smallfuzzy

Okay, people, I behaved and did a wishlist.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/wishlist/3SSZETMPXUGPE

THINGS I WANT WHICH AREN'T ON THE WISHLIST

A lunch-bag. This sounds insanely stupid as a Christmas gift I know, but. I had two. They were in the car. The car was stolen. Now I am taking lunch to work in a carrier bag. A lunch bag would be wonderful. I haven't Amazon'd one because I want one with a neck-strap.

CDs. Okay, some CDs are on the list, but more are great. I need actual CDs not MP3s, because the car CD player only takes actual CDs. I'm dying for the new Bon Jovi, for Best of Queen (my best attempts at leaving CDs in the car long enough for them to tranform have failed) and for Best of Meatloaf. However, I mentioned this to my sister so if these are bought someone will need to co-ordinate with her/the family. Anyone who knows my general taste (I love the eighties, I adore Magic radio) is welcome to guess at others.

YA stuff. My reading list has been all about the YA this year.

Geeky stuff. Did you know there is a t-shirt that will light up with a wireless signal on it? Cos there IS. And there's a camera you can attach to your cat's collar out there too. Things like this make me squee.

Now, the instructions on this are very important. I do not want you to buy me these things. I have them already. These are the things I think you people should have for yourselves, ask for for Christmas, whatever.

And then I want you to do your own anti-wishlist on your journal. It can be games, music, books, films, series', whatever. Ten things you think other people should want for Christmas, and why. Bring some love to your unloved media at a time when folk are buying things anyway, and maybe we can start next year squeeing over forgotten-book-no.-109 together ;-)

1. Pay It Forward. I love this film. Wait, no, I hate this film. No, I love this film. I love this film but cannot watch it without crying like a little kid through it from start to finish. Kid is given a school project of changing the world and actually tries. Gives way too much to my idealism.

2. The Cherub books -- Robert Muchamore. I grabbed The Recruit at a car boot sale, and proceeded to go through the entire series in short order with little concern for money or time. It's a YA series written for boys, which makes more of a difference than you might think with the language and styling. It's about kiddies recruited by the government to be spies, but the author has actually done thinking and research about how that would work (there's an Ethics Committee, for example, which makes the call on what missions are allowed) and it's just generally awesome. Full-of-awe.

3. The Dark Ground trilogy by Gillion Cross. My other big YA love of the year, and I can't figure out why I hadn't heard of it before, because a trilogy this good should be more well-known. I've heard of the author's other big series, the Demon Headmaster, but not this one. Giving you too many details would spoil the first book, so I'm just going to ask you to take a leap of faith and BUY it, because I desperately want fanfic for it.

4. Snow Cake. Doesn't everyone love Alan Rickman? Of course they do. So you should watch this film about a guy who accidentally kills the daughter of an autistic mother and... okay, so it's a bit depressing at times. But also, hopeful. Poignant would be a good word for it.

5. Tony Robinson's Discworld Audiobooks. So, I figure, if you haven't heard of Pratchett by now, you're likely in a cave so deep that my list will not reach you. You may not, however, have tried Robinson's audiobooks. I started on these as a pintsize on a paper-round, and they are brilliant. His Lord and Ladies still gives me the shivers.

6. Band of Bugs. I loved this cute little game, and I'm heartbroken that Ninjabee haven't brought out PC expansion packs so I can give them more money. Think of it as being like the fighty part of Civilization, but with bugs. It's neat, it's addictive, and it's only $14.95 for the full game.

7. Size 12 Is Not Fat Woo, chicklit! And the author is better known for her YA series, Princess Diaries, but this is her adult series. It's a bit less well-known, but it's lovely. Female detective series. Very fluffy and light, but nice.

8. The Undomestic Goddess. More chick-lit! This one I love even as it makes me squirm. The writer is better known for her Shopaholic series, which is pure ditziness, but this one makes my inner workaholic see herself, and hide her face.

9. Chrestomanci. Aaaand back to young adult, and I figure we should all have worked out I'm still in the twelve year old phase of reading by now. Diana Wynne Jones had one of her books, Howl's Moving Castle, made into film but I love this series so much MORE. There are wizards, and nine worlds and different lives.. look, I'm not explaining. You just need to read it. The characterisation is great.

10. Blackadder. I remain horrified by how many Americans, despite my fervent urgings, have not yet seen Blackadder. People, this is a classic. I will allow you skipping the first season (which, though not bad, isn't brilliant) but for the rest there is no excuse. It is a historical comedy, based in a number of different periods. It has Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie and Tony Robinson, so really why are you hesitating?

I would tag people with this, but really, it's easier if I demand everyone does it :-)