Long Way Home

So a while ago my friend / room mate, Sinead, introduced me to this little gem by Tom Waits and I have been listening to it on repeat ever since. I think it is kind of perfect in it's simplicity- Tom Waits truly is one of a kind.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? I'm all ears...

Books Smooks

For the latter half of 2010 I could not read. Not in a literal sense of course, but for some reason whenever I tried to start reading a new book I would find my mind drifting off to other things and then I would realise that I had been reading the words off the pages but not taking them in really. So from the start of this year I decided to jump back on the band wagon and start immersing myself into this amazing world of literature we have available at our fingertips.

So now, in chronological order, lets take a look at what I have been reading this year. I was going to write a little synopsis about each book, but figured that could be just as easily obtained from Wikipedia, so have instead opted for my brief opinion- I would love to hear everyone elses opinion if you have read them. Also if anybody has any good (or preferably great) book suggestions for me, I am all ears?

IT - Stephen King

This was the first Stephen King book I have actually read, I really enjoyed the coming of age type story through it, but the ending was terribly over the top and unnecessarily complicated.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

My sister had kind of talked this book up a lot before I read it, so I was expecting a lot from it but was left feeling a little unsatisfied. Nice, simple story to follow and quite heartfelt in parts, but for some reason I found some of the characters kind of irritating, which made it harder for me to feel empathetic towards them.

Things The Grandchildren Should Know - Mark Oliver Everett

It was straight forward and easy enough to devour for an autobiography. I found that Mark Oliver Everett kind of repeated a lot of his stories in different ways throughout it though which got a little tedious to read by the end.

Everything Is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer

Definitely the best book I have read in a while- It was funny, sad and beautiful all in one. I really liked the historical aspect to the story as well. Very nice!

A Cure For The Blues

Do you ever get hit with an unexplainable case of the blues? Or maybe an unexpected bout of lethargy which leaves you with no motivation or inspiration for the day that looms ahead?

Well look no further for a cure, because here it is- Listen to some records from The Beach Boys. Because even if it doesn't do the trick long term, I challenge you, if not only for a little while, to not smile and get all gooey on the inside while your listening to their cheery infectious tunes.

Here is one of my favourites for your listening pleasure...

Annie Leibovitz Is The Cat's Pajamas

I remember being at a friends house once in Highschool and looking through her mother's bookshelf of wonderful gems, one of these such gems being a massive book of photographs from Rolling Stone Magazine over the years, which I instantly fell in love with.

Whist flicking though the pages I noticed that a lot of the photo's I took a particular liking to were by a lady named Annie Leibovitz- thus beginning my love affair with the work of the lovely Miss Leibovitz and a new secret desire to one day be a photographer.

Her photo's are magic!

The Village & The Park

Being our last full day in New York, we decided that Tuesday should be spent strolling from one end of the island to the other (Well not quite, but still a LOT of walking). We started off in Alphabet City, through to Soho, Greenwich Village, Times Square, Central Park and finished off at a little student bar on Macdougal Street where we stayed until the wee hours of the morning.

While we were wandering through Central Park, we came across a very nice band from London playing in the Strawberry Fields section of the park across the road from John & Yoko's old apartment. They were called The Riff Raff and I believe they have a residency at Don Hills in New York now, so if your in town check them out, otherwise you can have a listen to them Here.

Nice way to spend a day in New York.

Bright Eyes In The Flesh

After a never ending bus ride through the night and some really freaky dreams, I find myself back in Toronto and my wonderful trip to New York at an end- Sigh. And what an amazing trip it was! New York City never ceases to amaze me, it is almost like 100 towns rolled into one wonderfully, fantastic giant city where there is never a shortage on things to do. I could definitely see myself living there one day, if the fates allow.

But now lets talk about the main reason that brought me back to this surreal city of dreams in the first place- Seeing Bright Eyes play at Radio City Music Hall. I remember being in Drama class one sunny day back when I was in Highschool and a friend of mine had the album I'm Wide Awake It's Morning in his CD Walkmen and played me the song First Day Of My Life- After falling in love with that simple but beautiful song, thus began my love affair with Bright Eyes.

I have seen Conor Oberst perform twice in the past, once with Monsters of Folk and once with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band- both of these shows were wonderful, but no where near amazing as actually seeing Conor perform as Bright Eyes at such an iconic venue as Radio City Music Hall. Listening to him belt out these heart wenching songs that remind me of so many memories throughout my life was close to surreal, like walking in a field of magical day dreams- when he started singing Poison Oak, I was sure I was going to die right then and there.

Finally seeing Bright Eyes, another thing to cross off my bucket list!

New York Bound

Only four days until I board the bus that is going to take me to the world famous, always sparkling, wonderful city of New York, New York for five exciting days & nights! Plus after watching copious amounts of Boardwalk Empire, we have decided that a day trip to Atlantic City is in order- which I hear is like a smaller version of Las Vegas.

This will actually be my second time visiting The Big Apple, but since the majority of the first trip was spent with me in a comatose state of excitement and awe, I'm hoping to actually get a better feel of the city this time and drink it all in. Plus I am of course going to be seeing one of my all time favourite living bands, the darling Bright Eyes at Radio City Music Hall.

Let the countdown commence...

Venus In Furs

You have a curious way of arousing one's imagination, stimulating all one's nerves, and making one's pulses beat faster. You put an aureole on vice, provided only if it is honest. Your ideal is a daring courtesan of genius. Oh, you are the kind of man who will corrupt a woman to her very last fiber.

- Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch

The Red Tree

As a necessary measure of moving away, it has meant leaving my precious collection of books all boxed up away and sitting in a cupboard back in Perth, my sister's cupboard to be more exact, and part of this collection of gems includes some Shaun Tan books.

Shaun Tan is an illustrator and author from Western Australia, most of his pictures seem to have a surrealistic style to them, which is what makes them so pretty to look at. One of my favourites by him is The Red Tree which follows a sad little girl throughout her day as she goes through her thoughts of loneliness and despair, but still holding on to the hope that things could change. It truly is a lovely little fable that will make you feel that little bit happier when you have a bad case of the blues. Now for a closer look...

"Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to, and things go from bad to worse..."

"But suddenly there it is right in front of you bright and vivid quietly waiting, just as you imagined it would be"

Bright Eyes

So earlier this week I heard the news that one of my all time favourite bands, Bright Eyes, will be releasing their seventh studio album 'The People's Key' on February 14th- What a perfect Valentines Day Gift!

As if that wasn't exciting enough! They have also announced two shows, one being at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on March 9th and it is this show that I must be at! So while I wait impatiently for tickets to go on sale in just a few short days, here is a little song by Conor for your listening pleasure. An oldie, but definitely a goody!

The Favourite Game

When I moved into my new apartment in Toronto, there was a fully stocked book shelve waiting for me to search through and find some hidden gems. That is where I came across 'The Favourite Game' by Leonard Cohen. From the first page I could tell I was reading something pretty special.

The story follows Lawrence Breaveman, a Jewish-Canadian, through his youth growing up in Montreal to his early manhood when he eventually flee's to New York and meets Shell. It reads almost like a Memoir/ Coming of age/ Love Story, yet it really isn't any of those.

The Favourite Game is by far one of the most beautiful books I have read in the longest time.

A Poem for a Blue Monday

As the mist leaves no scar
On the dark green hill
So my body leaves no scar
On you, nor ever will.

When wind and hawk encounter,
What remains to keep?
So you and I encounter,
Then turn, then fall to sleep.

As many nights endure
Without a moon or star,
So will we endure
When one is gone and far.

-Leonard Cohen