2013 in books

Inspired by my friend Vinca (http://vinxbooks.wordpress.com/), I'm cleaning up 2013 with a list of everything I read in 2013, as it turns out I never actually managed to blog a single book review in 2013!

This is what I read, using GN for graphic novels and NF for non-fiction. I'd love your suggestions for my reading list in 2014, especially new authors, simply comment on this post to start populating my reading list for 2014.

1. Eugine Onegin by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger (GN)
4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
5. The Sugar Girls: Tales of Hardship, Love and Happiness in Tate and Lyle's East End by Duncan Barrett (NF)
6. You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
7. A Dancer in Wartime: One Girl's Journey from the Blitz to Sadler's Wells by Gillian Lynne (NF)
8. The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain
9. 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
10. Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway
11. In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark
12. Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy
13. White Bones (Katie Maguire) by Graham Masterton
14. A Reason to Kill (DI Matt Barnes) by Michael Kerr
15. Sara's Child (The Sara Colson Trilogy) by Susan Elle
16. Gray Justice by Alan McDermott
17. The Penal Colony by Richard Herley 
18. Sentence of Marriage (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
19. Mud and Gold (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
20. Settling the Account (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
21. A Second Chance (Promises to Keep) by Shayne Parkinson
22. The One You Love (Emma Holden Suspense Mystery) by Paul Pilkington
23. Daisy's War by Shayne Parkinson
24. All I Want by Shayne Parkinson
25. Salt Bride: A Georgian Historical Romance by Lucinda Brant
26. Rope Enough (The Romney and Marsh Files) by Oliver Tidy
27. The French House by Nick Alexander
28. Silent Boy by Torey Hayden (NF)
29. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
30. The Boy from Reactor 4 Grest Stelmach
31. Salt Redux by Lucinda Brant
32. The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland
33. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
34. Beneath an Irish Sky by Isabelle Connor
35. After the Fall by Charity Norman
36. Night Road by Kristin Hannah
37. Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger
38. Gingerbread Man by Maggie Shayne
39. The Detective's Daughter by Lesley Thomson
40. 2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
41. 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson
42. The Bone Factory by Nate Kenyon
43. Finding Emma by Steena Holmes
44. Emma's Secret by Steena Holmes
45. Dead Line by Chris Ewan
46. Darker Than My Shadow by Katie Green (GN, NF)
47. His Shadowed Heart by Hazel Statham
48. The Crystal Mirror by Tim Malnick and Katie Green
49. A Man Above Reproach by Evelyn Price
50. The Defiant Governess (Lessons in Love) by Andrea Pickens
51. All's Fair in Love & Seduction (The Elusive Lords) by Beverley Kendall
52. An Heir of Deception (The Elusive Lords) by Beverley Kendall
53. The Earl's Inconvenient Bride (Marriage by Scandal) by Ruth Ann Nordin
54. Rockwell's Lady by AC Wilson
55. My Lady Coward by Jaimey Grant
56. A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Various
57. The Bride Wore Blue (Brides of Bath) by Cheryl Bolen

I'm starting afresh for 2014 with plenty of books to read and review, plus a busy diary of ballet and maybe some opera to keep the blog going. 

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013: Day four

My last day in Edinburgh and I was keen to fit in as much as I could before my 6.30 train. Having dropped my bags I headed back up the Royal Mile this time it was really humming with loads of acts out fliering and a great atmosphere. The street acts were actually pretty engaging and I stopped to watch a few, especially a young boy (Luke Hunter) busking. Then my Edinburgh food must Mum's (Monster Mash) for lunch, yum.

Lead Pencil, Underbelly Bristo Square
Described as a cross between Art Attack and Saved by the Bell this show was a trip to the '90s. It would possibly only make sense to people who were teenagers in the 1990s, with three high energy performers and lots of felt tip pen props. The sound track took me back to our Year 9 disco and then Skool disco at uni and the dancing was nuts. We particularly loved the Nokia 3310 song and if you're in the 25-35 age bracket fit this into your schedule for a silly start to your afternoon.

Wardens, Assembly Roxy
This was on my list as the only chance to see Thom Tuck at the Fringe. It was a hostage situation with three traffic wardens, a police community support officer and a random (Thom Tuck) who just followed the crowd. It was an amusing hour with seemingly mundane conversations with a comedy twist. As one of the few things on my list that I actually managed to see this was a fine final show for my Fringe.

I finished off my Fringe with a drink at the Udderbelly Pasture, the best way to finish a Festival.
So to sum up my Fringe 2013, I have ranked the shows I saw in order of preference:
1. Festival of the Spoken Nerd
2. Men
3. Guilt and Shame
4. Wardens
5. Oxford Imps
6. Bluebeard
7. Spank! (It would be 10 for the show I saw, but ranking it here as I think that on a normal night it would still be a pretty good night)
8. Midsummer's Night Savoy (but it has finished)
9. Gordon Southern
10. Big Value Comedy Late
11. Does My Face look Big in This (I wouldn't recommend this at all)

Things I didn't manage to see but really wanted to:
1. Make the News
2. Austentatious
3. Boy with Tape on His Face
4. The Play that Went Wrong
5. Improverts 

Edinburgh Fringe 2013: Day three

Day three was my crazy show day and I hit town early, I had a plan but in the end it didn't really play out so I saw all kinds of things.

Men, Underbelly Bristo Square
I wondered through Bristo Square and was fliered for this show, it had an NSDF award and sounded interesting so I gave it a shot. I bought the last ticket ran across the square and sat down just in time. It was a play and darkly comic, two men in a flat with a twisted devisive relationship, but there were some funny moments and I found myself laughing throughout. Some great performances and writing, do check this out, it's a good way to start your day.

Does My Face Look Big in This, Underbelly Bristo Square
Next up was supposed to be Austentatious but as it is non-ticketed and very popular you have to start queuing at about 12.30 for a 13.30 show. So we took a flier and as it was two for one decided to try this. It wasn't to our taste and had no real thread and just wasn't that amusing. I thought it may have been alright as a half hour or twenty minute slot in a compilation show but there was not enough to carry a whole hour.

Oxford Imps, Guilded Balloon
I usually try and see the Edinburgh Improverts when I'm up for the Fringe but circumstances dictated otherwise so I headed in to the Oxford Imps instead. Despite a less than engaged audience they did a great show and I even managed to get a little bit of improvised Austen for my ticket price. I really enjoy the improvised games and I particularly liked the improvised musical set in an igloo kitchen. Good fun and an uplifting start to the afternoon, go prepared with weird and wacky ideas and a good pair of lungs.

Festival of the Spoken Nerd, Assembly George Square
This was my Fringe highlight. I don't think a George Square lecture theatre has ever seen this many graphs or spreadsheets. I saw a street lamp made put of a pickled gherkin, I'm not kidding it just needed some mains electricity. Find out what would happen if you set a turning ice skater on fire, see a spreadsheet become a photo and so much more. Plenty of laughs and lots of education, I can't recommend this show enough whether you have just watched all the episodes of The Big Bang Theory or play with spreadsheets in your spare time. I can't write more without giving the show away so just a buy a ticket and go see.

Bluebeard, Space Surgeons' Hall
This was another theatre piece and a bit more contemplative, a sister and brother watch their mother fading away in a care home, slowly losing her mind. Initially, a touch confusing but I got with the programme quickly as you see flash backs into Claire's (the mother) mind. It was interesting to see both sides as the flasbacks slipped seamlessly into current day. The actress playing Claire deserved an accolade for her flawless acting as an old woman with involuntary shaking and quick switches between a sharp young wonan and her older confused self. Worth a watch if you're in the mood for something more downbeat.

Spank, Underbelly Cowgate
I was looking forward to Spank and as this year is the last year that James and Leon are hosting I was sure to place this on my list. So I was pretty disappointed to see that they were in fact not hosting and it was Late Night Gimp Fight hosting instead. However, I was determined to enjoy it so we settled in for a night of fun. It really wasn't the same without James and Leon, although the boys did do a great job. I think what was missing was the more relaxed banter with the audience that you usually get. Late Night Gimp Fight were good fun and on the basis of what I saw I'd go see their show, but for Spank they need to loosen up a bit and add chit chat in amongst their fixed sketches and some banter between acts. In the first half we had a mixture of acts starting with a weird duo who I. Think were called Twisted and Something but I can't find them anywhere. It was a mime piece to start and I really wasn't sure about it and laughter was more nervous confusion in the room around me. Their second piece was amusing to start with, A Made in Chelsea parody but it was overworked and should have stopped when the sound track came on. Next up was a man with a guitar from Sussex, there's a lot of parody rap floating around this year's Fringe and not much of it good. He then moved into a convoluted rant about Sussex being 'bad' and a not so funny song. Next up Chris Stokes, actually pretty funny and reading a steamy novel, written by his aunt, in the voice of Alan Bennett was inspired. Finally Dana Alexander, the rest of the room loved her but by this point I'd lost interest and wasn't really amused so I headed home at half time. The verdict? Spank requires a good audience (Monday is never the best day), plenty of banter, a good mix of acts and I needed more booze, but Late Night Gimp Fight could make good hosts in the future if they can drop the sketch material.

Edinburgh Festival 2013: Day two

Yesterday I had a more Fringe type of day. A leisurely morning and then I walked into town with a friend and we battled our way down the Royal Mile. Given it was a Sunday lunchtime it was fairly quiet (for the Fringe). The street performers were not inspiring and we didn't bother to stop for them before wandering on. Most of the rest of the day was spent catching up and enjoying the atmosphere, but as it's the Fringe I had to squeeze in a few shows.

Gordon Southern: a Kerfuffle, Gilded Balloon
Gordon fliered us at the Udderbelly pasture and he was engaging and stopped for a chat which always improves the chance I'll act on the flier. He had a little sound system to create silly noises as accents during the show and it was an amusing hour. He rambled a bit and the audience participation wasn't as slick as it could have been. I did enjoy his raps though and the story of his expression doing stand up for soldiers during decompression was a highlight. The verdict? I wouldn't book but it but if you're at a loose end in the area at the right time it's worth an impulse buy.

Big Value Comedy Late, Just the Tonic, Caves
The Caves were as dark and sweaty as ever but that's part of the Fringe experience. This was a series of three acts with a compère. Described as up and coming we hadn't heard of any of them but that's not a bad thing. The compère (Chris Mayo) was fun if perhaps a little new to the role but he got the room going. The first act was mildly amusing at times but not a show I'll go see. That said he has a great singing voice both baritone and impressively counter tenor and I really can't recall his name but he is the funniest thing to come out of Grimsby. The second act was a girl with a guitar and good sense of humour. I think her name was Kay and her songs were laugh out loud funny, although very stereotypically comedian girl with plenty of relationship anger. The final act of the night was Paul Myerhaug and he was hilarious. His set revolved around sex and with an eighteen year old boy and his mum in the front row it upped the anti with the perfect foil. He was the ultimate professional when the venue lights blew half way through his set, he carried on and it was just a shame he didn't get to finish. With more time on my hands I would seriously consider seeing his show Canadians of Comedy at the Gilded Balloon.

Guilt and Shame, Underbelly

As we wondered past the Underbelly it seemed a shame not to pop in and this show looked like fun. It's a bit disconcerting when you enter a venue to be handed a label and a pen and asked to write your name out. Comedy when they know your name is a little more high stakes! turns out we were at an addiction anonymous meeting with hilarious effect. God and the Devil both made an appearance but my highlight was the piece from Swan Lake, a moving work... If you're looking for a late night laugh and plenty of silliness then do go down and check these guys out, they are totally worth the ticket and so far the best thing I've seen this year.

Edinburgh Fringe 2013: Day one

This year my Fringe got off to a slow start with a one show day. I did fit in a first birthday party and a lovely dinner at The Apartment in Brunstfield with a friend visiting from New Zealand.  The Apartment has a lovely set menu at the bargain price of £10 for two courses and the food was great,I recommend it if you're in the area.

So my first show of Edinburgh Fringe 2013?

I went to see A Midsummer's Night Savoy in Gryphon venues, written and directed by my friend Chris Drew and with a number of friends in the cast it was on my must see list. The Shakespeare elements were a bit thin on the ground but there was plenty of Gilbert & Sullivan. All the songs that a dedicated Savoyard knows and loves and maybe a few that are a little less familiar. With a troupe of 'dainty' fairies including Little Buttercup trying to avoid that most terrifying of things, a group of men, the evening was fun and definitely a little silly. The male chorus and principals deserve a mention, they were all really good and there were some really strong performance during the hour. I was disappointed that the 'Sisters, Cousins and Aunts' was restricted to just a little mention and nothing more, but overall I couldn't really complain. It was the last night and the show was sold out the audience were all on board and kept the atmosphere up, it was a truely Fringe experience to start my 2013 trip.

Other more professional reviews can be read here and here.