bookgazing | What I did at the Weekend (and other things)

I saw the Stereophonics on Saturday and they were rocking. They played for two hours and did three encore songs, but it was not nearly long enough. I think the only thing that was a bit flat was the quarter of an hour they spent playing songs from the sixth album (songs they did not introduced, but just barrelled through) when they could have been playing their way through the JEEP album. Otherwise very fun and getting seats was a good idea because we were not tall enough for the standing crowd. We danced the last half hour away because the people behind and to the side were more focused on the bar than the band, so we decided we could get up without them being fussed about an obscured view. We think the guys below us were possibly tour following fans and they were up and dancing by the end, which made for a nice atmosphere. I’m really jealous of my friend who will be seeing them play in Wales this summer.

I found a purse full of money before I left for the ‘phonics/hanging out in Nottingham trip (cash that I’d forgotten to bank after putting everyone’s Hairspray tickets on my credit card). Since I wasn’t using my bank card it was like I wasn’t spending real money at all, which made me happy.

I also found a ring I’d forgotten I owned and now I’m obsessed with it. It’s Celtic design, hand beaten silver with small purple glass inserts.

I think have got a cold (off work today, soup time soon) but it is ok because I have seen the Stereophonics and it is two weeks until I go to the Turin Brakes concert. If I get ill now, I’ll probably be ok for a weekend mother’s day celebration too. That is how I think of illness now, it is ok to be ill as long as nothing exciting is happening and you’re not throwing up. Every day life can suck it if I’m really sick.

Currently reading ‘Guernica’, but I might be too grouchy for this book at the moment. It’s sweet and quite funny, but the author is so obvious about inserting his research that I keep getting annoyed. If I wrote my review right now it would mostly be negative raging, but I haven’t got to the bombing yet which I imagine provides the emotional power punch so maybe my view will change.

While I was gone Michelle set up the nomination form for NerdsHeartYA and you can now nominate books for the long list. If you know of any young adult books that fit our criteria please fill out the form. We want our long list to be looooooooooong so we have lots of quality possibilities for the shortlist. To be clear: If you applied to be a bracket judge you can still nominate titles for the long list. We’ll just make sure you don’t judge any of the titles you nominate, if they do make it through to the shortlist.

Thanks so much for your encouraging comments and helpful strategies on my freak out about writing post. There were some insane factors to the creation of that post, a very deep longing to go back and do an English MA, but also a genuine wish to improve so thanks for taking me so seriously.

And finally please see my new jacket of win, bought the weekend before last: