Oh we do like to be beside the seaside ...

If you were to ask me to name my top ten favourite things in the world, good 'ole traditional seaside piers would probably be a firm number seven. Standing at the end of a pier that stretches into nothingness - just you and the sound of waves lapping - is the most bewitching feeling. Somehow, wherever I am in the world, a rickety, old pier makes me feel right at home. Perhaps it's nostalgia? Childhood summers spent running barefoot, crabbing and peeling cotton candy from my clothes come flooding back as soon as I step onto the boards that keep me from the waltzing waves. 

When Joe and I were looking to make the move to St. Petersburg in Florida a couple of months ago, we fell in love with our little cottage for many reasons. A big one for me was that it was within walking distance of the pier. I've haunted it ever since. 

Occasionally I'll be running errands and will suddenly find myself heading that way, not stopping until I'm at the water's edge, salty sea breeze whipping my hair into a frenzy. I will sit in the sun and watch the magician's show while eating an ice cream, or pay five dollars to feed the injured pelicans who flock to the pier for safe keeping. The superstitious, gypsy blood running through my veins almost always prompts me to ask Zoltar the Fortune Teller what my luck will be like that week. In a great, booming voice and with much pantomime, he recently imparted his supernatural (ahem, mechanical) knowledge to tell me that I must laugh my way through several upcoming trials. Fortunately, the pier magician chose that very moment to present me with an angry looking balloon lobster, which did indeed make me chuckle. 

It's a childlike, magical place. Where elderly couples hold hands and vacationers snap photos to keep in boxes of mementos, perhaps alongside a string of seaweed and their very own fortunes from Zoltar. 

Alas, in May the pier will be torn down and replaced with something called The Lens. It's a modern, minimalistic structure that has provoked mixed feelings among the residents of St. Pete. At the end of its lengthy construction, gone will be the fish bait and pelican man, whose family has been caring for injured seabirds in that very spot since the 1920s. Gone will be the quintessential, seaside shops - full of sunhats, glass-blown artwork and oddities that really only have a place on a time-honoured pier. Gone too will be the magician who can make children roar with laughter with a single raised eyebrow atop his wobbly unicycle. Gone will be the best mint chocolate chip ice cream I ever had. 

I imagine I'll haunt the pier until then; breathing in the lives of all who have worked and played there. I hope that, in years to come, people will feel as passionately about The Lens as I do the old St. Pete Pier. Who knows? Perhaps Zoltar is the one to ask.

Much love, 

Kerry x

Bedside Table ... November Reading

One downside of having a voracious appetite for books is forgetting what you've read. Usually, I have a long list of completed titles on my ereader, which makes me pause and scratch my head. 'Did I really read seven indie paranormals this month? I did? And a Charles Dickens for good measure? Well I bloody never.'

Since I've gone through three ereaders this year (one met its untimely demise in the toaster), I really haven't been able to keep track of my reading list. One minute I'm scrolling through some smut and the next ... POOF ... it has disappeared into the dark recesses of a kitchen appliance to make its death bed amongst breadcrumbs and pop tart remnants. Farewell, dear friend.

To combat this (my memory issues as opposed to my clumsiness, for which I clearly need some kind of physical therapy), I thought a monthly reading round up might work well. I'll share what books I've read and hopefully, you'll do the same for me. I'm always on the hunt for new titles to read. In November (and the early part of December), I found myself enjoying lots of historical fiction. I tend to stick with the same genre for a month or two - perhaps due to my Yasiv dependency. If you haven't heard of Yasiv, it's a pretty nifty tool that lets you type in a book you like, and view similar items that other fans have bought in a simple, web-like view. The first time I used it, I typed in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I fancied a mystery set in a big old country manor by the sea. The results were vast and wonderful featuring several titles I would never have found were it not for Amazon's cleaver clogs little tool. Try it out. 

Anyway, to the books! I won't bore you with lengthy descriptions of the plot (but I will link to Amazon where you can read the blurbs) lest this post becomes mammoth. 

1 - A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore
Easily one of my favourites this month. I don't know what it is about a modern protagonist uncovering deep, dark, ancient secrets buried within the walls of an old country house, but I simply can't resist. Better still, this book is positively layered with mysteries, some with a slight supernatural twist. It was a wonderfully engrossing read; the kind the sucks you in and keeps you up at night turning pages. 

2 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King
My first Stephen King book. I had some very misguided preconceptions about King as an author and I'm glad to say this book blew them all out of the water. It's said that any American who was alive at the time of JFK's assassination, remembers exactly where they were when they heard the news. Much like my generation with 9/11. This book is the exceptionally clever tale of a man who travels through time to prevent that assassination. The sheer amount of detail is mind boggling and it's clear this book was a long time in the making. Part biography, part historical fiction, part sci-fi, it's hard to put any kind of label on 11/22/63 other than Pretty Damned Fabulous. I've since discovered that Jonathan Demme - the Silence of the Lambs director - is going to be making the movie so I'll no doubt read it again nearer the release date.

3 - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. Yes, it's for kids but the quirky story line and collection of eerie vintage photography earned this book a permanent place on my shelves. I felt the plot and writing were a little rushed in places but kudos to Riggs for coming up with something so unique and a book trailer that reeled me right in. This will be slipped into the Christmas stockings of the young people in my life, for sure.

4. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
I'm easily frustrated by novels that loosely feature and glamorise the Salem witch trials. You know the ones I'm talking about? 'Alice' inherits her deceased grandmother's house in Salem and finds it filled with potions and spell books - oh my! Was grandmother a witch? Do I have those abilities too? Or perhaps 'Jude' will visit Salem on her summer holidays only to find it crawling with vampires, werewolves and, yep, those sneaky Salem witches of old. It was such a dark and terribly sad time in history, I find it hard to enjoy these lighthearted tales. The author of this book however, Kathleen Kent, is actually a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier, who was the first woman to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Half of the book is given over to the real nitty, gritty, daily life of Puritan New England, which could seem dull but is actually breathtakingly fascinating. The latter half is a haunting depiction of a family that stands accused of something preposterous in the midst of mass hysteria. I devoured this book in a single, rainy Saturday. It's beautiful. 

5. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Have you ever wondered about the possibility of genetic memories? For example, if you visited a solitary Scottish castle that had once belonged to your ancestors, would you see, hear and feel what they had experienced? It's a topic I've touched upon in some of my own fiction writing so discovering Susanna Kearsley was a delight. This book flips between the year 1708 - when an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown - to the present day. If you enjoy historical fiction, I think you'll love this. I'm very excited to read more of Kearsley's work. A real favourite. 

6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
I picked this book up several times throughout the month and really tried to get into it. I eventually made it half way through and had to discard it. I can't pinpoint anything that was entirely wrong with the book - and I know many people absolutely love it - but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. Cést la vie. 

7. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
As a freelance book publicist (yes, it's one of my many hats), I often receive big brown boxes full of titles I'm expected to promote that month. I'm fortunate that I've never had to promote a book I didn't like but with Tan Twan Eng's latest novel, it took just a few pages to tell me that this was something incredibly special. I immediately whizzed a copy over to the editor of Guardian Books and she agreed. A few weeks later, Twan was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. This book will delight you and surprise you and eventually work its way through to your very bones. Strong, eloquent, yet strangely quiet, you'll be thinking about it long after you've turned the last page.

8. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
I think I was a little late to the table on this one and I'm sure many of you read it yonks ago. Wasn't it interesting? Seeing Hemingway through the eyes of his first wife? The story is somewhat familiar if you've read 'A Movable Feast' - Hemingway's memoir of 'how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy'. I think McLain did an excellent job of mixing known facts with the fictionalised viewpoint of Hadley Richardson. Every page evoked the glamour of the heady, jazz-age in Paris as well as the depression of dank garret apartments and very little money. I loved it. 

9. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
While this book was beautiful, I found myself in a persistent state of waiting while reading it. You know when a book takes a while to get going but you're enjoying the characters and the setting so much you keep turning pages in the hope things will get started soon? I did that right up until the last page.Waiting, waiting, waiting. It's hard to say why; perhaps I was in a funny mood at the time? Enjoyable nonetheless. 

So, there you have it. If you're still there and haven't vacated for fear of your eyes bleeding while reading such a long post, do please let me know what you've been reading lately. 

Much love, 

Kerry x

Diary of a Journalist - Aged 13

Recently, one of my national newspaper clients asked whether I'd mind sharing a few teenage scribblings from my old diary. They wanted to run a piece called ´Dairy of a Journalist - Aged 13'. I liked the idea and immediately had my parents delve into the dark recesses of their attic to find my journals. Oh the hilarity that ensued. Have you ever gone back and read teenage woes written by your own acne clad hand? It's all very, very funny. Of course, the newspaper wanted the funniest, most cringe-worthy moments but I thought I'd share a couple of entries with you too. I was SUCH a drama queen. 

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Saturday 6th March 1999

Plans for short hair have not gone well. I went to Mum’s salon with an idea and the hairdresser mascaraed it. What I wanted to be an Audrey Hepburn is now, quite frankly, Jeremy Beadle with a fringe. I tried not to cry while I was in the chair but as Mum was handing the money over, the receptionist couldn’t mask her horror. It looks awful and I want to die. I wanted to go straight home but Mum took me to Superdrug to buy hair dye and chocolate as she thought it would make me feel better. I’ve wanted to dye my hair red for ages and I haven’t been allowed so for her to give in, I know she must think the situation is pretty dire. I’m not stupid. So now, as well as being the palest girl in school with braces, I also have the worst red hairdo you’ll ever see. Apparently God has decided to bless me with a dark moustache too. Where did THAT come from? I can’t bear to look in the mirror. Monday is going to be worst day of my life.

Friday 12th March 1999

Okay, I was wrong. TODAY was the worst day of my life. So, the concert I’ve been practising for in aid of Red Nose Day was tonight. Issac was there and I REALLY thought this would be my chance to impress him and show him my creative side. Mum showed me a great way to do my hair and she even said I could wear her red dress and high heels. He always talks to me as though I’m so young but tonight, I thought I could show him the REAL me. Apparently though, I’m simply not allowed to be sophisticated, ever. Something always goes wrong. That stupid Tea Tree scrub I bought for my skin caused an allergic reaction while I was practising with the rest of the choir today. I would have been able to cope with the burning if my face hadn’t BALLOONED into one big, red, swollen mess. Cathy and Gemma took me to the medical room where I got a bag of ice to stop the swelling. Surprise, surprise, it didn’t work. I don’t know why I still thought I could sing in the concert tonight but I stupidly did. Red dress, red shoes, red hair and a HUGE red face. Thanks Red Nose Day. Annie told me that she overheard that Issac called me Tomato Girl and I just wanted to go home and cry. Mum and Dad said it hardly noticed but I know they’re just being nice. When I’m a famous writer or actress, I hope he feels sorry he didn’t try to get to know me.

Sunday 14th March 1999

This weekend has been lovely and I feel so inspired by everything. I wrote myself a letter to open when I’m 21 so that I can remember this feeling and all of my hopes and dreams. I hope I’m a writer living in a garret in Paris by then, eating nothing but cheese, drinking wine and smoking cigarettes.

Please tell me your journal entries were equally dramatic? Do you have any teenage cringe-worthy moments you'd like to share? I'd love to read them while I nibble on my (ahem) cheese plate, drink some red wine and smoke a cigarette!

Much love, Kerry x

Self Love ... Discovering New (Very Awesome) Friends

One of my favourite things about travelling or moving someplace exciting is the opportunity it affords to meet new, very awesome friends. It's those random connections and unexpected adventures that really spur my lust for life. People are lovely - as a general rule - and I'm one of those annoying types that will run into a grocery store JUST for toenail clippers and then spend an hour discussing the pros and cons of various mascaras with a complete stranger in the pharmacy section. It's all about opening yourself up to others ... or just having a really weird penchant for mascara I suppose.

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Whether you've recently moved to a new town and feel a little out of the loop, are travelling, or would just like to meet someone fabulous to add to your already brimming circle, here are my top ideas for discovering new (and very awesome) friends. 

Numero Uno - Twitter

Twitter is a great resource when getting to know people in your local area. Find people tweeting about your home town or city, follow them and start up a conversation or two with the ones you like the sound of. If you're lucky, someone in your area might already organise Tweet Ups (meet ups for Twitter folks). If not, pick a date, location and time and organise your own. 

One night, I discovered one of my favourite bands, Semi Precious Weapons, were randomly playing in a little bar downtown that night. It was already 9pm and I tweeted about wanting to go but having nothing to wear, very greasy hair and a general lethargic feeling that was making it hard for me to tear myself away from the couch and 30 Rock repeats. Lindsay, a rad girl, I'd had a few random Twitter conversations with, tweeted that she ALSO loved Semi Precious Weapons, had nothing to wear and very greasy hair. A couple of tweets back and forth later, we had showered, pulled weird outfits together and met outside the bar. After a few cocktails, awesome conversations and hours of crazy shoe-less dancing, Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance on the tiny, downtown bar stage with our much-loved band. It was a great night. 

Numero Dos - CouchSurfing

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You may have heard of CouchSurfing. If not, here's the run-down. When you join CouchSurfing, you tap into a network of welcoming people worldwide. You can share your hospitality and experience your city through new eyes by offering travellers a place to stay on their journey. You can bypass the typical hotel experience by staying at the home of a local and learning about their culture. You can meet open-minded people in your home city by attending events. And you can meet up with new people, whether at home or while travelling, for inspiring experiences and new friendships. So whether you're travelling or at home, you can attend events, host people and generally have an awesome time. I've been a member for many years now and am a huge advocate. 

True story ... I went to a Guy Fawkes Night CouchSurfing meetup in London. It was all fireworks, beer and burning of effigies (pretty fabulous) and I also found myself chatting to a German girl called Julia. She was a fellow CSer and had just moved into a hostel in London while looking for a job and a proper place to live. 'Good Lord', I said. 'Don't bother paying for a hostel, you can come stay in my little London flat for a couple of weeks while you get situated.' So she did and, you know what, we had a blast. We cooked together, ate while watching weird YouTube videos, visited jazz clubs and markets, shared woeful stories of ex boyfriends over too much wine in the early hours of the morning ... all that malarkey. Consequently, she found a job and moved into a flat just down the street, where I later met her American friend Joe, who I fell madly in love with and married of course. 

Numero Tres - Meetup

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Meetup contains a plethora of groups and people doing rad things. Have a browse. If there's nothing that strikes your fancy, why not create your own group? You never know what like-minded souls will stumble across your group or event and get in touch. While perusing the site for a book club when I first moved to Florida, I saw a group called 'Girlfriends'. It was a ready made selection of girls my age doing cute things like going to movies and dinner, shopping, attending art galleries etc. I decided to host a game night and invite them along. They're lovely ladies and I hit it off with Natalie immediately. Since then we've gone through a lot of wine, had double dates with our husbands and are going to get our tarot read next week at a local coffee shop. Fun stuff. 

Numero Cuatro - Try Something New

In St. Pete (a cute coastal town in Florida) there is a wondrous thing called the St. Pete Shuffle. It's free, there are twinkly lights, live music and, well, shuffleboard. Joe and I went along one night and had a blast. Throughout the evening, we found ourselves admiring the beard of our shuffleboard neighbour. He was our age and playing with his own wife. So we told him how much we admired his beard. Much chatting and a phone number exchange later, we've all become fast friends and have done lots of fun things together. When you go to a new place and make the effort to speak to new people, you are exposing yourself to potential friendships. Always. 

I hope these ideas and subsequent rambling stories help you to expand your friendship horizons in some way. Below you'll find a little list of other things I'd suggest doing when looking for new pals. Have you ever met a friend in a not very conventional way? I'd love to hear your stories. 

Join a class, group or sports club, eat or go for coffee alone (being alone makes you more approachable for people who like to strike up conversations), host a party or gathering and ask the people you DO know to each bring one person you've never met. 

Do you have any ideas that you'd like to share?

Self Love ... Education for the Time or Cash Poor

'Where did you go to university?'

It's a question I've been asked more times than I can count recently. Perhaps I've reached that bizarre age whereby, approaching 26 and having achieved reasonable success in my career, new acquaintances automatically assume I've invested a wedge of cash into my education. 

The truth is, I didn't go to university. Well, I started, but consequently dropped out after four months when I was offered a job as a staff writer on a travel magazine. And that's okay. Some people prefer on the job experience to a degree. Others simply want to travel the world before committing themselves to a four-year stint as a student. Hell, perhaps you've even attended college for a long period of time but your mind is still yearning for more. There's nothing wrong with that. 

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I have the utmost respect for people who go to university and as time has gone on, I've really wanted to enroll. Alas, it's bloody expensive. I already have oodles of experience, contacts and reasonable success in my chosen field. Shelling out a few thousand on schooling probably wouldn't make much difference to my career now. That doesn't mean I don't adore the idea of starting a new semester with freshly printed books, newly sharpened pencils and an eager mind. Who can resist the lure of settling into an musty auditorium for lectures, expanding knowledge and studying by lamplight late into the evening?

But here's the thing, knowledge is knowledge. You don't need to pay lots of cash to an institution, stick to someone else's schedule or even be in the same location in order to learn something new. 

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Presenting one of my favourite concepts in the world ever: OpenCourseWare. You may already be familiar with the premise but, for those of you who aren't, here's the quick rundown. OpenCourseWare is a free and digital publication of high quality education materials - often from bigwig universities such as Yale, Harvard and MIT. You'll find full-length videos of lectures (from day one to the end of the semester), notes, reading lists and often exam papers too. 

Recently, while browsing materials, I thought I'd set aside some time every week to learn more about Modern Poetry from a Yale professor. I downloaded the lecture videos from itunes, pulled up the recommended reading list on my Kindle and sat in my quiet, lamp-lit home office scribbling notes and learning something new. So far, it's been a wonderfully rewarding experience. When I'm finished, I'm thinking about doing something similar for European History. 

Have a browse and see whether there's anything that sparks your interest. Of course, there will be no degree at the end of it but you can relish in expanding your mind and taking some time to do something you love and enjoy. It's free, on your schedule and always waiting for you on your ipod wherever you are in the world. 

Kerry x