facts about Leonardo da Vinci that make me want to learn more -

number A - All of his journals and notebooks were written backwards and from right to left so that in order to read them you need a mirror... thats just freaking cool. I know, I know that some people do that because of a medical problem where there brain reverses signals and what no but I still find it interesting.

2. He dissected over 30 human corpses in his life despite it being illegal. Now he didn't do this for medical reasons, they weren't autopsies. He just did it because he wanted to learn more about the human body and make his drawings more accurate. I know a lot of you are thinking that this just made him a big creepy freak who liked dead things but chances are you are very wrong due to reasons 3 and 4 (read below).

3. He was a vegetarian before people ever really thought about doing things like that, which I find inspiring.

4. He had an obsession with releasing caged birds. How lovely is that? super annoying, I imagine for people who owned the birds or were selling them at markets or what not, but still a very sweet act of kindness.

5. He was the first to discover that counting the rings on a tree could determine its age.

6. He explained why the sky was blue 300 years before molecular scattering was discovered. Now that is some super smart like stuff.

7. And lastly he was a super talented artist and inventor whose work is still loved and admired by many.

So obviously all these interesting facts add up to the reasoning that I NEED to get me a good da Vinci biography. If anyone has any recommendations let me know. x

Sometime last year I brought I book with a gloriously inviting cover. A book that promised adventure.

Sometime this year I actually read it. The book is entitled, C'est La Folie and it is more then I expected.

Michael Wright was a London based theater critic. He spent his weekends flying his vintage plane and playing tennis in between bouts of talking to his cat but something wasn't right. He wasn't where he was meant to be.

So in what might be described as a whim, off he went. To rural France.

C'est La Folie follows the events that took place in Michaels first few years in his new existence and I have rarely been more captivated.

Michael's attempts to integrate himself with not only rural life but rural life in a foreign country are charming. His often problem fraught renovations to his rustic farmhouse and his acquisition of various farm animals make for both heart-wrenching and laugh out loud moments.

C'est La Folie is joyous and personable in a way that makes me happy to be alive.

The next volume of Michael's journey is due out July 2010. Can't wait!

This post is simply because I remembered that Stephen Fry's follow-up autobiography will be out next year and this makes me happy.

X

Louisa May Allcott's, Little Women. The classic coming of age story about 4 sisters (cliche, cliche, cliche).

Personally, I adore it. It's been one of my favourite books for simply years. I adore the sweetness of it. I adore the virtue. I adore the sheer goodness of all the characters. No one can possibly in this day and age be quite as good as these young girls. Not even the most religious of us.

Every single time I read this epic young adult novel (actually novels since it was originally publishing in 2 volumes...) I fall in love with Laurie, I mourn for dear Beth, I curse Amy and I root for Jo.

This fine book has everything you could possibly want from such an adventure. Friendship, unrequited love, requited love, heart, soul and laughter.

Theodore Laurence is up there with my favourite literary characters of all time. He comes to life on the page and in my mind with such clarity that I can't help feeling as if I know him. Actually I can't help feeling as if I know them all. The book is so familiar it's like an old friend. It's like coming home.

Usually with books I adore the movie adaptations make my head ache with the badness of it all but I have seen two versions of Little Women and they're not at all bad.

The oldest of the two is 1933, Katherine Hepburn film and while I adore Miss Hepburn and she plays Jo beautifully it's still lacking somewhat.

The 1994 Winona Ryder version is excellent. Each actor embodies their character with such devotion and ease that it is actually as if the novel itself has come to life. Clare Danes breaks my heart as Beth as does Christian Bale as Laurie.

I whole heatedly recommend this film to anyone yet to see it but even more so I recommend the novel. It is love and therefore worth every ounce of time and effort.

There are many things I love. Two of which are cooking and writing, so when I first heard about Julie & Julia I was thrilled.

If you are for whatever reason out of the loop on the Julie & Julia project then let me fill you in. Back in 2002 Texan come New Yorker, Julie Powell was somewhat drifting through life. Almost 30 and still working as a temp.

But everything changed when her husband Eric suggested she start a blog. And so she did. A blog and a challenge began. Julie would spend exactly one year making all 524 recipes in Julia Child's prolific book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and in turn would blog about her experiences.

Her courage, determination and just plain craziness won over people all over the place. The next thing Julie knew she had a book deal.

The book was, not surprisingly, a best seller. A best seller which recently got made into an incredible film by Nora Ephron starring Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia.

Now I've both read the book and seen the film. And while I feel somewhat odd admitting it, I much preferred the film.

Meryl and Amy are both superb. They are both endearing and lovely in a way I don't think the real Julie and Julia could ever have been.

Julie & Julia is up so high on my favorite film list I can barely reach it. So inspiring and funny and heartwarmingly beautiful I'm not sure I stopped grinning the entire time.

This I can not say for the book. Obviously the book is the truth. It's life the way it really happens and while I loved that and thought it was extremely accomplished writing, especially for a first novel, I just didn't fall in love with the project the way I did in the film.

Both are well worth your time and I'd recommend them to just about anyone who would listen. So having said that. Go. Watch. Read. Be.

I'm currently reading the gorgeous 1930 novel, Vile Bodies by the old genius of a boy, Evelyn Waugh.

I feel it's not too soon to admit to this already being one of my favorite books of all time. Just lovely in every way.

I'd already seen the hilarious 2003 film adaptation by my hero, Stephen Fry but I actually think I like the book even more.

So rich with wit and humor. so full of characters that one would love to share a bottle (or 40) of fizz with.

My perfect little paperback edition of this novel literally fills me with joy every time I glance it's way.

That's it's sweet little cover right over there (left).

When this book was written I imagine it was non to popular with the well behaved masses.

This charming volume is filled with every kind of debauchery you could partake of during the 20's, 30's and 40's.

- Drugs, alcohol, sex. Not to mention females wearing trousers! Simply too too shy-making.


Vile Bodies is the kind of novel that at once consumes you. Takes over all but your simplest of faculties. I want to be Agatha Runcible. I want to be friends with Adam Fenwick-Symes. I want to have adventures with Miles Malpractice. I want to be one of the Bright Young People who so corrupt 'modern' society.

Everything about this story is decadence, and in being so makes the perfect escapist volume I've ever had the joy of coming across. I'd recommend this to just about any literary creature out there. Do not, please, be put off by the fact that it was written way back when. I promise it's as fresh today as it ever was. Maybe even more so in our days of corruption(oh my!).


Also... I'd just like to quickly leave off with the fact that I'd quite adore an original 1930 edition (right). Does not have to be a first edition. I just adore the cover art. If anyone finds one I'd be happy to hear about it...

cheers and cherries!