FuschiaReads.

I’ve named my favourite, but you’ll have to read on to find out. Don’t get your hopes up for some obscure choice: I’m no rock snob, and I *like* pop music.

Hold On, Wilson Phillips Nauseatingly wet “break-through” single by nepotistically gifted trio, comprising “hot blonde”, “boring brunette” and “nice fat chick”. Forever redeemed by Harold and Kumar’s performance. Now makes me laugh insanely whenever I hear it. Mwahahaha.

2. It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
Pretty Woman Soundtrack. The film turned shite into gold and made prostitution look glamorous to teenage girls around the world, but particularly West Beverly Hills High. Created Julia Roberts™.

3. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor
FANTASTIC film-clip. You know Mother Sinead is a nutter ‘cos she really feels this song. Incredibly powerful performance from an emotional fruitcake, and one of the few son

3. Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor
FANTASTIC film-clip. You know Mother Sinead is a nutter ‘cos she really feels this song. Incredibly powerful performance from an emotional fruitcake, and one of the few songs that works much better with the video clip than without.

5. Vogue, Madonna
Anthem for a new “dance” craze that lasted about a nanosecond. Peak of Madonna’s hedonistic self-absorption, before she got all religious ‘n’ shit, when she became religiously self-absorbed. I like Madonna, but hate this song.

6. Vision Of Love, Mariah Carey
Hate Mariah Carey.

7. Another Day In Paradise, Phil Collins
Hate Phil Collins.

9. Cradle Of Love, Billy Idol
Attempt to restart career killed off by his motorbike crash. I like Billy Idol. A lot.

10. Blaze Of Glory, Jon Bon Jovi
Hate Bon Jovi. The girls’ choice in metal, a musical genre which by this stage had morphed into fluoro cock-rock [see Poison at #33].

12. How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Michael Bolton
Hate Michael Bolton.

13. Pump Up The Jam, Technotronic
First major “house” music success in America. I much prefer “Paid in Full”, by Eric B. and Rakim, but that came out earlier, and wasn’t as successful in backward USA.

14. Opposites Attract, Paula Abdul
Innovative film clip, fusing cartoon animation and live action. Hate the song and the artist.

15. Escapade, Janet Jackson
A huge year for Janet Jackson [see #39, #45, #50, #60]. Hate her.

16. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You, Heart
Sperm thieves! Ask your sisters to explain.

17. Close To You, Maxi Priest
My favourite on this list. It’s fromage frais, but I really love this song.

Samantha Wood Bantam 2003 SC 305pp

“Seven years ago I made a decision that would change my life, although I didn’t know it at the time”

This book is a true story of Melbourne-born Samantha whose dad is English and Mother Mexican, returning to Mexico to discover her roots, met family, learn the language etc etc.

I read it as my sister was not long back from Mexico and I am keen on that whole pre-hispanic historical thing. It starts off slowly - Samantha is at first horrified by the noise/dirt/poverty of Mexico City and it is not until a second visit a year later that she starts to see past of all that to the culture/food etc. The writing is not always the smoothest - she is no Bill Bryson - but by the end of the book I was really enjoying it. Worth a read if you are going there. As a bonus there are some recipes in the back. Here is my favorite

"Mojitos"

12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime, juiced
l teaspoon sugar
45ml rum
soda water

Before placing mint leaves in a glass, crush the stems with a teaspoon to release the flavour. completely cover with lime and sugar before adding rum and soda water. Stir well and serve with a garnish of lime.

Walter Mosley

1998 Five-Star 296pp SC

“I didn’t use a tape recorder back then, but I remember every word.”

This is an odd book, I started to read it last night and almost did not pick it back up again this afternoon, but it was Mr Mosley or vacuuming…

This strange blue light hits America in the 1960’s changing people in strange and unpredictable ways. The narrator Chance is not hit directly put falls in with a group of people who are and later gains some of their powers through some blood drinking. I am not sure whether this book is sci-fi or fantasy or some kind of social commentary or some kind of horror or some kind of spiritualism as it is an uneasy mix of all of the above and never sits comfortably with any.

The horror bits are very vivid and gross and what with that and the unlike-ability of the characters and the meanderings of the plot I was hesitant to finish the book. The plot gets stranger towards the end and to my untutored mind is completely unresolved.

He has written several other books that seem to be more in the race/social commentary field and they might be worth a look but I am not racing out to buy myself a copy of this one.