maandag 28 oktober 2013

Autumn Storm: Top 3 Books for Stormy Weather

As you may know, today there has been a storm all over Western Europe. Ofcourse it sucks: railway problems, too dangerous to drive your car and the possible threat of a tree falling on your house... However, bad weather has its upsides! When it's raining, thundering and the wind is so strong that you are suddenly able to cycle backwards at 20 kilometers per hour, nothing beats staying inside and reading a good book! Therefore, here are my top 3 Stormy Weather reads (in no particular order).

1. The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse


I know it's technically not winter yet, but stormy weather does take you as far from summer as possible, doesn't it? So I say this story about a snowstorm in the French Pyrenees still counts.
This book tells a quite ghostly story about post-WWI France, when Freddie's car spins off the road during a heavy snowstorm, making him stranded near a small village. When he arrives at the village, he finds himself in the middle of a big feast. He decides to join the festivities and has an amazing conversation with a woman called Fabrisse, who seems to know quite a lot about him. The next morning, Freddie wakes up to everyone telling him that there was no feast, and there is no woman called Fabrisse living in or anywhere near this village.
If you haven't ever read a book by Kate Mosse, you will not understand the enchanting way she writes. I read this book from cover to cover in one rainy afternoon, sitting in my big chair with a cup of tea. I highly recommend you to do the same!


2. Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

I really can't say too much about the story, because I will probably ruin the book for you. The story is about a woman who wakes up one morning without remembering anything at all, having her husband tell her that she was in an accident and had lost permanent damage to her long term memory. Whenever she goes to sleep, she will forget everything that happened during the day. The story unravels into an extraordinary thriller, as it is written from the perspective of a women who forgets everything.


3. Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Do I really have to explain this? There are few things more comforting than reading Harry Potter during a stormy afternoon. The mystical darkness outside just adds to the feel of Hogwards and the Dark Arts. You can choose any of the books, really, but I recommend the Deathly Hallows.



Enjoy your books!

Love,

Louise

vrijdag 25 oktober 2013

Love it: Vandaag - Bakermat

If you are shocked by the strange words in the titel of this post: fear not! It's just Dutch!

The song I have been listening to on repeat is 'Vandaag' by Dutch DJ Bakermat (the meaning of the titel is 'Today'). Bakermat mixes the historically unforgetable speech by Martin Luther King 'I have a Dream' with jazzy American saxophone sounds and a Dutch dance beat.
This way, he is making important parts of the speech accessable to my generation.

Not your standard dance song, but it works. It really does.


Love,
Louise

Discovering: Breaking Bad (spoiler free)

I'm hopping on the bandwagon and discovering Breaking Bad! I know, I know, way to late, but this piece of American Amazingness was not showing in my country until now...
Loved the first season: great plot, good filming and above all amazing characters! Because that is what they are, characters, from the first moment that you see them on your tv screen untill the credits begin to roll. And frankly, I find that pretty amazing. How many shows I have watched where the main 'characters' were just puppets to fill up the screen!

So hereby my homage to the cast and crew of the show that is currently filling up all my free time: Breaking Bad. Go watch it!

Love,
Louise



Love it: Tennis Court - Lorde

How amazing is this song and video by Superwoman Lorde? At only sixteen, co-writing (with Joel Little) such a unique song is pretty amazing if you ask me.

Not only is this one of the best songs I've heard this year, the video (directed by Joel Kefali) is so intriguingly simple and yet creative, that I unanimously pronounce this a Masterpiece!



Have a great Friday!

Love,
Louise