This is my 'About Me' post, so for any lurkers or newcomers or hell, anyone else, this will remain pinned at the top, to serve as a general introduction to all things me.

( It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... )

32 / 50 (64.0%)

Fiction: 19
Non-Fiction: 13
Re-Reads: 7

Pages: 16,910

( On to the reviews... )

32 / 50 (64.0%)

32 - Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years - David Talbot
Non-Fiction
Pages: 496
This is a very very good book, insightful, thought-provoking, interesting and very moving. I found myself in tears at more than a few points. It's about Jack and Bobby Kennedy and their relationship throughout 'the Kennedy years'. I have to confess, I've never thought much about Bobby over the years - my attention has always been on JFK and his assassination - but the way this book looked at Bobby broke my heart. Because Jack was his whole world, his primary focus - and when Jack was murdered Bobby was absolutely bereft. And then he pulled himself together, set about on a political career of his own and set out after the White House, all so he could continue his brother's legacy, and was then murdered himself. *sniffles* It just shouldn't have happened and it breaks my heart to think about what the US would have been like had they lived. And yes, I do think there was a conspiracy, and I blame the CIA.

I feel so cut off! I'm still at my aunt and uncle's, so I can only really grab the computer for the internet for half an hour or so in the evening, or, like now, at the tail-end of my lunch break at work. I think one of the reasons I'm so looking forward to moving in to my new place will be the resumption of instant, on-demand internet access! I miss being tied to Livejournal!

And I'm desperately missing Top Gear too. I went to my brother's this weekend so I got him to download last Sunday's episode, but I haven't seen the most recent episode. Hammond on a horse though! Want to know how I know that? I got spoiled by the Countryside Alliance website. *facepalms* This afternoon's job involves going through the 'Useful Links' folders for the various different subjects in the Subjects Resources page on the website, checking all the links are still active and that the websites haven't disappeared etc. So I'm going through them one by one (and there are thousands - my eyes, seriously...) and there on the Countryside Alliance website is a picture of Jeremy and the headline 'Top Gear goes foxhunting'. So of course I had to read it. And now...Hammond on horseback? Me want!

So what else is happening? Ummm, I'm still at my new job, still really enjoying it. I'll be moving into my new flat in two and a half weeks. I'm still watching my way through BSG (for the record: love Starbuck, worship Adama, fancy the pants off Lee, want to slap Baltar and am seriously shipping Adama/Roslin - still all normal, right?) I'm dying to see The Dark Knight - the weekend cannot come fast enough - and I haven't seen Wall-E yet either. And then the new X-Files movie is out at the end of the month. *sighs* I need a movie buddy, stat!

31 / 50 (62.0%)

31 - The Piano Tuner - Daniel Mason
Pages: 304
I can't quite decide if I liked this or not. It really depends on whether the plot of a book is important or whether it's the atmosphere and tone. This book doesn't have a great deal of plot - Victorian piano tuner travels to Burma to tune a piano - but it's wonderful at evoking the sights and sounds and smells of Burma. And I liked the ambiguity of it and how it doesn't end tidily with everything wrapped up.

30 / 50 (60.0%)

30 - Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilisations - Martin Goodman
Non-Fiction
Pages: 656
This book is about the run-up to and the aftermath of the Great Jewish Revolt of 66-73 AD and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It explores the tensions and hostilities that led to the war between the Jewish state and the Roman Empire and examines the similarities and differences between the two sides. It also tries to explain why the Roman reaction to the Jewish Revolt was so much harsher than other similar rebellions against the Roman Empire and how it led to the rise in antisemitism through the Roman Empire and subsequently the Roman Catholic Chuch and mediaeval Europe. It's a very good book, very thorough and insightful, and very well-written. I'd highly recommend it.

I'm alive! God, I think this is the longest I've been without blogging or checking my flist in years - barring holidays and hospital visits, of course. So yes, I am alive. Hello. I missed you!

I'm at my aunt and uncle's at the moment - no wireless, so I'm nicking my uncle's computer as and when I can. I looked at a few houses this weekend but didn't see anything that I liked, so I'm still looking. *sighs* I just wish I could afford to rent my own place. My brother just put a deposit down on a house and I'm not likely to be in a position to do that on my own for years yet, if ever. But, mustn't grumble, as they say. Even though I am missing Top Gear because my aunt and uncle don't like it. I know, it's crazy. How could anyone not like Top Gear?

I have a friend, Bek, who lives in Milton Keynes, so I've seen her twice already this weekend. It's nice to have someone close enough that I can see. Helps stem off the loneliness. I know emily_anne and dreximgirl both live in Northampton, and hopefully I'll get to meet them sometime, but it's nice to have a familiar face around.

I start work tomorrow. Very nervous. I'm sure it'll be fine, but still...nervous. I'll feel better tomorrow evening when my first day's done and all the anticipation is behind me. Hopefully I'll be able to check in tomorrow evening and let you all know how it went!

I'm packing up the last of my stuff and then I'm driving down to Northampton this afternoon. It's a strange feeling. I've wanted to move out for so long and now the moment's here I don't want to! Or, I do and I don't. I don't know. It feels strange.

And I know I'm going to hate the first couple of months, when I'm still settling into the job and I don't the area or any people, and I know I'll feel lonely and isolated. At least I'll still have you guys, although I don't know when I'm going to have internet access. But I'll touch base just as soon as I can.

So wish me luck!

So I love Starbuck. Love her. Seriously. She's awesome. I want to be Starbuck when I grow up. And I love Lee. I think he's awesome and even though I'm only a season in he's totally hot for Starbuck, right? And I love Commander Adama. I love him. I love his relationship with Starbuck - it's so touching. Makes me wibble.

I don't love Tigh, but he's a bit of a tightass and his wife's a ho. And I can't make up my mind about Laura Roslin. I started out loving her and then she got a bit political and religious and my love waned. Especially when she came up against Commander Adama. She's only gonna be the loser there in the battle for my affections. But I am kinda shipping her with Adama anyway.

And there's Baltar. I enjoy him as a character whilst wanting to slap him six ways to Sunday and shove him out of an airlock. Is that normal?

So yeah. I am loving BSG. Loving it.

It's my last day at work tomorrow. Last day, after four and a half years.

*gulps*

I'm really not looking forward to it at all. Partly because I hate fuss and being the centre of attention, and partly because I really am going to miss everyone. I honestly get on with everyone I work with and I know how fortunate I am in that and how unusual it can be, especially in a workforce of twenty-plus women! I'm going to miss them all so much, especially when I start my new job on Monday.

I just hate that 'new girl' feeling, when you don't know everyone and you feel awkward joining in conversations and you don't know where anything is or how to do half the stuff you're supposed to. I keep feeling like it'll be a disaster and they'll find me out for a fraud and realise they should never have hired me! I keep telling myself that it'll be fine and the awkwardness will pass and I'll settle in fine, but...nerves, you know?

29 / 50 (58.0%)

29 - The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
Pages: 662
I loved this book, just loved it. I couldn't put it down. From start to finish it absolutely held me enthralled, which is pretty impressive considering technically not a lot happens plotwise. It's the story of a life, Kvothe's life, and I suppose that in the next book the plot will catch up with the story and things will start moving forwards, but oh, I loved it anyway. And I have so many questions! What is Bast's story? Why is Kvothe hiding? What will happen with Denna, with Ambrose, and the University? What about the Chandrian? I can't wait until next year for the next book!

I've spent much of my day contacting landlords about flats and houses with rooms to rent. So much fun, as you can imagine. I'm trying to arrange most of them for next weekend, so I can start looking for somewhere permanent before I start my new job on Monday week. I know I can stay with my aunt and uncle as long as I need to, but I'd rather get settled as soon as possible.

But I've never done this before! I know there are so many things I need to find out when I look at these properties, but I swear I don't know half of them. I know I need to find out about deposits and notice periods and parking and bills and... *sighs* This is all very new to me. Does anyone have any tips or hints?

There's one house in particular I really like the look of. It's a bit more expensive than the others, but it looks lovely and it's nice and central. It's Abington, which is apparently a nice enough area, although I'm going on other people's say-so, since I don't know Northampton very well! So fingers crossed I like it when I see it on Saturday.

Hamilton drove absolutely fantastically to go from 4th up to 2nd right from the off, and he nearly pipped his teammate Kovalainen for the lead right there, but he took it five minutes later. But now, the weather, it's going from dry to wet to dry and then wet again, and there's the tyre issue, and Lewis is storming away at the moment, but so many cars are spinning off...

*bites nails nervously*

Just hold on, Lewis! Raikkonen is 6th and Massa is nowhere - just hold on!

ETA: He did it! He did it! Lewis won the British Grand Prix, well over a minute away from Heidfeld in second place! A fantastic fantastic drive.

( Journey's End )

That was...hmm, better than I'd feared but worse than I'd hoped. Hmmm.

Amazon.com are selling the first two seasons for $16.99 each. I just ordered both seasons and it cost me £22 including shipping. That's an offer that can't be beat! I'd pay that over here just for one season!

Speaking of which, can someone please explain to me why DVDs are so much more expensive over here? I mean, I know there's the PAL and NTSC differences, and that PAL is a higher quality so it takes up more space on the DVDs, which is why we often don't get the extras, but that can't cost that much more to actually make, surely? And the design is the same, the packaging is the same... Is it just another example of ripping off the UK market? 'Cause seriously, we pay more for everything, whether it's worth it or not. It sucks.

And as much as I hate to say it, the BBC are one of the worst. Their DVDs are always super expensive - Doctor Who, for example, is about £40-£50 - and that pisses me off, because we've already paid our bloody license fee for it! Grrr.

Venus Williams v. Serena Williams in the Women's, and Federer v. Nadal in the Men's. What a surprise. Seriously, I didn't see that coming, did you?

Tennis these days is a little like the Premier League, isn't it? A Big Four and the rest just battle for second place. Or third place, since I guess whoever loses the final is in second place.

Oh, you were so right. This book...*clutches to chest*...I love it. I'm about a quarter of the way through - Kvothe is living rough in Tarbean at the moment, oh and I love it. I don't know why I love it, but I do. I don't get half the references, but that's what makes it so glorious. It's this huge, strange, wonderful world and of course you don't get half the references.

I'm just sad that it's only one book and the others aren't written yet! I have so many questions and I have no idea whether they'll even be answered in this book. Like, what is Bast? And what are the Chandrian? And the skrael? And why is Kvothe hiding?

See, this is why I hate WIPs!

Wil Wheaton's gonna be on Criminal Minds! Awesome.

I'm always so pleased when he lands parts on big shows like this. I wouldn't say I'm a big 'fan' of his or anything, but he always come across as so normal and nice on his blog, and he's so open and friendly with the people who read it, so I'm always happy when good things happen for him.

Plus Wil Wheaton onscreen with Matthew Grey Gubler just might be geek overload.

Is anyone on my flist a member of BookMooch? How do you rate it?

I actually came across BookMooch soon after it debuted in '06, bookmarked it and then promptly forgot all about it. At that point it was nowhere near as big as it is now, and I couldn't see anything I wanted to swap for. But now, with my imminent moving-out I'm looking at my bookshelves and debating what to take and what to leave, and I'm coming across books I've never read or never wanted to or multiple copies, and I'm thinking I ought to sell them, but most of the prices on Amazon are so low it's scarcely worth it.

But I like the idea of swapping books! More books for me!

I was just idly poking around on eBay, as you do, and I thought I'd check out what sort of prices the tickets for David Tennant and Patrick Stewart's Hamlet were going for.

*faints*

£150! £200! There's one set there that's going for £345! Christ, it's almost enough to make me whack my tickets up there. That's some serious money for tickets that only cost about £20-£30 in the first place.

But I'm not going to, of course. *presses tickets to bosom* They're mine, preciousssss!