Armchair BEA: Breakfast at Tiffany's

If I was in New York today, I think I would have to start with Breakfast at Tiffany's! Of course, it isn't all that original as I am sure that plenty of people who recreate the iconic opening scenes from the movie,  and I would NEVER look anything like Audrey if I was to do so, but it would still be fun.

We actually have a Tiffany's here in Melbourne, so in theory we could have breakfast at or near Tiffany's anytime we like, but there is something much more iconic about the idea of doing in front of the New York store. Here are the opening credits:











Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my favourite films. I first saw it on a Saturday night in with a friend when I was in my late teens and now every time I see anything to do with that movie it makes me think of that friend. I have seen it numerous times since then, but one of my favourite times when I saw the movie was when I went with the same friend and a few others to an outdoor cinema screening of it in the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide many years ago. A balmy sunny night, good food and company plus a great movie equals great memories!

It's been a little while since I actually sat down and watched it again. Might be time for a rewatch!

Another thing I always think of now when I think about this movie is the song that came out in the 90s (I think or maybe early 2000s) by Deep Blue Something which was called Breakfast at Tiffany's. I have listened to the song numerous times this week and was hoping to include it in the post, but I can't find an embeddable version of the video, so if you want to listen to the song, click here.

If I had of been at BEA on Thursday I would have been at the front of the queue to get Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore signed by the author. Last year she came to Melbourne and I got Fire and Graceling signed so then I would I would have the complete set! I am sure that I would find plenty of other things to do too but that would have been possible!

Now though, it is time to get ready for what I am really doing this weekend, which will include lots and lots of bookish goodness as I am going to the Australian spec fic convention which is being held here this weekend!

Armchair BEA: If I was in New York today

I am not sure why, but the first day of big events seem to have lots that I would want to do but then it slowly tapers down. But don't be deceived. Despite the fact that there are a lot less authors that I would be trying to see today, I would be doing a big-time fan-girl-dance-on-the-inside at least once!

So, the same rules apply as for yesterday. There would be no queues, no sore feet, all the booths would be right near each other so I could just wander leisurely from one place to the other - so not like real life at BEA at all.

Well maybe not all these behaviours!

My day would start with a visit to see Erin Morgenstern and talk to her about The Night Circus. This book made my list of excellent books for 2012 so I would love to talk about how she came up with the ideas for the book, all the excellent tents that were so magical and about the structure of the book!

After that, Sarah Maclean is signing 11 Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart. Interesting that this is the book that she is signing as she has had another book out since then!

Queue the fan girl dancing because I would next be on my way to see Robyn Carr! I credit this author for making me open to the possibility that I could actually enjoy reading contemporary romances after I read 12 or 13 books in the Virgin River series in the space of a month. We would be able to sit down, have a fantastic chat about the characters that populate the town of Virgin River, about what is coming next etc etc.

My final stop of the day would be to see Libba Bray. I am not sure why, but I actually didn't realise that this author even had a new book coming out, but I am definitely determined that I am going to get it now that I know about it!

Armchair BEA: Networking in Real Life

Today's Armchair BEA post prompt is

Today is the day that we discuss networking. Many of us bloggers network online. After all, Armchair BEA is all about networking online, particularly with other bloggers. However, how can you get more involved offline and in real life? Have you ever wondered how some bloggers have established those connections with local bookstores or libraries or even beyond?

For Day 3, we want you to share your positive experiences of using your blog to get involved in your community. This can involve partnerships with the local literary scene, attending author events and signings, or getting together with bloggers in your area. We want to hear it all!

When it comes to networking in real life, there is really only one way to do it and that is to be involved! I am lucky in that I live in a city with a pretty good literary tradition. There are lots of bookish events on and I do my best to go to at least some of them.

I choose to try and be very supportive of my local bookstore who does an amazing job of bringing different authors to the local area. For example, coming up in July, the bookstore is combining with out local library service to bring Jodi Picoult and her daughter who have written a book together to the local community centre that is five minutes up the road. Now, I am may not have previously been fussed about the sound of the book, but I will be doing my best to go in order to support the bookstore owner so that she can continue to get big name guests in. I mean, in terms of best sellers, Jodi Picoult is a big name and she is going to basically drive past the end of my road in order to get to the event! I also tend to buy books at those events, sometimes despite the fact that before seeing the authors I may not have even thought of buying the book because the bookstore needs to sell in order to remain a viable business. If you are in Melbourne and might be interested in attending the Jodi Picoult event then check out the details here.

Other ways I have gotten involved include participating in a romance book club that is run in one of the big bookstores in town. This has helped to get to know the events coordinator and whilst there has been limited physical benefit, I know that she knows who I am and I know that my name was mentioned in relation to a non romance related event. I have also been to author events at that store.

Another fantastic way to meet people is conventions. I have been lucky enough to go to two Australian Romance Readers Conventions where I had a fabulous time and got to meet some amazing people. This weekend I am going to Continuum which is the Victorian speculative fiction convention and this year it also doubles as the Australian convention.

Keep an eye out for local festivals. Even if it is just a small local festival you may get to meet local authors and who knows where that could lead you in the future!

Now, I am okay in a social situation, but I do get nervous beforehand, but an important thing to remember is that you already have a shared interest with many of the people that you meet in this situations! Some of the hard work of meeting new people is already done!

I would hate for it to sound as though I have this thing down though. There are lots more networking opportunities that I would love to be developing - better connections with local publishers (I just don't seem to be able to get good connections here despite having good relationships with overseas publishers), better connections with some of the festivals etc that are held here, so there is still plenty for me to be working on when it comes to networking!

For many people, there may not be local events to participate in like this, but if there are take the opportunities as you will meet like minded readers and get to meet some great people. I was lucky enough to meet other bloggers who live in my area who have now become my real life friends!

And for those who don't have these same types of opportunities, then talk advantage of online events like Armchair BEA, of social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads and build your online networks. You never know... one day one of those people might be in your area and you will be able to meet up!

Armchair BEA: If I was in New York today/Best of 2012

Today's prompt for Armchair BEA is:

Share some of your favorite books so far this year, and/or the the books being promoted at BEA that you hope will end up among your favorites for the year!

I actually shared my favourite books of the year in yesterday's post but I will add some other favourites a bit later, but one of the things that I have done for the last couple of years during Armchair BEA is to look at the schedule at BEA and figure out what it would be that I would have been doing if I was lucky enough to actually be in New York!

Of course, the best thing about this virtual attendance at BEA is that there are no queues, the authors will be waiting just for me to turn up with my book to be signed and even though there are several signing that will clash with each other, the booths will be suitably close to each other so that there is no rushing from one side of the building to another - and no sore feet!

My day at BEA would start with the Adult Book and Author Breakfast which is hosted by Stephen Colbert and features authors Barbara Kingsolver, Junot Diaz and Jo Nesbo. Having heard Jo Nesbo give an interview last week on Australian TV where he talked about his definition of a love story I hope they don't question him too hard because we would after all be eating! Really, the person who I would want to see most would be Barbara Kingsolver. I have only ever read one book by her, The Poisonwood Bible, but I did love that one!

After powering up with a delicious breakfast it would be a leisurely stroll to the signing areas (no crowds remember!) and my first stop would be to meet contemporary romance author Jill Shalvis. In my review of her new release, Lucky Harbor, I mentioned that I had read more than a dozen of her books in the last year so I definitely consider myself a fan!

Thanks to the very convenient booth placements I would then amble my way over to see Simon van Booy. I have only read one book by him, but it was a very good one!

Next stop - Catherynne Valente. She is another author who I haven't read as much of as I really should have, but I loved the one I did read (The Orphan's Tale: In the Night Garden) and I have been wanting to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated the World ever since it came out and now the sequel to that book is just about to come out too! Must get to them!

The next author I would visit would be Ruta Sepetys. I haven't actually read her book, Between Shades of Grey, but I am 95% sure that I am going to love it when I do get to read it!

A few years ago I read Debra Dean's Madonnas of Leningrad. It was one of several books that I have read that is set during the Siege of Leningrad during World War II, a setting that I find heartbreakingly compelling to read. She has a new book coming out called The Mirrored World and I am looking forward to reading it a lot!

One of my most anticipated reads for 2012 is The Twelve by Justin Cronin, the sequel to the mega popular book from last year, The Passage! It would be a shame to be in the same building and not go and have a chat, especially seeing as he would be sitting there all by himself waiting for me to turn up!

My final two authors to visit would be Eloisa James, who is an author I have read a lot of, and then finally Adriana Trigiani who is an author I have only read a couple of books by, but who I want to read through the available backlist after reading and loving her latest book, The Shoemaker's Wife!

Looks like a busy day, right?

Yesterday I posted about the two books that I have given top marks to so far this year.  If you haven't read them yet, I highly recommend that you get hold of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (but don't read it in public because you will cry!) and Legacy by Susan Kay, a must read if you are a fan of the Tudors.

When I look at the list of books that I have given the still excellent grade of 4.5/5 I am a little bit surprised to see that there are around about 20 books that I gave that grade to. I thought I would do a picture representation of those books with a very brief comment, but I would invite you to mention in the comments if there is a particular book you would like to know more about and I will add a bit of a paragraph when I get the chance.

Here goes:

Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman - this book was highly recommended to me for anyone who likes to read historical fiction set in India. It is a drama filled and page turning read.

One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare - historical romance at it's best. Funny, passionate, engaging! Just have the third book in this trilogy to read soon.

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - part of the iconic Miles Vorkosigan series. Need to get back to this trilogy soon.

The Black Pearl by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - Part of the uber-long Morland Dynasty series, this one is set during the reign of King Charles II, another of my favourite periods to read about in history.

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - a book club choice in honour of the movie coming out later this year!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - the first Flavia de Luce mystery featuring a precocious 11 year old girl as the main character and amateur sleuth!

A Good American by Alex George - I loved this immigrant story that was filled with music and food and family.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - a blogger favourite!

Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon - I wasn't keen on the first full length Lord John Grey book but ever since then I have loved them, and this one had lots and lots of Jamie Fraser so you can't go wrong with that really!

 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - another winning book club choice. Not only is at a super quick read, but it is also funny and charming and pretty timeless considering it was published so long ago.

All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming - I don't read much contemporary set crime but I love this series which features a female priest and a married chief of police in a small town in New York State.

Shalimar by Rebecca Ryman - Another fantastic historical fiction read set in India. I think I might actually try and see if I can find it to buy as I loved it!

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett - It's Pratchett. What more do I need to say.

Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox - Hot and spicy contemporary romance that almost had me thinking about getting my bike out of the shed and going for a ride.

The Island by Victoria Hislop - Historical fiction set on and near a leper colony just off the coast of Greece.

 The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani - another immigrant story. I had read one Trigiani before and liked it but I loved this one!

Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry - I am a huge fan of Sarah Mayberry's books and I was always going to follow her when she decided to self publish this story! Oh, so good!

Fables 1 by Bill Willingham - This series is on a lot of my favourite bloggers list of favourite reads and if the rest of this series continues as well as this one did I will definitely be joining the chorus!

Lords of the White Castle by Elizabeth Chadwick - This author is one of my favourite historical fiction authors. I love the way she bring the medieval world to life to the reader.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book!

Sunday Salon: That was the week that was!

In last week's Sunday Salon I talked about the week I had coming up. I said it was going to be busy and I was right!

I was out every night this week as well as trying to do Armchair BEA. I had so much fun participating in Armchair BEA again this week, but I did run out of steam by the end of the week. I had pre written 3 posts, plus a couple of reviews, but with not being home I didn't get time to write the final two posts. I do want in particular to address the question about community, but I will save that for a future Sunday Salon post I think.

I was lucky enough to be interviewed not once, but twice, and I won a book that I have really wanted to read ever since it started to be blogged about so that was great too! Firstly, I was interviewed over at the Armchair BEA site as part of a group of four international bloggers. I talked a LOT, but then again that probably won't be a surprise to any of my regular readers. Also, I was interviewed by Rebecca from Kindle Fever, and finally I was lucky enough to be given a shout out by The Book Gatherer as well!

Last week I mentioned that I was doing a couple of book related things. First of all, I went to see Cassandra Clare in person. The event was held at Westgarth Theatre, which is a gorgeous venue. The theatre has an art deco vibe and the interior is very much an old fashioned theatre - big comfy, plush seats, loads of leg room,  and little trays in between each seat where you can put your drink.

The evening started off with a drama presentation of one of the earliest scenes in City of Bones, where Clary has just come to the Institute with Jace and there is opposition. It must have been a lot of fun for Cassandra Clare to see that, although with the movie casting news coming thick and fast, I am sure that it is something that she will be getting used to!

Local author Leanne Hall dressed up as Magnus and interviewed Cassandra Clare, who did really well to get up on the stage in the first place. The stairs were a little precarious, and she was wearing high heels despite the fact that she currently has a broken toe. What a trooper! Then again, I gave up wearing high heels except when I absolutely have to years ago!

Among some of the things that were discussed was the movie process, and about how involved or otherwise the author is in the casting process. She also talked about her future plans in terms of the books she would like to write. There will be more books set in the same world as her current series, and there are some plans for a YA adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and maybe some kids books as well.

A lot of the discussion centred around the themes of the latest trilogy set in the Shadowhunter world, and amongst those there will be an exploration of the theme of falling from grace. There will also be some page space given to the fact that Jace really needs to discover who he is after the revelations of the last book in the previous trilogy.

There were lots of people in the audience who went all out in dressing up for the appearance, something I would never, ever do, but I do admire those who have the bravado to do that kind of thing!

I did buy the two latest books with the intention of getting them signed, but the place in the queue where I stood looked like it was going to be more than an hours wait, so I had to decide between standing in the queue for more than an hour in my not so comfortable boots, or actually get home at a reasonable time. It is a sign of my advancing maturity that I chose to go home!

As usual, my photos from this event are very average!

On Thursday night, we attempted to have a Melbourne book blogger meet up. Bree and I had a great time chatting, but that's about all I will say about that.

Friday night after work I went to go and see Kristin Cashore. There was a short time where she was signing books at the State Library so I went and got both Graceling and Fire. Of course, once I was standing in front of her, I couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. She was very gracious in taking the time to talk to everyone in the queue and I managed to get a photo too. Of course, if I look like I might have just rushed from one end of the city to the other, it would be because I had! Never mind!

This weekend, I managed to hurt my back getting washing out of the washing machine today and have house guests arriving soon. A quiet weekend was what I needed after a very busy week, but I could do with being able to move at least a little bit!

Armchair BEA: Work the Network

Today it is time for the Armchair BEA interview swap! Here are the details from the Armchair BEA website:

This is the day for the ever-popular blogger Interviews! Participants did have to sign up for the interviews in advance, so if you missed the cutoff, our “alternate” topic is an invitation to write a post highlighting some of your favorite book blogs and bloggers - share the love!

Before I introduce you to my interviewee, I also want to mention that I have been interviewed by Chris over at the main ArmchairBEA site alongside three other international bloggers, and by Rebecca at Kindle Fever.
Lucky we were organised otherwise this could have been a very hectic day! As soon as I have the links I will add them to this post.

Without further ado, meet Julie from Manga Maniac Cafe


Tell us a little about yourself

I’m a bean counter by day, and an unrepentant reader by night. If I’m not at work, chances are you will find me with a book in my hand. Besides reading, my other love is chilling with my horses at the barn down the street.

What started you on your road to Manga loving?

College started my love for manga. Once I started taking advanced accounting classes, I didn’t have the attention span to read my preferred fantasy novels, but I found that comic books worked well as a substitute. Because they are published in installments, it’s easier to consume them in short chunks of time, which was perfect for when I needed a break from studying.

I have read a few graphic novels over the years - Kaoru Mori comes to mind - but really not that many. Is there a particular series or novelist that you would say is must read for people who aren't familiar with the genre.

Oh, EMMA was a good series to start with! It has great characters and a wonderful, forbidden romance. Sand Chronicles by Hinako Ashihara is another moving series, and I think I was so emotionally invested in it that I cried every volume. Kekkaishi by Yellow Tanabe is a fun action series, and again, it focuses on the relationships between the characters. There are so many good manga series out that it would take an entire blog post just to touch on some of the best!

There is a big trend at the moment for successful mainstream novels to be turned into graphic novels/manga. Diana Gabaldon, the Twilight books, Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris and the list goes on and on. What do you think of this trend?

I like it, and I hope that more women start reading graphic novels because of it. My only concern is that I don’t feel that publishers are marketing them correctly to their intended target market. They are on the pricey side because most of them have been hardcovers. And I’m afraid that they will over saturate a niche that isn’t for everyone. Over saturation is one of the things that killed the manga industry in the US (arguably, piracy is the other major factor); I hope that doesn’t happen with these.

We actually starting blogging at around about the same time - nearly 6 years ago for both of us. What keeps you blogging? What has changed, and what has stayed the same?

I think I keep blogging because I don’t really have anyone to talk to about books. I like talking about books, and since I don’t have anyone to listen to me, I talk with my fingers instead. What’s stayed the same? Blogging is hard work, especially if you try to keep any kind of schedule with your posts. I think that social networking has made it easier to get your blog out there, and I would be lost without Twitter. There are also so many free tools now to make blogging easier.

I saw a few posts about ebooks on your blog. How is the growth of ebooks good, or otherwise, for manga/graphic novels?

I think that most of the comic book/graphic novel publishers are late to adopt a digital format for their titles. There are too many delivery methods for digital content; there’s Comixology, and most publishers have their own dedicated application for reading their books on electronic gadgets like iThings. I think that digital comics are still too expensive, and the reading experience is still too clunky. I believe that if the comic publishers don’t get this figured out quickly, they will continue to lose readers to pirate sites, and we all feel the pain when the market erodes because readers just give up on legitimate sources of obtain their comics.

You don't only read manga. What else do you like to read?

I like to read pretty much everything. I love fantasy novels, and have been waiting years for the next book in George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. I enjoy YA and MG, and dystopian and post-apocalyptic are favorite genres. I like books about zombies, which is totally surprising, because I can’t stand watching horror movies. I am not so fond of non-fiction, and I usually avoid classics, but I am open to almost anything else!


Tell us about the last book you finished, the book you are currently reading, the book you are planning to read next, and a favourite recent read.

The last book that I read was OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy, and it was a great read about a young girl who is exposed to discrimination for the first time.

I am currently reading Flawless by Lara Chapman. I really like it so far. It’s about accepting yourself, has lots high school angst, but is told with a great deal of humor.

I am going to read Are You Going to Kiss Me Now? by Sloane Tanen after that, or maybe a zombie book. I haven’t read a good zombie book in a while, so I am really tempted to go hunt one down. A zombie book, not an actual zombie.

My favorite books this year have been Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin and Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge. They are both MG books, and I couldn’t put them down. I found them both touching and heartwarming reads.

Let's talk about something other than books. You are a passionate horse rider. How long have you been riding? Tell us about your horses, Blondie and Elle?

I have been riding for about six years. It’s something that I always wanted to do, and I have dreamed about owning a horse since I was a little girl, but my parents didn’t have the money for me to take lessons. After my boyfriend kept telling me I wasn’t getting any younger (thanks, dude!), and that if I was serious about riding, I needed to start soon, I finally started taking lessons. Now I own two mares, Blondie (Saddlebred) and Elle (Morgan), and I show competitively. It’s a lot of fun and it helps me blow off some steam. I am so grateful that the BF gave me the push I needed to make my dream a reality.

Thanks so much for asking me such wonderful questions!

Armchair BEA - Best of 2011.... so far

Here is Tuesday's writing prompt for BEA
 

Tuesday is Armchair BEA’s big Giveaway Day! We’ll be doing giveaways all week here, but if you’re hosting a giveaway for Armchair BEA-goers on your own site, this is the day to post about it there and link it up here! And if you’re not hosting a giveaway, today’s suggested posting topic is “Best of 2011”: share some of your favorite books so far this year, and/or the the books being promoted at BEA that you hope will end up among your favorites for the year!

I am not giving anything away today, so here are my favourite reads of 2011 so far, plus a few honourable mentions!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - This is YA at it's best. I am planning to review this book as part of the Paris in July event that is being run by Karen from Bookbath and Tamara from Thyme for Tea again this year. For now, I will say that this book had me wishing that I could visit Paris any time of the year, not just in July.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - If there was a book that ticked all my boxes in terms of something I would really enjoy reading, then this book was it. It has vampires, witches, time travel, romance, drama and adventure, and a fabulous house, and much, much more! Can not wait for the second book in the trilogy.

 

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes -This book won the UK Romantic Novelists' Association award for Romantic Novel of the Year, and I have to say that it was well deserved. I couldn't imagine that I would love a book about two people involved in an adulterous relationship would touch me the way this one did. It also had humour and poignancy in the form of break up letters from various sources. Just thinking about the book makes me want to reread this book.

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley - I think I am genetically predisposed to love the writing of Susanna Kearsley, and this book was no exception. I was going to say that this was her best book since The Winter Sea, but given that The Winter Sea was her last book, that really doesn't say all that much does it! I am currently working on a buddy review for this one, so the review should be up shortly! I will say that this book has a twist in it that literally had me gasping out loud when I read it!


This year I seem to be reading  a lot of short stories, with a particular focus on short stories by Australian authors. This is quite a change for me, because before this year I used to mainly search out short stories only when they were part of an ongoing series that I was already invested in. It also has had the added bonus of introducing me to some Australian authors that I hadn't read before.

So my honorary mentions go to

Margo Lanagan - I am thoroughly enjoying my trip through Margo Lanagan's short stories. You can read my review of Yellowcake here. I can't wait to read her next collection, and do also intend to read Tender Morsels soon too.

Marianne de Pierres -  I bought her Glitter Rose collection when I went to Sydney earlier this year. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it was oh so good. Now I need to read Burning Bright!

Tansy Rayner Roberts - I first read this author in the Sprawl anthology. Her short story Relentless Adaptations was funny and imaginative, and I really enjoyed her voice. Then I read Love and Romanpunk, which is a collection of four short stories, and really, really enjoyed that too! I have subsequently bought her novel Power and Majesty (the first book in the Creature Court trilogy) and I have high expectations for it.

One of the interesting things about this list is that the Sprawl anthology, Glitter Rose and Love and Romanpunk were all published by the same publisher - Twelfth Planet Press. I am not a reader who normally takes notice of particular publishers but I am now taking notice of this one. Yet another way my reading has changed a little this year.

So there you have it. My favourites of 2011 so far, and some honourable mentions. What are you favourite reads of this year so far?

Armchair BEA: Exploring Melbourne

Armchair BEA is here! And this is the first day's theme for our posts:

You’ll probably be getting a lot of new visitors to your blog this week, so introduce yourself in a post! And if you specialize in a particular genre, share what it is and why you love it. Also, tell us how you’re doing Armchair BEA - where you are, what you’re excited about, what you hope will happen this week.

G'day. Welcome!

Actually, I don't normally say g'day at all, so how about hello! I am coming to you live from Melbourne, Australia!

What  to tell you? I have been blogging for around five and a half years, and I am still trying to get better at it! I am an avid reader, and blogger, as well as being a single mum and holding down a full time job. I read all sorts of genres, from spec fic to historical fiction, from romance to YA, and a few other genres.

During this week I am planning to respond to each of the writing prompts offered each day, will be interviewed over at the main Armchair BEA site later in the week, and I am also intending to do a post each day where I will imagine that I was actually in New York at BEA, and what I would be doing!

Today I thought that I would share something of Melbourne, the city I have lived in for nearly 10 years now. One of the things that Melbourne is famous for is having a vibrant atmosphere that centres around the many laneways and arcades that are around the city.  To be honest, I never really got what the fuss was until a few weeks ago, on a gorgeous autumn day, I went on a tour of the laneways and arcades in one part of the city. There were certain laneways that I did go down on a semi regular basis, but they always seemed quite commercial and busy, so it was fun to go down some that were less so.One of the things that I learned from the tour is to remember to look up and take the time to see what is around us.

I thought I would share a few pictures and thoughts.

This laneway is about 5 minutes from where I work, and I had no idea it was there! Out of shot there is what is supposed to be one of the oldest buildings in Melbourne, and a cute little pub.

 This shop is called Wunderkammer, and is home to Scientific Curiosities, Artefacts and Ephemera

Some European inspired architecture nestled alongside more modern buildings.

There are a lot of parts of the city where you need to look up to see the various artistic additions that someone has made to the walls. There were so many fun examples of this scattered throughout the walk.

I have no idea what this business is. It is down a relatively hidden laneway, but I loved the sign.

One way to recycle an old tape recorder/radio

Hardware Lane is full of restaurants!

The old GPO, now a swanky shopping destination.

One of the most famous arcades in Melbourne, Block Arcade.

One of Melbourne's favourite celebrities is honoured. There is also an AC/DC Lane.

This couch was just sitting out in a laneway with all these small framed pictures on the wall behind it.

There are several laneways where there are coffee shops/cafes/restaurants etc lining each side. These laneways always seem busy and quite vibrant. We even saw a bride and groom having some of their wedding photos taken in one of these laneways - I guess they wanted a flavour of quintessential Melbourne in their photos.

I couldn't possibly resist taking a photo of this shop window. I did resist actually buying anything....this time!