Book review: Return By Water, Kimball Taylor

It's subtitled Surf Stories and Adventures — there's no telling what's fiction and what's based on fact; I think it's mostly fact, snippets of the story behind the story which eventually made it into Surfer or whatever publication sent him across the world. Some good, some seemed a little pointless/unfinished, but his style is compelling. It made me want to travel and see this side of the surfing lifestyle — the constant journeying, new cultures, perceptions and discoveries, so far from the cold, inconsistent, crowded UK… 7/10

Book review: Swallowing Grandma, Katie Long

Read this in two evenings! Coming of age novel about a bookloving, misfit girl called Kat! So I loved it... Doesn't try to be clever or twisty, just seems so real all the way through. And funny. Best book I've read in ages. 9/10

famous anyway

Well, I haven't wanted to update for a couple of days because I wanted to leave the post that Drift mag linked to on top ;-). It seems my little brother is not the sole reader of my ramblings! (Aside: how I would love to write for Drift.)

Small clean surfing lunchtimes all week, lovely. Had a nice session at Whoopsadasies (no, not its real name) and one yesterday at Fistral which was rather frustrating. But the water's still warm and God, how I love autumn.

Saved a hedgehog from certain squashing as well, so I think my karma bank is looking good. It needs to, everything else is a bit shabbby…(violins).

The Princess Bride, William Goldman

Odd style but quite readable once I got used to it. I know there's supposed to be all this subtext etc. but really all I want is a good story and that side of it was okay. Kind of an odd one. Crap ending, all over the place. What's with the frame story? How did most of this get past an editor? And I hate pages of italics, it's unreadable. 5/10.

I Hate Longboards and Hasslers

[warning: HUGE rant and lots of CAPS]

I went surfing with Laura and Josh (but lost them didn't see them once) Abs (who didn't like the crowd and size) and Kirsty (who I lost after a bit). We went C------ to try to avoid the crowds. I think it was a little less crowded than Fistral but FUCK ME the vibe was horrible.

The most beautiful evening and an absolutely stunning sunset. Gorgeous, perfect for me (unfit as I am) three foot waves, lefts and rights, plenty of peaks, quite clean. Love love love C------ walls.

HATE HATE HATE longboarder wave hogs and rude surfers. The problem with C------ is that it's no quiet spot like when I first came down with the boys - every fucker's onto it, and the real nub of it is that they're all competent surfers up to rippers. Now, I don't go in either corner ever, because it's a given you have to hassle if you want to sit on the best peak. BUT I do NOT expect to be snaked, run over, bailed in front of (fucking logs) and watch people be assholes to each other. I heard about aggro and I saw it myself. Boys, get a fucking LIFE.

By the time I got out, three okay waves under my belt (courtesy of the best board there ever was, nothing to do with me) I was proper angry. Longboarders were just taking every wave they could from the outside, meaning the rest had to pick off the leftovers, and they were hassling like mad. I ended up having to surf like I don't like (paddling for a wave in the hope someone will miss it, thus putting them off, or ditto by sitting too close to them etc.) just to get a few shitty ones. You don't need to go for every sodding wave boys!!

I have surfed D-bah with TWICE the amount of people all of a better standard than me and caught more waves, because people know how to surf a crowd and still be polite and actually ENJOY their surfing, not just be cocks and end up missing out on essential elements of surfing — waves shared, traded, watched, learned from, sunsets etc. I bet half those boys didn't even notice the sun throwing a blaze behind the dunes and headland.

COCKS.

This weekend don't call me, I'll be out of signal range looking for a FUN place to surf.


'Breaking out'

Also, it's banned books week:
To limit the press is to insult a nation; to prohibit reading of certain books is to declare the inhabitants to be either fools or slaves. - Claude-Adrien Helvetius, 1715 - 1771

Some of my favourites (like Deenie), were banned. Silly idea.

books

Having been to London I had time on the flight and train to read, yippee!

Property, Valerie Martin
Slavery novel, from the point of view of a planter's wife who hates him and the life. Orange nominated which probably made my expectations unrealistic; after Toni Morrison and similar it doesn't really match up. Still a really good read, I read it in one sitting. Some incongruous scenes. Rather an anti-heroine too but intriguing and pacy. Ending was a total hang. Sounds like i didn't enjoy it at all, but the writing is really good. 7/10

The Single Girl's Guide, Imogen Lloyd Webber
Not fiction, but a great funny read to remind you of why it's great to be single and how to deal with those who don't share that view, as well as the rest of the hectic SG's life. An uplifting read, not self-help style but spot on, even for a country surf chick as opposed to a shoe-loving city gal. Great anecdotes, sound advice. Maybe not enough about men and sex? Or that might be her planned sequel…(or it might just be me…) 7/10

Still no surf, though there might be some windswell around tonight (I just couldn't be bothered last night, 1ft of slop). The last session was indeed the night after the windswell session, and Josh, Laura and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Nice to catch a decent wave in front of a pro! But where, where is the real, honest, groundswell?? I have bought a Speedo in duty free and will take out my frustrations at the pool. Dragonplayer thinks I don't love him, though I have bought him a posh boardbag and am contemplating more fins. Waves is what we both need.

Surfstock was amazing, fun, mad (and a little bit argh too); I went too hard and it took about a week (and caning the inhaler) to recover. Pics on MySpaz…it don't get much more random. (Hello? What are you trying to do?)

Camera LCD dead, so have to be careful how I use it now and won't be able to show as many pics. Boo.

Blessings

Blessings, Anna Quindlen
I've heard some really great quotes of hers and had lots of creative types I admire say she's great, so I suppose it was hyped up too much — at first I couldn't see what the fuss was about, but in the end this sweet story and the way she explores the boundaries of love and different kinds of love…it was amazing and I'll be looking for more of her stuff. This isn't her most famous one either! 9/10

the island

The Island by Victoria Hislop. A family saga set in Crete and Spinalonga leper colony. Family secrets and lives. A good beach read though I felt something was missing…just the dept of some of the more 'lit' books read recently. But still a moving read. 6/10.

Harry Potter

Finished Harry Potter (took five days). I find her pacing odd sometimes, racing then crawling, trying to fit sooo much in it sometimes jars a little. But consummate storyteller no question, it's not often I am keen to get home just for a book (well, actually…) and remember the book I've got there with a little thrill! I'm glad she resolved it how she did, everything seemed to fit well and I'm glad there was no attempt to really shock with a diversion from the 'rules' of the much-loved world she has created.

Funnily enough, she recognises the fitting-it-in problem in this interview: JK Rowling tells more about the fate of Harry and co. Warning: spoilers galore!

9/10 (no, nothing gets 10 from me!)

william gibson

Severe excitement! One of my favourite authors, featured heavily in the dissertation for my MA (much disliked by my tutors). Still wish I'd not lost Pattern Recognition on the Tube.

Oh oh and Bruce Sterling!

Plus this

chick lit

Sushi For Beginnners, Marian Keyes
Yes, it's chick lit, but it's the kind of chick lit that I love to read when stuck in bed. Well written, realistic, you can't guess the ending from the back blurb (or indeed until 3/4 way through when she starts to resolve things), not everything ends up peachy and the characters aren't stereotypes, they're both bad and good. This one deals with lots inc. depression, cheating rats, workplace politics and of course lurve. It was great easy reading it was free with Company. Can't ask for more! 7/10

book review - history of love

The History of Love, Nicole Krauss
Stayed in my TBR pile for faaar too long. This is a really lovely story of youth, age, love and human fallibility. So well observed and so well written you are never jarred out of the story. 9/10