World Book Day 2015: My top picks

World Book Day has come around again which means an entire day of people talking about books which is just the best; I wish people spoke about books more frequently!

So, I was trying to decide what books to write about and what angle to choose for my post and I decided on some of my favourite reads from the past couple of years.

My top picks are quite varied so hopefully there is something that could appeal to everyone.
1. The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall

This book instantly came to mind when I was thinking about books for this post. My dad actually recommended this book to me after he read it and really enjoyed it. The Electric Michelangelo is such a unique book and is unlike anything I have ever read. The story is about a young boy, Cy Parks, who lives in a seaside town and becomes a tattoo apprentice. It follows Cy's life and journey, when he meets the mysterious Grace who sets out a challenge for him. There is so much emotion in the story and its truly imaginative and fascinating. I read this book in a couple of weeks and it became one of my favourites; I would definitely read it again.



2. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

I have always been a vampire girl so-to-speak (Team Edward! Oh wait wrong book), and like a lot of people, I watched the film of Interview with the Vampire before I read the book. Although watching a film adaptation beforehand can often remove the imagination from a story, I am not 'snobbish' about it as I know that if it was not for films then a lot of books would not have been brought into the spotlight for more people to discover. For those of you that don't know the storyline, Interview with the Vampire is a modern day classic which begins with a reporter sat in a room with a Vampire, which we learn is Louis. Louis tells the story of how he was turned and takes us through the gripping story of his life living alongside the Vampire Lestat. Louis and Lestat have an almost love-hate relationship and this creates so many twists and turns. The book is written in a very dark and gothic way which certainly suits the nature of the story. If you like vampires, horror or just a classic then give it a try and if it's not your cup of tea then just watch the film as it's just as good!


3. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

This book is a very short one therefore is easy to read and is 100% worth it. I wont give too much away but this book follows the life of Siddhartha who is the son of a Brahmin. Siddhartha finds the Buddha however, Siddhartha is not satisfied to just serve as a disciple and goes on a journey to work out his own destiny for himself. I already strive to take on a lot of the Buddhist teachings within my own life and I feel that this book reinforced some of those teachings and taught me more. It is such a beautifully written book and has encouraged me to read more wonderful books based around Buddhism.


4. Touching from a Distance - Ian Curtis & Joy Division by Deborah Curtis

I am a huge Joy Division fan and have always been intrigued by Ian Curtis' story & what made him tick, therefore it was only right that I read this book. Touching from a Distance is written by Ian's wife Deborah who was obviously there in the thick of it and her book is probably the closest you will get to the actual story. This book is certainly a dark one and travels to all different corners of Ian's life including details about his illness and his rapid decline. When hearing Ian's story it is easy to feel sympathetic towards him but it isn't until you truly dig deep into this story that you realise how intense the situation was everyone involved. If you are a fan of Joy Division or are just curious about Ian's story then I highly recommend this book.


5. Black Cats & Evil Eyes - A book of old fashioned superstitions by Chloe Rhodes

Okay, so this is a bit of a silly one but I love this book! I saw it online one day and was so intrigued so picked up a copy. This book takes you through superstitions and old wives tales such as; placing shoes on a table means bad luck or why people say 'bless you' after someone sneezes. It's such a fun little book and is a good conversation point.



6. Daivd Bowie Is

This is my favourite 'coffee table book'. This was gifted to me as a Christmas present after I visited the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A (which I loved!). The book is such a high quality book and the colour and layout is so eye catching. The way the book is put together is just perfect for reading little bits here and there. I idolise David Bowie so much and his life amazes me, so to have the important bits laid out in this fantastic book is ideal. The book is almost a paper version of the exhibition and is such a lovely thing to be able to keep.


So those were my top picks for this World Book Day and the next book I plan to read is Stevie Nicks: Visions, Dreams and Rumors by Zoe Howe which I was given at Christmas as I am a huge Stevie Nicks fan!

What are your favourites or what are you currently reading?

 BB

For The Oceans

I have been nominated again....

So, once again I have been nominated for the '10 albums that shaped me' challenge on Faceache AKA Facebook. Rather than re-posting them I thought I would give you an insight to another five albums I chose and why.

Feel free to check through my previous posts to see the first five here: http://boolie-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/i-was-nominated.html 

6. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Need I explain this? It's David Bowie. My first insight to seventies glam and an all round fantastic album; Moonage Daydream has true ballad potential and is my favourite Bowie song. I am a huge Bowie fan and I'm sure I will be for a rather long time, as cheesy as it sounds; he is most certainly one of my idols.  

7. Tighten Up - Volume 2

Every person in the world that has been involved in the traditional Skinhead/Mod scene would have listened to this album at least once. When I first found a passion for Reggae I tended not to listen to albums and instead had individual songs, normally singles. Tighten Up records contained the most popular/commercial Reggae tunes of the time and are just so influential when it comes to first discovering Reggae. 

8. The Specials - The Specials

The Specials are one of the few Two Tone bands that did a bloody good job. Their lyrics consist of problems true to life like Racism and the terrible nights out that youngsters who were listening to these records could relate to. The Specials were so different to anything I had ever heard and it was originally my dad that introduced me to Two Tone; He discovered this music when he was a young Rude Boy in East London. In November I will finally get to see The Specials play in London and of course my dad is coming with me! 


9. The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow

This album was the first vinyl I ever got and it was passed down from my mum who also feels that it is in her top ten. It could have been any Smiths album, it just so happens that this was the first one I heard and I instantly fell in love. The mean and moody vibe instantly drew me in, similar to Joy Division however, it was Morrissey that pulled me in more than anything, I still believe to this day that he is one person that I would love to interview more than anyone else. 

10. Slade - Slayed

Slade were a fairly recent addition to my top ten and I only really discovered their music (Other than their Christmas song) a couple of years ago. I was so drawn in to the seventies Glam scene, the music, the outfits, everything. Slade are one of my favourite Glam bands and I feel that they are slightly more 'sophisticated' than the likes of The Sweet.