Carrie Bradshaw’s tbr list, posh language, and social dining apps
Happy Halloween and see you in 14 days!
First off, a small announcement: Becks and the City will be having a siesta next week while I concentrate on some creative projects.
I have no special writing-related news right now, other than to applaud this awesome, awesome Instagram post by Text Publishing:
They imagine Carrie Bradshaw’s tbr pile of Aussie books and I reckon they’re right on the money. What do you think of their selections? What would the other Sex and the City gals be reading? Do you have any recommendations for them?
Catch you in a fortnight!
News
1. I’m literally 50/50 on whether this sounds like a good time or my worst nightmare. Either way, I’m sure some people would find it a fab way to alleviate loneliness and boredom or just try something new. Enter social dining apps like Our Table and Sup Club, which give you the chance to meet up with strangers and sit at their dinner table. I guess it’s kinda like a blind date, but platonic and there are more than two people, so if you don’t get along with your seat neighbour, you can chat with someone else sitting across from you. And you could meet a partner or a new buddy without overtly looking for that. At the very least, you’ll hopefully enjoy a tasty meal. I’m warming to the idea.
2. Note to self: if I’m ever robbing a place, don’t stop to buy a vending machine Coke during the deed, no matter how bad my caffeine cravings are. This fellow learned that lesson the hard way after getting caught using the DNA on the can he drank. It’s like an episode of Law and Order or CSI. I’m sure police wish every case was this neatly solvable.
3. I was intrigued by this Conversation article, both as a writer and as a person. Research was conducted on which English-language words are considered ‘posh’. The studies found that while there might be some words more commonly used by the upper classes, there is less variation based on class than we might imagine. Age seemed to make more of a difference to the words we choose. Useful to think about when writing dialogue.
Reviews
1. Oh dear. We saw the newly released Venom: The Last Dance movie on the weekend, which is the third for the superhero character and rumoured to be his last. Despite not being a huge fan of superhero movies generally, I found lots to like in the first two Venoms. Reluctant everyman type characters who just happen to have extra powers work better for me than invincible aliens or rich guys who buy themselves a super-suit and all the accoutrements. Without giving too much away, I was disappointed that one of the Venom side characters didn’t return. The jokes landed reasonably well, although it felt like the filmmakers were trying too hard to recreate Deadpool-style humour and some sequences seemed to only be there to pad out the movie’s run time. The main problem was the plot of Venom: The Last Dance. I genuinely wonder whether they wrote it over a weekend while popping pills. There were some fun ideas, but the story lacked direction. Nevertheless, they stuck the landing pretty well. It’s an okay enough movie to watch once, but it’s not one I’d relish on the rewatch.
2. A sample of Kylie Skin by Kylie Jenner’s clarifying gel cream fell into my lap (around $55 for 50ml from MECCA and other stores) and I decided to give it a go. I’ve gotta say, this vegan cream was pretty good. It came out as milky and then smoothed on clear, leaving skin in a state of non-greasy hydration. It’s fragrance-free, feather-light, and perfectly soothing for summer. I don’t know at the price that I’d add it to my regular rotation of products, but I certainly wouldn’t complain if another sample came my way. Nice stuff.
3. We tried out the Bad Opinions card game on the weekend (available from JB Hi-fi, Amazon, Target, and other places). Playing with five players, it worked well (one was mostly asleep, acting as a tiebreaker when needed). It’s a quick, fun, uncomplicated little game. You can learn the rules in a couple of minutes. Essentially, each player is given five topic cards and two voting cards. Topic cards are printed with topics like ‘An underrated movie’ or ‘A popular cartoon character you find annoying’ – ie something you’ll have an opinion about. On their turn, a player will select a card from their hand and express an opinion on the topic. The next player can either go on an opposing rant or choose to pass. Once they’ve heard two rants/opinions, the other players vote on who was most convincing. This was fun playing with people we know, as some unexpected opinions came out, but it would possibly be even better as an icebreaker game at a party where people don’t know each other well. I’d put this in a similar category to Dixit and Cards Against Humanity – you have fun regardless of whether you win or lose because you’re laughing along the way. We’ll undoubtedly crack this one out again soon.
What I’m Feelin’ Right Now
Easy Halloween make-up ideas that are not too scary (like these Allure ones)
Outrageous Alexander-McQueen-style sculpted collars
Recreating Snack Wars at home with friends
Admiring a jacaranda tree in bloom while being thankful I don’t have to clear the dropping flowers
The Blake one-sleeve dress by Honey and Beau
Christmas wrapping paper from Typo in this design
This ballet squirrel
Going around the room and sharing one boring fact about yourself – much less pressure
Making a Christmas wreath pizza
Giveaway
Last week’s giveaway, Zoe Foster Blake’s Things Will Calm Down Soon, was won by Sandra Diskett. Good stuff! I’ve sent you an email, Sandra.
Giveaways will return after the break. : )
Playlist of the Week
Spilling the tea: