Give Us a Tenner…

#MayWriteABit 2020.  Day 10.

I’m going to stop mentioning that I’m totally stuck in arrears with this, but even if not writing daily I am thinking about writing daily lol

So, when I got to 10, what did I think of?  ‘Best of’ lists and ‘top tens’ so with no further ado, and NOT in order within the lists, because I don’t do that, here are some of my top tens.

10 Favourite Books [or series of books, because why not?]

1. The First Law trilogy- Joe Abercrombie.  I have these on audio and as a box set, and have listened to/read  them multiple times.  Fabulous stuff. I love all his other associated books too, and got my dad hooked on them.  We are eagerly awaiting the latest in September.  Seriously, if you like funny, gritty fantasy, READ THESE!

   

   Image from the graphic novels, which I DON’T have

2. The Dresden Files- Jim Butcher.  These started off very light and funny, and have got darker and darker.  Still funny too, quite a feat!  The next one comes out in July, I can’t wait.  They managed to make this excellent source material into a dull and generally mis-cast series.  It flopped.  I hate it when that happens!
3. 11/22/63- Stephen King.  I’ve loved King for years [I once read ‘The Shining’ on the back of a motorbike while on holiday in Cornwall], and like listening to his audiobooks when I’m sewing- unless he narrates them himself, I don’t rate him as a performer!  I like LONG books, that give hours of pleasure.  This one, about time travel and JFK’s assassination, bears many re-listens.  I love it.
4. The Skinner- Neal Asher.  Gory, brilliant sci-fi.  This is just one book of many, but it’s the one that hooked me.  Reminiscent of Iain Banks in his heyday.  The Hoopers of planet Spatterjay are a brilliant invention.

   

   For once a  sci-fi cover image that DOES represent something from the books!

5. Grass- Sheri S Tepper.  More sci-fi.  I like Tepper’s style, despite some cringe-making names [Rillibee Chime anyone?] and occasional maudlin sentimentality about animals.  This narrowly beat ‘The Gate to Women’s Country’ onto this list simply because I think I’ve re-read it slightly more often.  If books don’t seem worth frequent re-reading, they don’t stay.
6. Only Forward- Michael Marshall Smith.  Yet more sci-fi, a VERY strange book that starts off hilarious, and gets dark and creepy.  Love it.
7. The Wasp Factory-Iain Banks.  Insanity, hilarity, vile murder.  What more could you want?  I once saw a multi-media performance of this, which managed to capture an impossible plot beautifully.  READ IT.
8. The Earthsea books- Ursula Leguin.  These knocked me for 6 as a youngster, and the later additions are just icing on an extremely good cake.
9. Discworld novels- Terry Pratchett.  Apart from hating Rincewind [and LOATHING David Jason in the dramatisations], I do love some Pratchett.  The witches are far and above my favourite characters, and I had a whale of a time when we did a school production of ‘Wyrd Sisters’ years ago.  I loved making the costumes, and the playscripts, by Stephen Briggs are brilliant.  Pratchett’s dialogue is a gift, and translates directly to the stage.  Instead of performing rights money going to the author, it goes to an Orang Utan charity, which delighted the whole cast.
10. Louis de Berniere’s South American Trilogy:  The War of Don Emanual’s Nether Parts, Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords, The troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman.  Magical Realism- hilarious, and very dark.  Much as I like ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ these are MUCH better.

I could keep going for a loooong time!

10 Favourite Films.  I’m going with ones that I will stop and watch no matter which bit I catch when channel hopping!

1. The Fifth Element.  Stylish, funny, always entertaining.  Apart from Mr Sweaty. Lee Evans, who makes me cringe.  I make tea or fast forward when he’s on screen.

   

   NOT Lee Evans of course

2. All the Alien films, even the disappointing ones.  Sigourney Weaver is brilliant, and they scare the crap out of me in a good way.
3. The Godfather Trilogy, despite part 3.  I haven’t watched these for a while, it’s time to dig them out of the pile.
4. A Room With a View.  Delicious costumes, stunning scenery, Helena Bonham-Carter.  Grrrowl.
5. Kismet.  I do love an old musical, and this one is glorious.  Howard Keel, fabulous music based on Borodin’s ‘Prince Igor’.  We walked down the aisle to ‘Night of my Nights’.
6. 7 Brides for 7 Brothers.  Totally un-PC, but beautiful.  And it has Julie Newmarr in a corset.  I’ll be in my bunk. 
7. Some Like it Hot.  Sublime, ultimate comedy.   
8. North by Northwest.  The crop spraying scene scared me to death as a kid!
9. Pulp Fiction.  Thorough entertainment, great toons.
10. Shawshank Redemption.   Stephen King sneaks back into a lot of lists.  This film is hard viewing at times, but wonderful.  I also love The Green Mile, Stand by Me.. the list could just go on.

 

Top 10 Things I’ve made

1. My lovely wife’s wedding dress [and that is most definitely number 1 of all time too!]  I made mine too of course, but hers is just stunning.
2. My daughter’s wedding dress- this was my return to sewing in a big way, and the first thing I made that I actually had to STUDY for [Couture Dress course by Susan Khalje, I learned so much!]
3. My silk corsets made for my steampunk outfits.  I had to bone up on these [sorry!]  I need to make more, as I’m now too stout for these!
4. Any shirts for my wife, because they make her so happy, but particularly these I made last year.  VERY stoosh. 
5. Various steampunk outfits with enormous sleeves- but I particularly love this ‘Victorian Dominatrix’ outfit in glazed black cotton.  Very dramatic. 
6. My restored antique parasol.  I salvaged the lace form the original, and used silk remnants from my wife’s wedding gown.  It’s  a beauty!
7. My red cashmere coat.  The warmest, most glamorous ever.  AND it has a matching hat!
8. My wife’s dramatic swagger coat in 100% wool.  Very swooshy. 
9. Toto!  I made this for the school production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ last year.  It now lives on my parents’ sofa, making everyone jump when they go into the room! It’s wonky, but not bad for  a first ‘realistic’ toy.
10. This lovely set of Emerald City costumes from the same production.  Faces hidden to protect the guilty.  I learned how to make fascinators for this little lot.  I like all the costumes I make of course, it’s huge fun, and a great reward to see the final effect on stage.  Can’t wait to do it all again.

And there you go.  Three top tens which took AGES to decide on.  Hope you enjoyed them.