My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

On a quest to meet a generally interesting man, my sister and I decided to join a few book clubs (to be honest The Girly Book Club was probably not the best place to start, even though I highly recommend it!) Whilst the man front is still a pipe dream, I absolutely love the fact these book clubs have introduced me to books I would never normally have chosen. One such one being thanks to The Islington Book Club (this one comes with men), whose choice this month is My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki, an author who I have to admit I'd never heard of.

Two extraordinary women. One all-American TV cooking show. An unforgettable novel of love, friendship, culture and food.My Year of Meats is told in two voices, Jane Tagaki-Little, half American half Japanese, living in America, and Akiko who is Japanese and living in Japan. In a single eye-opening year, two women, worlds apart, experience parallel awakenings. In New York, Jane Takagi-Little has landed a job producing Japanese docu-soap My American Wife! But as she researches the consumption of meat in the American home, she begins to realize that her ruthless search for a story is deeply compromising her morals. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, housewife Akiko Ueno diligently prepares the recipes from Jane's programme. Struggling to please her husband, she increasingly doubts her commitment to the life she has fallen into. As Jane and Akiko both battle to assert their individuality on opposite sides of the globe, they are drawn together in a startling story of strength, courage, love. It is a truly fascinating story with some rather shocking facts about the meat industry in America thrown in. Ozeki takes advantage of the differences between Japanese and American culture in order to artfully comment on both.

When I first read the books description I really did not expect to enjoy it at all, but I fell in love with Ozeki's intelligent, witty and passionate prose. I will definitely be delving into her over titles.

So, whilst I remain unsuccessful on the man front (sorry Mum!), at least I have been introduced to some thoroughly fantastic books!

P.S. Anyone read this year's Man Booker Prize winner The Luminaries, thoughts?

I Heart Tilda Swinton

I just had to post about this stunning shoot of an incredible woman in AnOther Magazine this month. Shot by Craig McDean and wearing designs by some of this seasons hottest designers including Craig Lawrence, Mary Katrantzou, Mark Fast, Louise Goldin and Peter Pilotto, I thought the images were just exquisite.

Tilda Swinton is one of my favourite actresses and a generally elegant and beautiful woman. Perfect model for some of these amazing designs!

Written and Directed by Woody Allen

As a massive Woody Allen fan I couldn't wait to go see his new film, Blue Jasmine, that has been called his "best film in decades". To me, this was a tall claim as I absolutely love Midnight in Paris, it's definitely one of my top ten films, so I was especially excited for this new release. I was not disappointed. Now you couldn't compare it to Midnight in Paris in any shape or form, Midnight in Paris is light, fun, something I put on whenever I need to smile film, this can definitely not be said about Blue Jasmine, which is a propulsive drama set in New York and San Francisco about a woman’s self-destruction as a result of her inability to look truthfully at her own life. It’s a serious warning, brutal even, whilst still manages to capture Woody Allen's style and dry wit in parts.

Cate Blanchett, as the starring role, was simply superb. Apparently there is Oscar buzz around her performance and I am not surprised, she captured the role perfectly. Her emotion and changing persona were insanely convincing. I don't want to give anything away so let me just say this GO SEE IT NOW! You will be pleasantly surprised, suitably horrified and most importantly, you will remember to keep in mind that age old saying, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

*Nerdy Fan Alert* (Just in case you hadn't already realised)

Laura Knight Portraits

On Friday I treated myself to an evening of art at the National Portrait Gallery where I was delighted to see artist I new very little about, Laura Knight.

Dame Laura Knight was one of the most popular and successful British artists of the 20th century. Her achievements were recognised in 1936 when she became the first woman to be elected to the Royal Academy since its foundation. Knight used portraiture to capture life and culture, and her paintings are remarkable for their diverse range of subjects and settings. Her artistic career took her from Cornwall to Baltimore, and from the circus to the Nuremberg Trials. She painted dancers at the Ballet Russes and Gypsies at Epsom races, and was acclaimed for her work as an official war artist.

Knight managed to really capture all her models and the detail that went into her work was incredible. I am definitely excited for her biography Laura Knight: A Life by Barbara C. Morden to come out this October to read more about such an inspirational artist. I urge you to go see this stunning exhibition for yourselves, you have until the 13th October so there's no excuse not to, but for now, here's a few of my favourtie Laura Knight portraits.

Gypsy Splendor, 1939

Self Portrait, 1913. This self portrait was a defining work in Knight's career. The female nude was a historically male subject, and when Knight was a student, women art students were denied access to nude models, working instead from statues and plaster casts.

Joan Rhodes, 1955

Ethel Bartlett, 1926

Ruby loftus Screwing a Breech Ring, 1943

The Gypsy, 1939

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

I was very fortunate enough to attend the book launch of Hannah Kent's debut novel Burial Rites on Tuesday, a book that is absolutely fantastic. I literally cannot sing it's praises enough, I was hooked from the very first page.

"In northern Iceland, 1829, Agnes Magnúsdóttir is condemned to death for her part in the brutal murder of her lover. Agnes is sent to wait out her final months on the farm of district officer Jón Jónsson, his wife and their two daughters. Horrified to have a convicted murderer in their midst, the family avoid contact with Agnes. Only Tóti, the young assistant priest appointed Agnes’s spiritual guardian, is compelled to try to understand her. As the year progresses and the hardships of rural life force the household to work side by side, Agnes’s story begins to emerge and with it the family’s terrible realization that all is not as they had assumed."

Based on actual events, Burial Rites is an astonishing and moving novel about the truths we claim to know and the ways in which we interpret what we’re told. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland’s formidable landscape, in which every day is a battle for survival, and asks, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Not only is Burial Rites a compelling read, heartbreaking and haunting, but it is one of those rare gems of a book that the publisher has spent a bit of money designing. The hardback is small enough to throw in your bag, but delicate enough for you not want to. The minimalist front cover, with simple font and a stunning black edge to the pages is just the right touch, intriguing one to pick up the book and open it and once opened, you won't want to close it! A perfect example of a book people will spend more on just to have the physical copy instead of the kindle version. Well done Picador!

So just in case you weren't sure, I really do recommend you go out and buy Burial Rites. It'll take your breath away.

Great art is never perfect; perfect art is never great

Edward Abbey

The Circus, 1870-1950

I came home to find a large box on my front door step today (is there anything better than finding a large package (pun intended) on your doorstep?!) and couldn't contain my glee. I knew exactly what was in this large, heavy box from the good people at Amazon, my eagerly anticipated The Circus, 1870-1950 from Taschen and let me tell you, it was definitely worth the wait! The book is enormous, not one for the bath, and is beautifully designed, a lot of time and thought has clearly gone into it. Stuffed full of photographs, posters and information, The Circus really manages to capture the glitz and grime of the American Circus in it's heyday. My favourtie being the incredible vintage circus photos from the 40s and 50s, many of them rare colour pictures of the circus' showgirls. I also loved the posters advertising a huge variety of world famous circus acts. The only downside to the book is that in true Taschen format, it has been published in three different languages which is a bit of a hassle as you have to flick through to find the English translation, however the stunning imagery more than makes up for a few extra pages! It is a brilliant history of the classic American circus, detailing every aspect of it, not just the nice parts!

I have chosen a VERY small selection of my favourite images to wet your appetites but if, like myself, you love looking through vintage images of a fantastic tradition that unfortunately no longer exists, then I really can't recommend this book enough!
Just what I needed, another book that shows me I was born in the wrong era!!