10 Great Books To Read This Summer If You Haven't Already (Or Even If You Have!!)

So summer is here, and let's face it; it's not really bikini weather in Britain right now. But whether you're lounging on a sun-drenched beach or staring morosely out of your rain-drenched bedroom window, there's one thing which you shouldn't be without this summer: a good book. It's the summer essential. So to help you find something exciting, enticing or just plain brilliant to read this summer, I've scoured my bookshelves and picked out 10 Great Books that you should check out this summer if you haven't already (or even if you have!).

I tried to include a range of genres: fantasy, horror, crime, comedy... and so on. So, in no particular order, here they are.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
Genre(s): Crime
What's it about? 
A disgraced journalist is given the seemingly impossible task of solving a forty year old missing person's case. With the help of an antisocial but incredibly intelligent private investigator and hacker, the case begins to unravel... And some dark secrets begin to surface.
Why read it?
Takes a while to get into and can be pretty dull at times, but stick with it: the compelling characters, intricate plot, and darkly compelling themes make it a damn good read.
If you like this, check out... 
There is a film, but I haven't seen if so I can't comment on it.


The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath
Genre(s): Semi-autobiographical, although some people will argue both ways about it.
What's it about?
A young woman's descent into mental illness, paralleling many of Plath's own experiences.
Why read it?
If you don't like Plath's poetry, you probably won't like this. It's a beautifully written, poetic, entrancing novel which provides a real and sometimes shocking insight into Plath's mind. Disturbing and compelling, I couldn't put it down.
If you like this, check out... Some of Plath's poetry. Poems like 'Lady Lazarus' deal with similar issues to those in the novel.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J K Rowling
Genre(s): Fantasy
What's it about?
Plucky wizards Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the run from the evil Lord Voldemort, trying to hunt down the horcruxes (fragments of his soul which allow him a degree of immortality) and destroy them so they can finally kill him.
Why read it?
I don't think there really has to be a reason... If you haven't counted Potter by now, you must have been living in a cave... But with the final film out in a few days, there's never been a better time to relive the magic of the books.
If you like this, check out... The final film, Part 2, released July 15th (!!!)


Dead Until Dark
by Charlaine Harris
Genre(s): Romance, supernatural, mystery
What's it about?
The Japanese have perfected synthetic blood, and vampires have admitted their existence and gone public. A telepathic waitress in Louisiana falls in love with a vampire, and life becomes more complicated accordingly.
Why read it?
It's sort of 'Twilight' on Viagra. Trashy but fun.
If you like this, check out... The other books in the series, and the TV adaptation 'TrueBlood'

Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus
by Mary Shelley
Genre(s): Gothic horror
What's it about? 
An ambitious scientist discovers the secret to life, and creates a creature out of human body parts which he almost immediately regrets unleashing upon the world...
Why read it?
It's a classic. Thought-provoking and surprisingly modern in it's ideas.
If you like this, check out... Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', though it's far duller.


We Need to Talk About Kevin
by Lionel Shriver
Genre(s): Thriller, sort of. It's hard to say.
What's it about?
In a series of letters to her husband, the mother of a sociopath boy who massacred many of his classmates tries to come to terms with what has happened and assess the degree to which she is to blame.
Why read it?
I read this based on a recommendation, and they told me then that you will at first hate the mother. They were not kidding. The book deals with the nature/nurture debate and is incredibly powerful and shocking. Will probably put you off having kids for some time.
If you like this, check out... A film by the BBC is in production.

The Shining
by Stephen King
Genre(s): Horror
What's it about?
A temperamental alcoholic is slowly driven to murderous insanity while confined with his wife and child in a sinister, seemingly empty hotel where he is employed as winter caretaker. His son, who has the 'Shining', making him sensitive to supernatural forces, knows immediately that something is not quite right about the hotel, and especially Room 217...
Why read it?
'The Shining' is one of my favourite King novels. It's terrifying and bewitching, and skin-crawlingly claustrophobic. Just don't read it with the lights off. Seriously.
If you like this, check out... King's other novels, and the stunning but fairly dissimilar Kubrick film.

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Genre(s): Science-fiction, adventure, bit of romance.
What's it about?
In a post-apocalyptic version of North America called Panem, a corrupt government in the wealthy Capitol rules over the 12 poorer districts where many citizens are starving and mistreated, and forces each district to provide one boy and one girl each year for a televised event called 'The Hunger Games', where the children must fight to the death, as a demonstation of the Capitol's power. When a girl from the poorest district, 12, volunteers for the Games to save her younger sister, she is sure it is a death sentence.
Why read it?
The Hunger Games is utterly addictive. This is the first of 3 novels, and I can almost guarantee that you, like me, will rush out to Waterstone's to the buy the others once you've read this. Plus, with a film in the works, 'The Hunger Games' is set to be bigger than 'Twilight'. I hope.
If you like this, check out... 'Catching Fire' and 'Mockingjay', the sequels.


The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
By Douglas Adams
Genre(s): Comedy, science-fiction
What's it about?
Earthman Arthur Dent learns that his friend, Ford Prefect, is not from Guildford as he had thought, but is in fact from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. Shortly after this, his house, and then his planet, are destroyed. Ford and Arthur hitch a lift on a passing spacecraft, and a galaxy-spanning comedic adventure ensues.
Why read it?
Adams's humour is not for everyone, but the book is hilariously funny and intriguing, and the characters are timeless. Plus, you'll understand a lot of references in popular culture after reading it. 42.
If you like this, check out... The rest of the trilogy in five parts (yes, five parts), and I would highly recommend the original radio series by the BBC - even better than the books, I think. There is also a film which isn't too bad.

Fight Club
by Chuck Palahniuk
Genre(s): Goodness knows...
What's it about?
An unnamed insomniac protagonist finds relief in support groups for the terminally ill, but his relief is disturbed by the arrival of another support group 'tourist', the mysterious Marla. Then he meets Tyler Durden, with whom he creates an underground fighting club for men, which Tyler manifests into a cult-like army bent on bringing down modern society.
Why read it?
It's disturbing and hypnotic, and it has one of the best twists I've ever read (I'm dying not to talk about it here, but no spoilers). After I read this, I walked around for days speaking like Tyler Durden. But remember rule one, you don't talk about Fight Club. And then there's rule two...
If you like this, check out... The film with Edward Norton, and Brad Pitt as Tyler. Brilliant, but the ending isn't as good. Far too happy.

Tell me what you think

- SM x

What I'm Loving This Week

I haven't posted in a little while, due to exams and laziness. Exams are now over and I'm back in the blogging spirit. Hoping someone wants to read it. Hello?! Is there anyone out there? Calling all sentient beings!

Mmmmm'kay. Things I am loving this week. I might do this every week. If I remember. And find things to love.

The Shadow Line (BBC2 - Tuesdays)

I love this programme. The weird thing is, I'm not even sure why. There are times when I have absolutely no idea what's going on (lots of times, actually) and, 5 episodes in, I still don't know most of the character's names (I still call Gatehouse 'that guy with the hat'). But there's just something about it which pulls me in, and I've found myself on more than one occasion looking forward with excitement for the next installment in this 7-part series. Perhaps that can be chalked down to me not having a life, or maybe it's because this show is actually superb. More likely it's a bit of both.
The Shadow Line, in a nutshell, is about the blurred boundaries (okay, the shadow line) between good and bad, the police and the criminal underworld, et cetera, et cetera. After a drug lord called Harvey Wratten is murdered hours after he and his nephew Jay (a mental Rafe Spall) are mysteriously released from prison due to a Royal pardon thingy, both the police and Wratten's guys want to know who did it. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a copper who is more mixed up in all this drug business than he'd like to be, especially after finding a briefcase full of money hidden in his wardrobe - and to add to his frustration, he can't remember anything because there's a bullet lodged in his head. Christopher Eccleston is Joseph Bede, a guy who worked for Wratten but is pretty much the most likable character in the series. Having invested everything in Wratten's business to make it look legit, Eccleston wants to do one last big deal with another big drugs guy, Bob Harris, and then he's out because his wife is dying from early onset Alzheimers. Problem: there's a rumor that Bob Harris ordered the hit on Wratten. So poor Joseph has to deal with all this, the emotional stuff regarding his wife, and control the wild and unpredictably mental Jay Wratten. Oh, and there's a mysterious and sinister man in a trilby wandering around killing people - Gatehouse.
That is the short version, believe it or not. And some of that's probably wrong, it's hard to keep up.
I decided to watch the first ep of the show because the review in the magazine sounded good and I'll watch anything with Christopher Eccleston. I kept watching because the first scene hooked me (two coppers looking at Wratten's body, one not very pleasant - he turned out to be a bad cop - and no music in the background, giving it all an eerily silent feel). Then Gatehouse came along and got me even more hooked - I thought he was good, helping the driver of Wratten's car evade the police and the crazy Wratten Jr. who wanted to question him, and then he went and shot the poor guy and his mother and pregnant girlfriend too! Since then he's gone around killing all sorts of people - in a beautifully orchestrated and restrained scene in the last ep, he killed the motorbike-riding journalist poking around Ejiofor's character. You don't see the killing since both Gatehouse's car and the motorbike just disappeared into a dip in the road, then Gatehouse drives calmly away and the journalist is left sitting in the road beside the wreckage of his bike, looking almost alive until the trickle of blood down his face. Superb.
All in all, it's a convoluted, intelligent and tense thriller which is hard to keep up with, but who cares? The beauty is, you don't need to. You just need to enjoy the ride and assume everything will eventually become clear.

Music-wise, I'm all about Lady Gaga's latest album Born This Way this week. I love her, I absolutely adore this woman. Born this Way has nary a dull song. Yoü and I is my favourite track, at least in part due to the wonderful Brian May on the guitar. It's passionate, heartfelt, and one of the least messed-with (I don't know how else to put it) songs on the album, almost raw, a bit like Speechless on the Fame Monster. Judas and The Edge of Glory have me dancing around like a maniac and belting out the lyrics, and Born this Way and Hair make me feel all warm inside. All in all, it's a fab album and this week inspired an impromptu saucepan-dance from me while washing the dishes. Love it. What I hate, however, is the lazy comparisons people are making about Gaga's work. Like saying she copied Madonna. Why? Because they both had songs about the same theme, are both singers, and are both women? If people are going to criticize, they should at least do it well. Rant over.

My guilty pleasure this week has been chocolate waffles from Aldi. Had one for breakie this morning, stuck it in the microwave for twenty seconds and oh my god was it good. A zillion calories perhaps, but SO GOOD.

Finally, I'm all about the zarking amazing TV series on CBBC - Horrible Histories (Tuesdays, 5:15pm). If you are not watching this, why not? Don't tell me it's for kids. I'm seventeen. My little brother got me into this after the first series (it's now on it's third) and I know all the songs by heart and never miss an episode. IT IS AMAZING. Children's TV series tend to be... Well, let's face it, they usually suck ass. Especially ones trying to be educational. But Horrible Histories is an amazingly rare breed - in fact, I think it's in a league of it's own: a children's TV show which is both educational and more entertaining than most adult shows put together. It has
Horrible Histories, based on the best-selling series of books by Terry Deary (who features in every episode somewhere), is a mishmash of sketches, quiz questions, and impressive songs teaching you history with all the gory, weird and unbelievably true bits left in. I have learned more from this series than I ever did in 4 years of high school history. Sketches include historical takes on modern TV shows and adverts - Come Dine With Me, Wife Swap, a Gok Wan style 'Fashion Fix', Masterchef, and countless Cillit-Bang style item-promotions starting with 'Hi! I'm a shouty man!'. Pure genius.
I could talk about this show all day, and sometimes I do. Okay, so it's not always entirely historically accurate, and some of it is just speculation (but then again, so is a lot of the stuff in the history books). But it's amazing, and I dare even the most mature adult not to titter at it. You know when things say 'bringing history to life'? This is one of the rare things which achieves its promise. And in spectacular style.

Funny Signs

Being relatively immature as I undoubtedly am, I love amusing signs. Unfortunately, I rarely have a camera present when I see one. This photo was taken on my brief visit to London last year and I thought it was a great name for a street, really made me peckish.
 If you have a picture of a funny sign, you can email it to me at deadindenton@hotmail.co.uk and I might stick it on the blog.
In the meantime, me and my camera will continue to hunt.

LADY GAGA!!!!!

So.......... First thing you should know about me, I am a HUGE Gaga fan, a real little monster. I think she appeals to me so much because she's so individual, something I adore, and anyway her music is great. I LOVE GAGA!!!

Hero worship aside, the new album 'Born This Way' is out on Monday (!!!) and I'm in a real Gaga place right now. Expect more posting of this calibre on Monday btw. Anyway, I've been listening to songs from the new album all week, watched her fabulous set at Radio 1's Big Weekend on Saturday and was enthralled by her performance on the Graham Norton show last week. Let's face it, we love her as much for her crazy costumes and outlandish stunts as we do for her music right? Gaga is the whole package. So here is my countdown of my

TOP 5 FAVOURITE GAGA MOMENTS (so far):

5. Meat and Greet

At number five is the notorious "meat dress" Gaga wore at 2010's VMA's. Probably her most famous outfit to date, the outfit included a dress, headpiece, shoes and purse made of raw meat. My first reaction was disgust but then I came to appreciate how gutsy this outfit was (literally). People still talk about it months later (just look at me now!). And if Gaga was brave enough to walk around all night smelling like a slaughterhouse, she certainly deserved the publicity. Although I wouldn't have wanted to sit next to her!

4. Graveyard Shift

Gaga certainly made an entrance at Radio 1's Big Weekend last Sunday night. After arriving on stage half an hour late, by which time I was almost through the roof with excitment, she emerged froma coffin carried on stage by her dancers. As if that weren't crazy enough, when the lid came down, Gaga was wearing a pregnancy suit to perform the title track from her new album, Born This Way. An interesting juxtaposition of life and death - and definitely worth the wait.

3. Egg-cellent

At number three is another interesting stunt ahead of the release of the new album. Gaga arrived at this year Grammy's encased in a giant alien-like egg, which she was reported to have been 'incubating' in for THREE HOURS before 'hatching' on stage to perform her single Born This Way. The egg was carried down the red carpet by attendants. Gaga was nominated for 6 awards and scooped 3, but if there was an award for the best entrance she would definitely have left the other hopefuls with egg on their faces.

2. Bloody Good

I think the moment I realised how much I loved Gaga was when I first saw her performance at the 2009 VMA's. Mother Monster did a stunning performance of Paparazzi, towards the end of which she threw herself down at a piano for a frenetic bit of playing. Beautiful as that was, it wasn't until she rose from the instrument that the full effect of her perfomance was appreciated - a gasp eminated from the audience as they saw that Gaga was 'bleeding'. She stumbled across the stage, blood pouring down her bare stomach and staining her white outfit, clutching at the 'wound'. She fell down, and was encircled by her white-clad dancers who, after a bit of screaming, hoisted her into the air hanging by one hand, and the cameras clicked away until the very end. A stunning performance with a meaning - sacrificing yourself for art, the media 'eating people up' like hungry vultures, etc etc. Poignant, powerful and utterly amazing.

1. Ring-a-ding-ding

I love all of Gaga's video's but Telephone takes the biscuit. The day after this video was released, I was sat in Higher English when my teacher (a man who was a few months from retirement I might add) was talking about suspended disbelief or something like that in Kafka's 'Metamorphosis' when he said, as an example: "Last night I was watching TV when the new music video from a singer called Lady Gaga came on. She was in a female prison, and she and the other prisoners were dancing about in heels and lingerie. And I thought... I buy this." Aside from that, it's a fantastic video - if you haven't seen it (and why not?), it features Gaga going to prison where, after a quick lesbian kiss and an ingenious use for old coke cans as hair rollers, she is bailed out by Beyonce. They drive through America in a bright yellow Pussy Wagon, poison Beyonce's nasty boyfriend (and everyone else in the diner as well) and have a little dance amongst the corpses. It's genius. The costumes are fab, the song itself is pure Gaga-tastic, and the video features some real gems you'll be repeating for days to come - Beyonce: "You know Gaga, trust is like a mirror. You can fix it if its broken." Gaga: "But you can still see the cracks in that mother-fucker's reflection". Ring ring, it's for you Gaga - we love you!

Welcome :)

Hello, hello, hello, hellooooooo! I created this blog a few weeks ago and realised today I still hadn't posted anything because a) there have been 'technical difficulties' (I can't work a computer) and b) I'm lazy.

So I thought a welcome was long overdue, in case anybody is actually reading. If you are, thanks for stopping by - feel free to grab a metaphorical coke and put your feet up

Essentially this blog is just a place for me to post whatever random crap comes into my head. I pride myself on being an 'alternative teenager', which mostly means I don't worship at Justin Bieber's little baby feet. But you don't have to be like me to follow - all ages, genders, cultures, and species are welcome, except Vogons.

Things for you to do right now:
Click the FOLLOW button on the right hand side of the page. I cannot promise that it will make your life better, but it probably will.
Things to do later, or now if you're really keen:
COMMENT on something. Commenting is fun. Express yourself!
INVITE a friend to FOLLOW. Much appreciated. The more the merrier.
Have a nice day :)

That is all.
Love and cupcakes,
SM x