Butterflies, Stars and Tomorrows

Two days ago as a birthday treat from a friend, I spent the day in Sydney's Newtown. Now if a day there doesn't inspire you to write, nothing would. I imagine living there for a year, bohemian style and simply writing and existing. It's a rich compost for all the senses. I love it. Though it is a bit like visiting a wild butterfly farm and then going back to live in Snailtown. I was also lucky enough to see the movie about Keats called Bright Star. Well, it's about him and Fanny Brawne and their relationship and life at that time. I haven't read Keats for an age though I recognised some of the poems. It has certainly inspired me to re-read his work- so poignant and beautiful. He also gives a wonderful description of what poetry is in the film but you'll have to take note yourself if you see it as I can't remember it word for word but I do recall thinking it was a perfect description.

Yesterday I had the rare opportunity to read for much of the day which was a delicious way to spend it. I read Cecilia Ahern's new book 'The Book of Tomorrow' (she's the author of PS I love You and others). The story was certainly an interesting one and caught you up as it dropped more and more breadcrumbs as the story unfolded. From the first one your mental head snaps up- "Eh up! What's with that?" so that you are dragged along faster and faster by the nostril hairs of your curiosity till you finally work it all out; eye's watering, near the end. It's definitely worth a read so I don't want to give more away. My only criticism and I'll have to keep it vague, is that when all is revealed, it perhaps seems a little unlikely in parts. There's a few things that you wonder at the possibility of. It's good for me to notice these things when I write. Sometimes your character has so much happening that you forget to look down and see if they have trouser's on from two chapters ago. I suppose though that once you are a famous and well-liked author and we're talking credible plot's you get an extra cup full of leeway from your loving readers. So OK Cecelia, I'll let you get away with that one.