making holes in them...

[image sources: 1+2 Lacoste Gallery, 3 Designmuseum Denmark and 4+5+6 feinedinge]

What to do?

Ah, finally done with exams and boring notes, now a long vacation is waiting, hurray!
My exam went very well, actually I had a great time with my teacher and the external examiner. The atmosphere was so relaxed and we were all in high spirits, it was the perfect ending. After the exam one of my classmates gave me a little present in return for all the times I've helped her during our course. It was very, very kind of her. She's so sweet.
Oh, and by the way I caught a glimpse of the lunar eclipse last week, as you can see on the last photo. Right now I feel kind of restless, I don't know what to do with all my spare time...

24 hours

The countdown to freedom has begun. Tomorrow I'll finally finish my math course, can't wait to say goodbye to my books. Friday I got the result from the written part of the examination, it wasn't bad at all, so I hope it'll turn out just as good tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Jack Johnson - Traffic in the sky

This song is perfect, when you're doing boring things (such as revision).

Chania

Only three questions left (and a brief revision of all the questions) to prepare for my upcoming exam, which means only 4 or 5 days left with the books. Can't wait till it's over, I'm not that motivated any more.
I've almost banned myself from the internet the past few weeks in the hope that it would improve my efficiency and concentration, but it doesn't work that well. I spend way too much time being annoyed by my lack of concentration and not being able to pull myself together to read.
The photos are from Chania, to sort out photos is a great displacement activity.

Fishy

During one of my frequent procrastination sessions I stumbled upon a fun little "music maker", so I've made a lot of music today. Some of the sounds remind me of sounds from under water or something associated with submarines. Unfortunately, I can't put the "instrument" in here, but you can try it here, it's fun (maybe you have to be extremely bored to think that, but I enjoyed it. Right now, almost anything is more fun than preparing for my exam).

These fish are so beautiful, I love the colours. Now I feel like swimming, it's too hot to be inside with boring books.



[Photos: ►CubaGallery]

Hello

Preparing for my exam takes a lot of my time these days, but now I deserve a little break, so here's a few reviews of the latest books I've read.



I think the easiest way to describe "Juliet" by Anne Fortier is by calling it "Dan Brown for girls". The differences are just that in Juliet the main character is a woman, plus there is more romance than in Dan Brown's novels about Robert Langdon (and of course there has to be some romance when it's about Romeo and Juliet). The ending was a wee bit too predictable, but on the other hand, it ended the way I wanted it to, so I guess I shouldn't complain.



Over the past few weeks I've also read a collection of short stories by Lydia Davis, "Break it down". I don't think I'll ever read anything by Lydia Davis again, I just don't get her style. A lot of Goodreads-users have written very positive reviews and I really don't get it. Some of the stories are very, very short and in most of the stories there's no action at all. It's kind of boring, I think. And I'm really glad that I don't have to analyse any of these stories - that would be terrible.
The only story I liked was "French Lesson 1", it was somehow innovative and fun actually. In short: if you ever get this book in your hand, read French Lesson 1 and forget about the rest of the stories.