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The best countries for food lovers to visit

<p dir="ltr">When it comes to travelling, one of the best things about exploring a new place is sampling the local cuisine. </p> <p dir="ltr">From cafes adored by locals and the best of fine dining, to charming markets and unassuming but delicious street food, discovering a country’s culture through their food is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in all the world has to offer. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to TripAdvisor’s 2024 Traveller's Choice Awards, some cities are better than others for foodies, with their top ten list showcasing the best destinations for lovers of food. </p> <p dir="ltr">Coming in hot in the number one spot for foodies to visit is the city of Hanoi, situated in the north of Vietnam. </p> <p dir="ltr">With a plethora of street food, fresh markets, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, you won't be leaving hungry in this popular tourist destination. </p> <p dir="ltr">The national dish of Vietnam, a noodle soup called Pho, is a speciality for visitors to fall in love with, and compare between the hundreds of restaurants that offer the delicious meal. </p> <p dir="ltr">Other foods to try there include banh mi, rice pancakes, and Bun cha, or Vietnamese meatballs.</p> <p dir="ltr">Check out the entire top 10 list of foodie destinations below. </p> <p dir="ltr">10. Phuket, Thailand </p> <p dir="ltr">9. Lisbon, Portugal </p> <p dir="ltr">8. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA</p> <p dir="ltr">7. Barcelona, Spain</p> <p dir="ltr">6. New Delhi, India </p> <p dir="ltr">5. Florence, Italy</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Cusco, Peru</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Crete, Greece</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Rome, Italy</p> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1. Hanoi, Vietnam</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

Tina Turner: an immense talent with a voice and back catalogue that unites disparate music lovers

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/freya-jarman-535397">Freya Jarman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-liverpool-1198">University of Liverpool</a></em></p> <p>On a few rare occasions (often at the end of a night), I’ve confided to my friends that Tina Turner was one of my biggest celebrity crushes. The revelation has usually been met with some surprise, and not unreasonably. Born in 1939, Tina was older than my mother and nearly 40 years older than me.</p> <p>But to me, she was a complete goddess from the moment I first encountered her. I vividly recall a white button-down shirt and figure-hugging blue jeans (probably the Foreign Affair tour of 1990) and an awakening of teenage desire.</p> <p>Turner has died aged 83. Reflecting now on her 50-year-long career, I can see the threads that made her the perfect icon for the young queer feminist I was in the early 90s. She was a strong and resilient woman who escaped the control of abusive men and went on to forge a stronger solo career afterwards.</p> <p>But her music also pushed boundaries of genre in ways that start to defy categories of gender, race and age, thereby changing the way female performers could be thought of.</p> <p>In 1967, Turner was both the first Black artist and woman to appear on the cover of <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-pictures/tina-turner-rolling-stone-covers-916255/">Rolling Stone</a>. She remains the only Black woman to have been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2013, she became the oldest person (at 73) to appear on the <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2013/03/tina-turner-oldest-vogue-cover-model.html">cover of Vogue</a>.</p> <p>Vocally, Turner was raised in the church, Spring Hill Baptist Church in Nutbush, specifically. However, her voice was different from the others she came up alongside.</p> <p>Unlike Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin or Diana Ross, Turner’s voice had a grit and a rasp, qualities that always added an unexpected edge to her early work. It was also a sound that enabled her to move beyond soul and blues in her solo career.</p> <h2>A genre-fluid singer</h2> <p>Turner’s first solo album (in 1974) was country, replete with steel guitars and talk of the bayou. The very next year, she performed the role of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rJGX8uqoL8&ab_channel=StevenPrestidge">Acid Queen</a> in film of The Who’s psychedelic operetta fantasy, Tommy. The role gave its name to an album featuring several notable rock covers by Turner, such as Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love.</p> <p>Famously, she escaped from an abusive relationship with her singing partner Ike Turner, securing the rights to her stage name to her comparative financial detriment in their divorce settlement in 1978. Ike exerted his dominance in plain sight, slipping verbal threats of violence into <a href="https://youtu.be/FqdhfwUd2lk?t=88">a live performance of I’ve Been Loving You Too Long</a> at a concert in Ghana (1971).</p> <p>From the early 1980s, Turner made what has repeatedly been described as one of the most remarkable career comebacks of the century. The chart success of her cover of Al Green’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rFB4nj_GRc&ab_channel=TinaTurner">Let’s Stay Together</a> (1983) came from left of field and the ensuing album, Private Dancer (1984) went platinum five times.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d4QnalIHlVc?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Private Dancer represented another musical turn, this time towards the electro-synth pop world inhabited by Heaven 17, whose Rupert Hine and Martyn Ware produced several of the songs.</p> <p>The title song of the album exemplifies the narrative of Tina as a feminist powerhouse. Even 40 years on, the idea of a woman in her mid-40s singing a pop song about sex work is somewhat surprising.</p> <p>It’s not just an allusion to sex work (like, for instance, Blondie’s Call Me). And it’s far from the many songs about female sex workers written and performed by men (take Roxanne by The Police or Killer Queen by Queen for instance).</p> <p>Private Dancer is an explicit and unambiguous declaration of female desire and power in the first person. If anyone were in any doubt that Beyoncé owes a great deal to Turner’s trailblazing, her video for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ12_E5R3qc&ab_channel=Beyonc%C3%A9VEVO">Partition</a> is surely evidence, being a direct descendant of Private Dancer with its cage-dancing sex show.</p> <p>Over her 14 solo albums, Turner developed a remarkable capacity to push through boundaries and exist between categories. Along the way, she also changed how a woman in popular music was positioned for consumption. This magic made her fans in all sorts of music listeners.</p> <h2>A musical uniter</h2> <p>Turner’s musical agility allowed her to inhabit contradictory musical spaces simultaneously. For instance, there is the Tina Turner who makes regular appearances on the setlists of DJs at retro club nights, inspiring inebriated patrons to shake their tail feathers in unison.</p> <p>There is an exuberance here that crosses times and identities to bring a crowd together in the ritual of “rolling on the river”. It’s a song that also invites all shades of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLUJz5xrdds&ab_channel=ThatRPDRChannel">drag performance to honour it</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GC5E8ie2pdM?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Then there is the Tina Turner who appears – frequently as the only woman, and perhaps uniquely as a Black woman – on compilations targeted at a predominantly male audience.</p> <p>The world of “dad rock” and “driving anthems” is a stronghold of largely white, male baby boomers. Think Robert Palmer, ZZ Top, The Jam and Whitesnake. There alongside them is Turner with songs like The Best, We Don’t Need Another Hero and Nutbush City Limits.</p> <p>Tina Turner’s capacity to transcend these borders of genre, and with them, borders of race, age, and gender, is what made her the absolute legend that she was. To me, it will also always represent a hybridity that calls to my identity as a queer feminist.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206526/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/freya-jarman-535397">Freya Jarman</a>, Reader in the Department of Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-liverpool-1198">University of Liverpool</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tina-turner-an-immense-talent-with-a-voice-and-back-catalogue-that-unites-disparate-music-lovers-206526">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

Dog lovers rejoice after "greedy" serial puppy farmer handed life ban

<p dir="ltr">A serial puppy offender has faced sentencing over 17 charges of animal cruelty, with both a lifetime ban and thousands of dollars in fees included in her punishment. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 51-year-old woman from Bullsbrook, a northern suburb in Perth, had been breeding sick dogs in squalid conditions while charging their potential new owners thousands of dollars, and has now been banned from owning or breeding any more dogs for the rest of her life. </p> <p dir="ltr">For her cruel actions, the Perth Magistrates Court handed her a “10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, $25,000 in fines and an 18-month Intensive Supervision Order.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Additionally, the repeat offender - who has been in custody since April 14 after breaching the conditions of her bail - was also ordered to pay $24,279.11 in legal costs, as well as care and treatment costs totalling $18,241.01.</p> <p dir="ltr">The charges were in relation to 23 dogs who were seized from her property in June 2020 - with sought-after breeds including the likes of Maltese, shih-tzus, poodles, and cavalier King Charles spaniels among them.</p> <p dir="ltr">It wasn’t her first offence - instead her fourth - but her most recent was in 2014 when the RSPCA found 50 dogs at her former home, with 12 of the animals “hidden in a bunker three metres underground”. </p> <p dir="ltr">This time around, she had been trying to conceal her crimes. As the court heard in December, she has been moving the dogs between three different Bullbrook addresses in a bid to avoid detection.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was a display of “callous disregard or at least wilful blindness,” Magistrate Janie Gibbs said. </p> <p dir="ltr">RSPCA WA had launched their investigation into her after a member of the public reported their concerns - they had been trying to purchase a puppy through Gumtree, and had grown suspicious when they were informed they couldn’t visit the dog at home. </p> <p dir="ltr">From there, RSPCA WA seized 32 dogs from the woman’s property - of which there were four adult males, 19 adult females, and nine puppies - with the majority of them showing signs of being “underweight, unkempt, or unwell”, and nearly all of them suffering from “ear infections and/or dental disease and … matted, overgrown hair”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two did not survive, and five of them were pregnant, giving birth to 22 more puppies in the weeks to follow. All have been in the foster care of RSPCA WA while the case went on. </p> <p dir="ltr">As RSPCA WA Executive Manager Animal and Enforcement Operations Hannah Dreaver explained, the woman responsible had been operating a profit-driven business, and had been placing her income well above the welfare of the dogs in her care.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This included using several locations to hide this operation from both authorities and potential puppy buyers,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“All were popular breeds selling for thousands of dollars. These dogs were making her a fortune and she was treating them as nothing more than money-making machines, having litter after litter without proper care.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Please, if you want to get a dog, consider adoption from the RSPCA or another reputable rescue organisation first. If you do decide to buy a puppy, never buy online and never buy sight unseen. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Always meet your new puppy and its mum in the home where it’s being raised.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: RSPCA WA</em></p>

Family & Pets

Police finally reveal motive behind murder of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay

<p>Police have alleged that the two secret lover campers, Russel Hill and Carol Clay, were "childhood sweethearts" who had started their affair 15 years ago.</p> <p>In a summary of the case against Gregory Lynn, who allegedly killed the pair, police believe that Mr Hill and Ms Clay had rekindled their romance 15 years prior, and would go on regular camping trips to "spend time together".</p> <p>The pair allegedly drifted apart and had children with other partners, according to the documents provided to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.</p> <p>Mr Hill was married to another woman for 51 years, and according to the police facts provided to the court, his wife believed that he had gone camping alone.</p> <p>“Those close to them believe that they kept their relationship a secret to spare Hill’s family from distress,” the police statement read.</p> <p>The pair had gone camping in Wonnangatta Valley on March 19 2020, and they vanished sometime after 6 pm the next day.</p> <p>Police alleged that Mr Lynn killed the pair after an altercation over a drone, with Mr Hill fatally stabbed and Ms Clay shot in the head.</p> <p>Police also believed that he returned to the area in May and November 2020 to try and "destroy" evidence by setting the pair's remains on fire.</p> <p>Their bodies were buried around 40km from the campsite in Dargo on November 2021.</p> <p>Mr Lynn was in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this week for a committal hearing to decide whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial in the Supreme Court.</p> <p><em>Images: Victoria Police</em></p>

News

Gruesome twist in how secret lover campers were killed

<p>When the bodies of Russell Hill and Carol Clay were discovered in bushland in February, mystery surrounded the exact circumstances of their death. </p> <p>The burned remains of Ms Clay, 73, and Mr Hill, 74 were located by Victoria Police Missing Persons Squad detectives on November 30th - just days after former Jetstar pilot Gregory Lynn was arrested for being responsible for their disappearance and subsequent death. </p> <p>On Monday, the Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard a ballistics expert would play a crucial role in the alleged killer's upcoming preliminary hearing, which is scheduled to run over four days in January. </p> <p>It is the first time any information on how police allege Lynn killed the elderly couple has been revealed in public. </p> <p>The court heard Victorian homicide detectives had compiled a whopping 773-page brief of evidence against Lynn, which included the fact that the couple had allegedly been shot before their bodies were burned and dumped in the bush.</p> <p>Lynn's high profile criminal barrister Dermot Dann, QC, said he he eager to cross examine ballistics expert Paul Griffiths, saying, "Mr Griffiths is an important witness dealing with the bullet trajectory and so forth."</p> <p>While detectives were keen to release information on the case to the public when Lynn was under investigation, few details have been made public since he was taken into custody. </p> <p>The 55-year old man from Caroline Springs in Melbourne's west remains in custody after being charged with the couple's murders. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Supplied / Facebook</em></p>

News

Halloween lovers show off their best dressed pets

<p dir="ltr">Halloween is celebrated all over the world on October 31. </p> <p dir="ltr">Some people would rather not get involved in the pagan holiday, while others see it as a time to get dressed in a scary costume, party, and enjoy loads of sweets. </p> <p dir="ltr">Halloween’s origins are traced back to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. </p> <p dir="ltr">It is believed that on Halloween, the souls of the dead would return to their homes which then saw people dress up in costumes and light up bonfires to get rid of the spirits. </p> <p dir="ltr">While Halloween could be a religious holiday for some, many just enjoy it for the fun and togetherness it brings. </p> <p dir="ltr">But the true heroes of this holiday are the pets that get dressed up and they are certainly something. </p> <p dir="ltr">Pet parents shared adorable photos of their animals in costumes and it seems like they’re putting humans to shame with how good they are. </p> <p dir="ltr">Check out the gallery below for the best dressed pets. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot were much more than Picasso’s muses or lovers. They are important artists in their own right

<p>Among Picasso’s partners were two formidable female artists: Dora Maar (1907–97) and Françoise Gilot (1921-).</p> <p>For a long time, these women were known primarily as his muse or lover, but further scrutiny of their extensive careers reveals that they were also his collaborators and innovative artists in their own right.</p> <p>Both women profoundly influenced Picasso, and both were exceptional talents.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/the-picasso-century/">The Picasso Century</a>, currently at the National Gallery of Victoria, offers a rare opportunity to see their work in Australia.</p> <h2>Charismatic and unconventional Dora Maar</h2> <p>In <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Dora_Maar_with_Without_Picasso.html?id=NR10QgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y">Dora Maar, with and without Picasso: a biography</a> (2000), Mary Ann Caws writes that Picasso first saw Dora Maar in Cafe les Deux Magots. Sitting alone, she was using a penknife to stab the tabletop between her gloved fingers, staining the white flowers of her gloves with blood.</p> <p>The pair were later introduced when Maar worked as the set photographer on Jean Renoir’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crime_of_Monsieur_Lange">The Crime of Monsieur Lange</a> (1936). They soon began a relationship.</p> <p>By all accounts, Maar was intelligent, charismatic and unconventional. When she met Picasso she had a successful and established career as a photographer.</p> <p>Surrealists had been dismissive of photography until Maar demonstrated its potential, creating some of the movement’s most powerful and important works.</p> <p>According to NGV’s Meg Slater, Gilot’s centrality to Surrealism arose through experimentation in her commercial photography, as well as her commitment to radical left-wing politics. She was remarkable for a woman at that time.</p> <p>Maar has been identified with the nine “<a href="https://useum.org/artwork/Weeping-Woman-Femme-en-pleurs-Pablo-Picasso-1937">Weeping Woman</a>” canvases, which depict how Picasso saw her, profoundly impacted by Guernica’s bombing during the Spanish Civil War.</p> <p>But these portraits have reductively characterised her as a volatile and emotional woman. Maar <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/nov/15/dora-maar-picassos-weeping-woman">said</a> “all [of Picasso’s] portraits of me are lies”.</p> <p>Maar often photographed Picasso during their relationship, most notably in creating his 1937 anti-war work Guernica. She was represented within the painting as a figure holding a light.</p> <p><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/dora-maar-revealed-picassos-muse-guernica-show-1244849">According to</a> Musée Picasso-Paris’ curator Emilie Bouvard, Maar “did not simply document Picasso painting the great mural. In fact, her Surrealist photography influenced the work itself”.</p> <p>Renowned for moving from one lover to another, Picasso left Maar for Françoise Gilot – notoriously the only woman to leave him.</p> <h2>Critically reflective Françoise Gilot</h2> <p>Gilot had an extraordinary life. <a href="https://www.scrippscollege.edu/news/arts-and-culture/an-artist-in-her-own-right-francoise-gilot-turns-99">Before 25</a> she had lived through the Nazi occupation of Paris, studied dance under Isadora Duncan’s protégée and taken “morning walks with Gertrude Stein”.</p> <p>She achieved expertise in ceramics well before she met Picasso. It was during their almost 10-year relationship that he took an interest in ceramics, eventually producing <a href="http://ceramic-studio.net/ceramic/pottery/francoise-gilot/">3,500</a> works.</p> <p>Gilot was physically and psychologically abused by Picasso and lived with very little autonomy throughout their relationship. Many of her works testify to this.</p> <p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/519039925785327682/">The Earthenware</a> (1951) shows a window with bars. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/t-magazine/francoise-gilot-picasso.html">Paloma asleep in her crib</a> (1950) depicts windows without views. <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/impressionist-and-modern-art-online-2/francoise-gilot-adam-forcing-eve-to-eat-an-apple-i">Adam forcing Eve to Eat an Apple</a> (1946) is an image of coercion with a disturbing likeness to Picasso and Gilot.</p> <p>In 1953 she left with their children, Claude and Paloma. Outraged, Picasso began to sabotage her artistic career. In 1964 she published a memoir, <a href="https://www.nyrb.com/products/life-with-picasso?variant=9511301382196">Life with Picasso</a>, following his three legal challenges to stop it.</p> <p>She is unusual for writing critically reflective pieces on her own work, situating her as well ahead of her time.</p> <h2>The female gaze</h2> <p>The “<a href="http://femalegaze.com.au/reviews-2/">female gaze</a>” refers to the way female artists express their own unique experience of living in the world as women. Gendered experiences are only one influence among many, but they profoundly impact any creative work.</p> <p>My first impression of Gilot’s female gaze is that she takes a micro view of the world around her.</p> <p>Her 1940s still life works take the domestic and emphasise her seclusion at that time (Picasso had isolated her from family and friends).</p> <p> </p> <figure></figure> <p> </p> <p>She finds inspiration in the small things, the domestic, rather than racing to the monumental or heroic.</p> <p>According to Gilot in an interview in <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/life-after-picasso-franoise-gilot">Vogue</a>, she met Picasso in 1943 when he brought a bowl of cherries to her table.</p> <p>This may be referenced in Plate of cherries and a Spanish knife (1948). Gilot described this painting as “the most ordinary, mundane and non-poetic of things” and offers that she chose the domestic deliberately in an act of resistance to expectations that she be a housewife.</p> <p>From this painting we can glimpse her her feminism and her female perspective.</p> <p>Maar’s portraits and advertising images resist objectifying the female figure, directing viewers with the subject’s gaze to something just out of sight.</p> <p>While often erotic, they don’t present women as objects. The shadow in <a href="https://artblart.com/tag/dora-maar-assia/">Assia</a> (1934) emphasises and celebrates both her form and power.</p> <p>Maar’s iconography emphasises the female. She incorporates wavy locks of hair, spiders and manicured nails in hair oil advertising images such as <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-voraciousness-and-oddity-of-dora-maars-pictures">Publicity Study</a> (Pétrole Hahn) (1934-1935), face cream advertisement Les années vous guettent (The Years are Waiting for You) (1932) and surrealist images such as Untitled (Hand-Shell) (1934).</p> <p>Maar and Gilot were creative collaborators, not just muses of Picasso.</p> <p>Before and after him, their artistic achievements – and exceptional volumes of creative work – locate them as important artists. These include Maar’s retrospective at the <a href="https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Les-annees-vous-guettent/FD4C9067B246F7CF">Tate</a> (2019-20), and Gilot’s many <a href="https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Francoise-Gilot/BE82663B3D59B3C5/Exhibitions">exhibitions</a>.</p> <p>Across their long careers their output straddled a variety of media and styles, each with her own female gaze.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/dora-maar-and-francoise-gilot-were-much-more-than-picassos-muses-or-lovers-they-are-important-artists-in-their-own-right-190750" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

The 5 best films for cat lovers (that aren’t the movie Cats)

<p>Traditionally, Boxing Day is a great day to go to the cinema in Australia. Previous offerings include <a href="https://theconversation.com/jojo-rabbit-hitler-humour-and-a-childs-eye-view-of-war-make-for-dark-satire-128622">Hitler comedy Jojo Rabbit</a>, Ken Loach’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8359816/">Sorry We Missed You</a> and Cannes Film Festival hit <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8613070/">Portrait of a Lady on Fire</a>. </p><p>Perhaps the strangest offering is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5697572/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Cats</a>, the big screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, itself based on T.S. Eliot’s cycle of poems.</p><p>From the trailer, glimpses of a creepily transformed all-star cast (a sinisterly sibilant Judy Dench, Idris Elba and Taylor Swift to name but a few) and a darkly glamorous cat-fight vibe <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/19/cats-movie-trailer-internet-reacts-horror-demented-dream-ballet">raised more than a few hackles</a> – so much so, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/m7qq43/the-cats-in-cats-movie-have-changed-after-the-creepy-trailer-everyone-hated">elements have been “subtly” reanimated</a>. Reviews of the film have been overwhelmingly negative.</p><p>It remains to be seen whether Cats will land as deftly with film goers as it did in the theatre. But if nothing else, its release provides a timely reminder of how the big screen has gifted us many memorable feline performances.</p><p>Here are five of the very best.</p><h2>Keanu (2016)</h2><p>“That’s the cutest cat I’ve ever seen!” </p><p>No, it’s not a Disney movie or an internet meme; it’s a line that speaks for every adult male who crosses paths with the adorable tortoiseshell tabby kitten <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4139124/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Keanu</a>. </p><p>We first meet this eponymous feline amid the corpse-strewn detritus of a meth lab that has been shot up by two hefty gangster assassins. </p><p>Keanu’s escape to suburbia and subsequent kidnapping from his newly adopted human, the nerdy Rell (Jordan Peele) provides the catalyst for this delightfully idiotic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9zy27apgI8">buddy/action movie spoof</a>. </p><p>Director Peter Alencio and writers Peele and Alex Rubens milk full comedic value from vicious killers turned into cooing, kitten kissing softies – and bumbling middle-class cowards Rell and Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) into badass, kitten rescuing heroes.</p><p>Viewers familiar with Peele’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/jordan-peeles-us-black-horror-movies-and-the-american-nightmare-114334">directorial work</a> will know he is no respecter of cuteness. Rest assured, a walk on the wild side only sees Keanu’s adorable qualities further enhanced by rocking a wicked black bandanna. </p><p>In a dream sequence, his voice is provided by some actor called Reeves.</p><h2>Alien (1979); Aliens (1986)</h2><p>Those with an attentive eye for cats on screen and/or for what makes feminist icon Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) tick won’t be surprised to see the trouble-making ginger Jonesy from the first two films in the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Alien</a> franchise on this list. </p><p>This (space) ship cat is no mere piece of fluff: he serves a significant plot function, raises tensions at key moments and importantly provides the first film’s only love interest. </p><p>Rescuing the moggy complicates Ripley’s escape and reveals a tender, protective side to her steely nature. This is even more powerfully highlighted in the sequel Aliens, even if Jonesy himself only makes a brief early appearance: “and you, you little shithead, you’re staying here”.</p><h2>Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1962)</h2><p>This iconic adaptation of Truman Capote’s novel <a href="https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-films-featuring-cats">frequently tops</a> cat movie lists, but while I am more than happy to include Holly Golightly’s flatmate Cat, “poor slob without a name”, near the top of my list I must confess I’m no great fan of the film overall – a ham-fisted, sanitised Hollywood do-over. </p><p>Capote, as is well known, <a href="http://www.today.com/id/27841277/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/capote-never-liked-hepburn-iconic-role/">was not keen</a> on the casting of Audrey Hepburn as drifter-turned-grifter Holly Golightly, apparently preferring Marilyn Monroe. </p><p>Little is known of his view of the casting of Orangey – <a href="https://www.womansworld.com/posts/breakfast-at-tiffanys-cat-169893">an award-winning performer</a> – as Cat, but for mine this handsome fellow is a far better actor than George Peppard, the film’s wooden, (Hollywood confected) male lead. </p><p>You don’t have to be a cat lover to know who Holly’s true soul mate is.</p><h2>A Street Cat Named Bob (2016)</h2><p>This adaptation of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12394068-a-street-cat-named-bob">a best-selling book</a> tells the true story of a homeless, heroin addict, James Bowen, (Luke Treadaway) who finds love and redemption when he meets Bob, a doughy but lovable ginger who chooses him as his human. </p><p>While James is busking or selling The Big Issue, Bob is perched on his shoulder and proves a magnet for punters. When Bob is injured in a fight, James takes on new responsibilities as provider and carer.</p><p>After a young friend dies from an overdose, James decides to get clean and is helped by the presence of the watchful, patient Bob. </p><p>Sure, it’s no <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Trainspotting</a>, but there’s enough grit, vomit and despair to avoid the overly sentimental and Bob – played by none other than the real Bob himself – is a delight, exuding an aura of streetwise empathy to a kindred spirit, and adding a dash of mischief, too.</p><h2>Kedi (2016)</h2><p>Turkish director Ceyda Torun’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4420704/">sublimely shot documentary</a> focuses on Istanbul’s many thousands of street cats and the humans whose turf they share, who tend them and take solace in their company without seeking to constrain their freedom. </p><p>Torun skilfully intertwines the stories of several cats into the fabric of the places in which they (and, in some instances, their young) survive. </p><p>She captures them wandering through street markets, cafés, artists’ studios, workshops and patches of wasteland. We watch them hunting, scavenging and charming their way around fishing boats, riverbanks, tips, kitchens and jetties. They nip in and out of the windows of cramped, ageing flats, through backyards, shops and crowded alleys. </p><p>Kedi’s central message is that the centuries-long interdependence of human and feline – marked by easy tolerance, respect and not a little folklore and superstition – is a distinctive marker of Istanbul’s culture, one potentially under threat by the inexorable creep of high rise, urban redevelopment. </p><p>It should be cherished and preserved as a civilised and civilising point of pride.</p><p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p><p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-5-best-films-for-cat-lovers-that-arent-the-movie-cats-128128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Movies

21 hidden health benefits music lovers wish you knew

<p><strong>Favourite tunes keep you calm</strong></p> <p><span>Listening to their favourite music lowered anxiety among ICU patients by about one third, according to an Ohio State University study. </span></p> <p><span>Not just any tunes – it had to be familiar and comforting pieces, according to researchers.</span></p> <p><strong>Mood music makes you eat less</strong></p> <p><span>When a US fast food chain gave one of its restaurants a fine-dining makeover – including soft lighting and jazz – diners ate about 18 per cent less and reported enjoying their food more, according to a Cornell study in the journal <em>Psychological Reports</em>.</span></p> <p><strong>Inspiring instrumentals improve your mental focus </strong></p> <p><span>Uplifting concertos from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons can boost mental alertness, according to research from Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. </span></p> <p><span>When young adults were given a task that required intense concentration, they did better while listening to the bright “Spring” concerto versus the slower and more sombre “Autumn” one.</span></p> <p><strong>Group singing makes you happy</strong><span></span></p> <p><span>British researchers recently surveyed 375 people who sang in a choir, sang alone, or played on a sports team. </span></p> <p><span>All the activities contributed to greater emotional well-being, but people in choirs reported feeling happier than those who belted out tunes solo. </span></p> <p><span>Chorus members also rated their groups as more meaningful social experiences than athletes did with their sports teams. </span></p> <p><span>The physical act of synchrony – acting in time with others – or choral singing could promote feelings of unity.</span></p> <p><strong>Playing an instrument may protect brain sharpness later in life</strong></p> <p><span>The more years middle-aged and older adults spent playing musical instruments as children, the faster their brains responded to speech sounds during an experiment, according to a study in the <em>Journal of Neuroscience</em>. </span></p> <p><span>A slower response could be indicative of how ably adults interpret speech. </span></p> <p><span>“Being a millisecond faster may not seem like much, but the brain is very sensitive to timing. A millisecond compounded over millions of neurons can make a real difference in the lives of older adults,” Michael Kilgard, a brain researcher who was not involved in the study, commented in a press release.</span></p> <p><strong>Good music soothes and relaxes your blood vessels</strong></p> <p>Listening to music that brings you joy causes blood vessels to expand, increasing blood flow and improving cardiovascular health, a University of Maryland study found.</p> <p>The average upper-arm blood vessel diameter of people in the study increased 26 per cent after listening to joyful music.</p> <p>A separate review of 26 studies covering almost 1400 heart disease patients found that music reduced heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety.</p> <p><strong>Music classes make kids more cooperative</strong></p> <p><span>Preschoolers who sang and played instruments as a group were a whopping 30 times more likely to help others in subsequent tasks that measured their helpfulness and problem-solving abilities, compared with a control group of kids who listened to a story, British researchers reported in 2013.</span></p> <p><strong>A mellow playlist may ease road rage</strong></p> <p><span>Feel an angry outburst coming on after a driver cuts you off, or as traffic starts to build? </span></p> <p><span>A quick switch to mellow music helped drivers calm down and make fewer mistakes during an experiment in a simulator, according to research published in 2013 in the journal <em>Ergonomics</em>.</span></p> <p><strong>Music therapy may help teens cope with cancer</strong></p> <p><span>Teenagers undergoing cancer treatment who joined a music therapy program in the hospital showed improved coping skills and more resilience when compared to a control group of patients who received audio books. </span></p> <p><span>The patients, who were undergoing stem cell transplants, worked with music therapists to write song lyrics and produce videos.</span></p> <p><span> “Making music videos allows these patients to project their feelings through another outlet,” Shawna Grissom, director of child life at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, told <em>HealthDay</em>. </span></p> <p><span>“It gives them a sense of control, a medium in which they can express themselves.”</span></p> <p><strong>Your work will get done faster</strong></p> <p><span>Listening to happy music at work can help you complete tasks more quickly, especially if you’re doing something repetitive such as checking e-mail or filing documents. </span></p> <p><span>One study showed that the accuracy and efficiency of surgeons improved when they worked with the music of their choice in the background. </span></p> <p><span>Cornell University researchers also found that upbeat tunes help workers cooperate and make group decisions that contribute to the good of the team.</span></p> <p><strong>Stress levels will go down</strong></p> <p>Music decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol just as well as massage therapy does, according to a small 2010 study.</p> <p>Scientists randomly assigned anxious patients to listen to music either during massage therapy or while lying in a dim room.</p> <p>After three months, those who just listened to music experienced the same drop in anxiety as those who also got massages.</p> <p><strong>Music can help during surgery</strong></p> <p><span>Listening to music before surgery has been shown to ease anxiety and limit the need for sedatives. </span></p> <p><span>After surgery, it helps reduce pain. An analysis of 73 studies published in the Lancet in 2015 confirmed that listening to music before, during, or after surgery improves anxiety and pain levels, which in turn means less pain medication.</span></p> <p><strong>Music makes you more creative</strong></p> <p><span>People come up with more creative solutions when they listen to happy, upbeat music than when they sit in silence, according to researchers from the Netherlands and Australia. </span></p> <p><span>It may be because music improves your brain’s flexibility or because it relaxes you enough for the creative juices to flow. </span></p> <p><span>But don’t play the music too loudly; research also has found that moderate volume provides the creativity sweet spot.</span></p> <p><strong>It gets dopamine flowing </strong></p> <p><span>When you listen to music, your brain releases dopamine, the same neurotransmitter that’s released when you eat chocolate, have sex, or use cocaine. </span></p> <p><span>It’s also associated with being in love. One small study found that just the anticipation of knowing the best part of a song is coming can get the dopamine flowing.</span></p> <p><strong>It makes you more comfortable </strong></p> <p><span>Feel like quitting a workout? Whether you’re running, biking or walking, you’ll go farther if you pump up the jams, studies have found. </span></p> <p><span>Music distracts you from your discomfort and motivates you to stay with the beat. The effect is so profound that the author of a 2012 review examining the psychological effects of music on exercise called music “a type of legal performance-enhancing drug.”</span></p> <p><strong>Music gives you power</strong></p> <p><span>That rush of energy you feel when you put on your best power song is real. </span></p> <p><span>College-age men who were studied doing squats while listening to a favourite song took off more explosively and performed reps at greater speeds than those doing them in silence, one study found. </span></p> <p><span>People also sprint faster and hold heavy weights longer when listening to music.</span></p> <p><strong>It aids sleep</strong></p> <p>Lullabies aren’t just for babies. Listening to music before bed can help you fall asleep faster, wake up less often during the night, and feel more rested in the morning, according to the National Sleep Foundation.</p> <p>In one study conducted in Taiwan, seniors with sleep problems who listened to 45 minutes of soft, slow music before bed reported a 35 per cent improvement in the duration of their shut-eye and less dysfunction throughout the day.</p> <p><strong>Music heals</strong></p> <p><span>Music has been used to heal for centuries, and now we’re learning why it works. </span></p> <p><span>The latest meta-analysis of 400 studies finds that listening to music promotes the body’s production of an antibody (called immunoglobulin A) that attacks viruses and bacteria, as well as natural “killer cells,” which kill invading viruses and cancerous cells.</span></p> <p><strong>It makes time fly by</strong></p> <p><span>Time does fly when you’re listening to music: Scientists have shown repeatedly that people judge a period of waiting as shorter when music is playing. </span></p> <p><span>Retailers use that to their advantage, playing music so you stay longer and spend more. For instance, more drinks and food are sold in bars and restaurants when music (especially slow music) is played. </span></p> <p><span>And grocery sales increase by 38 per cent when the background music is slow.</span></p> <p><strong>A nice melody helps reduce pain</strong></p> <p><span>In one study, adults who focused on childhood melodies while receiving safe electric shocks decreased their pain by 17 per cent overall. </span></p> <p><span>Other studies show that music may reduce pain for fibromyalgia and cancer patients. </span></p> <p><span>It works on kids, too: Children who listened to soothing and/or upbeat music while having an IV inserted reported less pain and distress compared with those who had the procedure in silence, according to a study in <em>JAMA Pediatrics</em>.</span></p> <p><strong>It helps Alzheimer's patients remember</strong></p> <p>Maybe you’ve heard about Alzheimer’s patients coming alive when they hear a song from their past. Studies show that music helps them retrieve memories, communicate more effectively, and remember who they are.</p> <p>Singing is particularly powerful; George Mason University researchers demonstrated that Alzheimer’s patients who regularly belt out their favourites may boost their cognitive function over time.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/21-hidden-health-benefits-music-lovers-wish-you-knew?pages=1">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Music

The best hotels around the world for book lovers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Book lovers rejoice! In recent years, a number of themed hotels have popped up around the world, with book fiends relishing in the targeted accommodation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can now curl up with a good book and relax on your holiday, all while being surrounded by like-minded readers. </span></p> <p><strong>Gladstone’s Library, North Wales</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This library was built specifically to house four-time British prime minister William Ewart Gladstone’s book collection. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leaving his books as a legacy to the public, an accommodation wing was also added at the former prime minister’s request. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Travellers can enjoy enchanting rooms covered with book-themed wallpaper and everything a guest could need to start writing their own stories. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXGUVd9AYjO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXGUVd9AYjO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Gladstone's Library (@gladstoneslibrary)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Library Hotel, New York</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With each room stocked with more than 100 books, this hotel is every bibliophile’s dream accommodation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each room and its books is categorised according to the Dewey Decimal System, meaning you could be staying in a room themed by philosophy, history or the arts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Along with several designated reading rooms throughout the hotel, it’s easy for a book lover to get lost in the endless stories within the thousands of bookcases. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSNMOEwAxZi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSNMOEwAxZi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Library Hotel (@libraryhotel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Hazlitt’s Hotel, London</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Georgian hotel in London’s famous Soho Square dates back to 1718, and reflects the intellect and poetry of the era. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All bedrooms and common areas are filled to the brim with historic books, as well as boasting an impressive library. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The hotel also has an Honesty Bar, where patrons can drink with each other and indulge in stories from the past. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVFOIa3IZrq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVFOIa3IZrq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Hazlitt's Hotel (@hazlittshotel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Book and Bed, Tokyo</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the style of a typical Japanese capsule hotel, Book and Bed is the perfect place to meet like-minded book lovers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beds are built into the walls among the bookshelves, with thousands of books at the fingertips of each guest. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Branded as “the bookstore where you can stay the night”, the hostel boasts special quiet reading corners for travellers to immerse themselves within the pages of over 4,000 books. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CF9giYeHJhP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CF9giYeHJhP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by BOOKANDBEDTOKYO®︎ (@bookandbedtokyo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Travel Tips

Husband on trial for murder for torching wife’s secret lover

<p>A builder burned the body of his wife’s secret lover after luring him to a remote farm and shooting him dead.</p> <p>Andrew Jones, 53, is accused of burning Michael O’Leary’s, 55, remains in a rusty oil drum in January this year.</p> <p>Jones found out about Mr O’Leary’s affair with his wife, Rhianon, and confessed to detectives that he had lured the man to farmland near his home.</p> <p>The businessman sent messages from his wife’s phone wanting to meet for a “cwtch” at Cyncoed Farm in Carathenshire, Wales, on 27 January.</p> <p>He has not confessed to murder, and says Mr O’Leary left straight after discussing the affair.</p> <p>Prosecutors say Jones shot Mr O’Leary dead before burning the body.</p> <p>Forensic scientist Dr Robert Lewis told Swansea Crown Court he had examined CCTV footage from Jones’ home which showed a fire burning in the early hours of 29 January.</p> <p>He said the fire burnt for several hours and involved petrol or another accelerant.</p> <p>The court also heard that human tissue was discovered at the farm, with forensic pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbeatter saying it was from the small intestine.</p> <p>"There was no evidence [the scorching] had occurred during life," he said.</p> <p>Jurors previously heard DNA testing had found the tissue was Mr O'Leary's.</p>

Legal

Lord Howe Island: a nature-lover’s paradise

<p>From adventurous walks to stunning snorkels, Lord Howe Island is the ideal exotic escape for anyone wanting a diverse array of astonishing natural scenery and activities. It is the ideal vacation locale for venturesome Aussies looking to travel, quite literally, outside the 'normal' Australia.</p> <p><strong>Lord Howe Island facts</strong><br />Lord Howe Island is a multi-award winning, World Heritage-listed paradise less than a two-hour flight from Sydney and Brisbane. It is located 600km from Australia’s east coast and is an unincorporated area of New South Wales. Although it is part of the electoral district of Port Macquarie, it is self-governed by the Lord Howe Island Board.</p> <p>Lord Howe Island has just 350 permanent residents and allows only 400 tourists to visit at any one time. As well as regular flights from Sydney (weekdays) and Brisbane (weekends), QantasLink also offers a seasonal Saturday service from Port Macquarie (September to end of May in 2016/17). </p> <p>Lord Howe Island enjoys consistently warm weather, with average maximum temperatures of around 25 degrees Celsius in summer, dropping to an average of 19 degrees in winter.</p> <p>The island is a truly unique and refreshing getaway as it is beyond the reach of mobile phones and other technologies, forcing you to evade civilisation and immerse yourself in the unspoiled natural landscape. The island features all basic amenities such as a hospital, shops, post office, churches and public phones. One of the most refreshing elements is that you can walk or cycle everywhere around the island. There are also a limited number of cars available for hire if the situation calls for it.</p> <p>It is incredibly safe for people of all ages, including children on account of the lack of snakes or stingers and the island-wide speed limit of 25km/h.</p> <p>The real attractions of Lord Howe Island are its pristine forests and coastlines, as well as the abundant native wildlife. The island is a remnant of a now-extinct shield volcano dating back seven million years. And remarkably, 87% of the original native vegetation remains on the unique isle. </p> <p>It is home to 241 species of indigenous plants, almost half of which are not found anywhere else in the world. On top of the 500 fish species, 1600 terrestrial insect species and 90 coral species, more seabirds breed in higher numbers on Lord Howe than anywhere else in the world.</p> <p><strong>How to plan a trip to Lord Howe</strong><br />In terms of organising your trip, there are a range of travel operators who organise travel, accommodation and tours to Lord Howe Island. It is easiest and cheapest to organise the trip as part of a package or bundle, as your accommodation provider will then pick you up from the airport and help you arrange activities once on the island.</p> <p><strong>Real traveller's tips<br /></strong>Gold Coast resident Heather Mayr recently did a trip to Lord Howe Island with her 78-year-old mother and 55-year-old sister and husband. Her biggest piece of advice for anyone travelling to Lord Howe Island is to be flexible. When planning tours she suggests that you simply register your interest, and then you will be notified (the night before or the morning of) as to whether the trip will go ahead.</p> <p>“Many of the tours and activities operate subject to weather conditions, which are very changeable – so don’t go there with a set itinerary. You need to be flexible and jump at opportunities when they come up.”</p> <p>Keeping this changeable weather in mind, Heather also recommended taking out travel insurance as the flights can often be cancelled. Below are Heather’s top recommended activities for anyone travelling to Lord Howe Island.</p> <p><strong>Top 5 activities on Lord Howe Island</strong></p> <p><strong>1. Bushwalk to a mountaintop for breathtaking 360-degree views</strong> </p> <p>Challenge yourself with the eight-hour return trek to the tallest peak (875m), Mt Gower. This stunning walk features a misty alpine forest, thrilling, rope-assisted climbs and unparalleled views of the surrounding coastline and bushland. Alternatively, if you are looking for a less demanding stroll, you could opt for the one-hour walk to Transit Hill, which also offers stunning 360-degree views of the island.</p> <p><strong>2. Snorkelling at Ned’s Beach</strong></p> <p>Snorkelling is one of the best ways to observe the phenomenal marine life of Lord Howe Island. Wade through the crystal blue water, watch as schools of colourful fish flock to your side as you hand-feed the fascinating little creatures and enjoy the mesmerising kaleidoscope of colours of the fish and coral reef – the southernmost coral reef on the planet.</p> <p><strong>3. Turtle tour in a glass-bottom boat</strong></p> <p>A glass-bottom boat is one of the most authentic and awe-inspiring experiences, allowing you to witness turtles and other phenomenal marine life in their natural habitat.</p> <p><strong>4. Fishing charter or boat tour circumnavigating the island</strong></p> <p>A boat tour provides you the chance to explore the 551-metre Ball’s Pyramid, the world’s tallest sea-stack. You can also go fishing, and spot birds, fish and even dolphins.</p> <p><strong>5. Surfing at Blinky Beach</strong></p> <p>Blinky Beach is a pristine location offering some of the most secluded surfing opportunities in the country. It is also a perfect location for a fishing trip or a relaxing picnic.</p> <p>Other popular activities on Lord Howe Island include golfing with one of the most stunning views in the country, scuba diving among the diverse marine wildlife, kayaking, paddle boarding, bird watching and a myriad of other tours and natural experiences.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/lord-howe-island-a-nature-lovers-paradise.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></em></p>

Travel Tips

Is your lover insecure?

<p>Loving an insecure person can be frustrating. You always feel like you have to offer praise or reassurance. Not only can that be exhausting, but in trying to do what you think is helpful, you might actually be making matters worse.</p> <p>When people with insecurities hear something good about themselves, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.05.003">they tend to doubt or even dismiss it, as much research shows</a>. This means, quite perplexingly, that hearing positive feedback can often raise their anxieties, because it may clash with the more pessimistic views they hold of themselves.</p> <p>Insecure people may wonder whether their partner truly knows them, or worry that they cannot live up to the partner’s expectations. At times, praise can even lead their minds to argue back; it can trigger unfavourable thoughts about themselves that contradict the praise.</p> <p>What can loving partners do instead? Try conveying genuine curiosity, rather than compliments. Asking a simple question — “How was your day?” — can show concern without triggering a negative self-assessment.</p> <p>At the University of Waterloo, we recently conducted a series of studies showing that asking this simple question can make insecure people feel cared for. We <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.03.003">ran two survey studies</a> involving 359 adults (aged 18 to 66) across the United States who were in romantic relationships.</p> <p><strong>Fly under their insecure radar</strong></p> <p>To determine our research participants’ level of security and trust in their partner’s love, we gave them a questionnaire assessing how confident they were that their partner loves them, is committed to them and will be responsive to them in times of need. Another questionnaire tapped into their relationship satisfaction.</p> <p>In two studies, we found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.03.003">the satisfaction reported by those who usually felt more insecure in their relationships actually increased when their partners asked them about their day</a>.</p> <p>For people higher in security, who were already high in relationship satisfaction, being asked “How was your day?” was rarely the boost that it was for people lower in security.</p> <p>Why is asking “How was your day?” effective? We anticipated that this expression of interest, if it is genuine, signals caring.</p> <p>To test the idea, we conducted another study. Participants read a scenario in which a couple, Mike and Sarah, had a pleasant, brief conversation after Sarah arrived home from work. Participants in one group read that during that conversation, Mike asked Sarah about her day. Participants in a second group were not given this detail.</p> <p>Those who read that Mike asked Sarah about her day predicted that Sarah felt more cared for than participants who were not given this detail. The benefit did not derive from Sarah describing her day; when participants read a scenario about Sarah describing her day, even though Mike had not asked, participants thought Sarah would not feel as cared for as when Mike asked her directly.</p> <p>We suspect that this care signal works especially well for people low in security because it is subtle and nonthreatening. It does not make them question why a partner is asking or whether they deserve it. Thus, asking about a partner’s day may fly under the insecure person’s radar.</p> <p><strong>Curiosity more effective than praise</strong></p> <p>There is nothing special about the four words, “How was your day?” Rather, showing genuine interest is special.</p> <p>In a final study, we brought 162 romantic couples (undergraduates or from the community, between 17 and 47 years of age) into the laboratory and separated them, ostensibly to work on different tasks.</p> <p>We led participants to believe that their partner had written a note to them. In one group, the partners simply described their own experiences, whereas in the other group, partners described their own experiences, but also asked, “How did your task go? Did you enjoy it?”</p> <p>Partners lower in security who received the note that asked about their experiences felt more cared for by their partners than those who were not asked. In contrast, for people higher in security, being asked did not matter. We suspect that people high in security don’t need the signal of interest to feel valued.</p> <p>We’re not suggesting you should stop praising your insecure partner altogether. The complete absence of praise could be harmful, especially if your partner asks for praise or reassurance. But praise may not accomplish what you want it to. Don’t count on reassurance to convince your partner that you care.</p> <p>Instead, show interest in him or her by asking, “How was your day?” Showing attention and interest in someone, especially in a society as filled with distractions as ours, can be the most important signal of caring there is.</p> <p><em>Written by <span>Joanne Wood, Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo and Kassandra Cortes, Assistant Professor, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-lover-insecure-a-simple-question-could-transform-your-romantic-relationship-125868" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Relationships

Good news for cat lovers! New study finds cats are just as “emotionally attached” to us as dogs or infants

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New research is disputing a common trail of thought: Dogs are more loyal where cats are aloof.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study from Oregon State University looked for signs of attachment in both cats and kittens when reunited with their owners in a strange place.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s the first time that scientists have shown that cats display the same sort of behaviour that’s witnessed in dogs as well as human babies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7494677/Study-finds-cats-just-emotionally-attached-dogs-infants.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Mail</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, most cats (65.8 per cent) and kittens (64.3 per cent) showed a “secure attachment” with humans and were just as interested in their owners as their surroundings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human babies, for example, are 'securely attached' to their caregivers in 65 per cent of occasions. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Study lead author Dr Kristyn Vitale, of Oregon State University in the United States, said: “Cats that are insecure can be likely to run and hide or seem to act aloof.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There's long been a biased way of thinking that all cats behave this way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But the majority of cats use their owner as a source of security. Your cat is depending on you to feel secure when they are stressed out.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study involved enrolling cats in a six-week “socialisation” training course to see if they could be taught attachment styles, but the proportion of securely and insecurely attached cats did not budge.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Vitale said: “Once an attachment style has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to remain relatively stable over time, even after a training and socialisation intervention.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Attachment is a biologically relevant behaviour. Our study indicates that when cats live in a state of dependency with a human, that attachment behaviour is flexible and the majority of cats use humans as a source of comfort..”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The findings were published in the </span><em><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.036"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Current Biology</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> journal.</span></p>

Family & Pets

The world's best hotels for music lovers

<div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Where to indulge a love of melodies and sounds? Whether it’s listening to your favourite song on a cross-country road trip or flying to a new destination to attend a once-in-a-lifetime concert, music plays a crucial role in the life of a traveller. These eight hotels stand out among music lovers for having hosted famous artists, or for being close to top venues, and are the perfect spots for music lovers to hit the right note. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Montreal, Canada</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth is an elegant hotel located in the heart of Montreal. The famous<span> </span>John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite<span> </span>is the site of the 1969 ‘bed-in for peace’, where the song ‘Give Peace a Chance’ was composed and recorded. Today it’s been revamped into a luxury suite that can accommodate up to four people and features a virtual reality experience and plenty of in-room surprises. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>QT Hotel, Sydney, Australia</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>The staff at this super cool five-star Sydney boutique hotel are ‘cast’ not hired and their outfits are worthy of a slick music video while the opulent design is rock star ready and the location reigns supreme. It is located next door to Sydney’s State Theatre which first opened in 1929 and has hosted music legends such as Prince, Shirley Bassey, Harry Connick Jr and Chris Isaak. The QT itself attracts creative guests who appreciate its Gothic- and Art Deco-influenced architecture. You may spot a star staying in one of the 200 guest suites or drinking champagne at the Gilt Lounge, which is popular for after-parties among the trendy set.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Andaz West Hollywood Los Angeles, US</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Just a five-minute walk from the lively Sunset Strip, the Andaz West Hollywood has hosted world-famous musicians throughout the years, including musical superstars Led Zeppelin, Jim Morrison and Keith Richards. The hotel developed a rock ’n’ roll reputation during the 1970s, but today features a modern restaurant that serves seasonal Californian cuisine and a chic bar with signature cocktails. The property was also one of the<span> </span>filming locations<span> </span>of<span> </span><em>Almost Famous</em>, a coming-of-age movie about a teenage journalist covering a band for<span> </span><em>Rolling Stone</em><span> </span>magazine during the early 1970s. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>nhow Berlin, Berlin, Germany</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Europe’s first music hotel, nhow Berlin is located directly on the banks of the river Spree and just a five-minute walk from MTV Berlin and Universal Music, the world’s leading music company. nhow Berlin offers its guests two professional music recording studios and the hotel’s electric guitars can be borrowed at no extra charge. You can even order a DJ booth to your room. The hotel also hosts weekly concerts and DJ sets, perfect for soaking up Berlin’s popular techno atmosphere.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Raffles Singapore</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Not only was the world-famous Singapore Sling invented here by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915, there’s been a slew of famous guests including Rudyard Kipling, Ernest Hemingway, movie genius Alfred Hitchcock and music icon Michael Jackson since the hotel opened its glamorous doors in 1887. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been guests and Ava Gardner also stayed there for the opening of her 1950s movie<span> </span><em>Barefoot Contessa</em>. There’s fantastic live music on weekends at this stunning luxury hotel, which is reopening in mid-2019 after an impressive refurbishment. Make sure you chat to the resident historian to hear some of the stories about famous musicians who have also stayed there.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Gstaad Palace, Gstaad, Switzerland</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Built in 1913, the Gstaad Palace has earned an unrivalled reputation for discreet, refined hospitality over the years, and has always welcomed the most discerning international musical clientele. Musical legends Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald are some of its famous guests of the past, who have also performed in the hotel’s elegant lounge. A few years ago, singer Madonna was spotted celebrating New Year’s Eve at the hotel’s renowned GreenGo nightclub.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Backstage Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Situated only two minutes from Amsterdam’s popular concert venues Paradiso, Sugarfactory and Melkweg, the BackStage Hotel is adorned with furniture and decorations from the music industry. Not only will the friendly staff provide its guests with the latest info about concerts in town, guests are also welcomed to star in their own impromptu jamming session using one of the many guitars hanging on the wall. Other music venues such as The Amsterdam Arena, Ziggo Dome and Heineken Music Hall can be reached within 30 minutes by public transport.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Phoenix Hotel, San Francisco, US</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Featuring a rich music history, the Phoenix Hotel is a quirky boutique hotel located at the intersection of San Francisco’s Tenderloin, Civic Center and Little Saigon districts. It’s also a stone’s throw from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and the Great American Music Hall. Over the years, it’s been known to welcome generations of travelling musicians including major figures David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and R.E.M.</p> <p><em>This article first appeared in </em><span><a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/worlds-best-hotels-music-lovers"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

International Travel

Every book lover should be able to pass this quiz

<p>Are you a bookworm? A fiction buff? A literature nerd? Well, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test!</p> <p>Playbuzz user Johnny14, who created this quiz, says any real book lover will be able to pass. But just how many can you correctly guess?</p> <p>From Jane Austen to C.S. Lewis, these challenging questions will test even the most well-read among us!</p> <div class="playbuzz" data-id="bb5cb6b8-5448-4de5-8e09-5d293b814249" data-show-info="false" data-comments="false" data-show-share="false"></div> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p>How did you go? Leave your score with us in the comments below!</p>

Books

6 books every music lover should read

<p>For many people, music isn’t a huge part of their lives, but rather something they just have playing in the background to fill the silence in the car or while doing the housework.</p> <p>For others, however, music is their life. They grew up obsessed with The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley and countless others, and it became the soundtrack to their youth.</p> <p>If you’re one of the latter group, we’ve got six fantastic books just for you.</p> <p><strong>1. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Frevolution-in-the-head-ian-macdonald%2Fprod9781556527333.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Revolution in the Head: The Beatles’ Records and the Sixties</span></em></a> by Ian MacDonald </strong></p> <p>This “Bible of the Beatles” captures the iconic band’s magical and mysterious journey from adorable teenagers to revered cultural emissaries. In this fully updated version, each of their 241 tracks is assessed chronologically from their first amateur recordings in 1957 to their final “reunion” recording in 1995. It also incorporates new information from the <em>Anthology</em> series and recent interviews with Paul McCartney. This comprehensive guide offers fascinating details about the Beatles’ lives, music, and era, never losing sight of what made the band so important, unique, and enjoyable.</p> <p><strong>2. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fmystery-train-contributor-greil-marcus%2Fprod9780142181584.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music (Sixth Edition)</span></em></a> by Greil Marcus </strong></p> <p>In 1975, Greil Marcus’s <em>Mystery Train</em> changed the way readers thought about rock ’n’ roll and continues to be sought out today by music fans and anyone interested in pop culture. Looking at recordings by six key artists – Robert Johnson, Harmonica Frank, Randy Newman, the Band, Sly Stone, and Elvis Presley – Marcus offers a complex and unprecedented analysis of the relationship between rock ‘n’ roll and American culture. In this latest edition, Marcus provides an extensively updated and rewritten Note and Discographies section, exploring the recordings’ evolution and continuing impact.</p> <p><strong>3. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fgirls-like-us-sheila-weller%2Fprod9780743491488.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon – and the Journey of a Generation</span></em></a> by Sheila Weller </strong></p> <p>Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon remain among the most enduring and important women in popular music. Each woman is distinct. Carole King is the product of outer-borough, middle-class New York City; Joni Mitchell is a granddaughter of Canadian farmers; and Carly Simon is a child of the Manhattan intellectual upper crust. They collectively represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s. Their stories trace the arc of the now mythic sixties generation – female version – but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché. The history of the women of that generation has never been written – until now, through their resonant lives and emblematic songs.</p> <p><strong>4. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Ffrank-james-kaplan%2Fprod9780767924238.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Frank: The Voice</span></em></a> by James Kaplan </strong></p> <p>Frank Sinatra was the best-known entertainer of the twentieth century-infinitely charismatic, lionized and notorious in equal measure. But despite his mammoth fame, Sinatra the man has remained an enigma. Now James Kaplan brings deeper insight than ever before to the complex psyche and turbulent life behind that incomparable voice, from Sinatra's humble beginning in Hoboken to his fall from grace and Oscar-winning return in <em>From Here to Eternity</em>. Here at last is the biographer who makes the reader feel what it was really like to be Frank Sinatra-as man, as musician, as tortured genius. </p> <p><strong>5. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fput-the-needle-on-the-record-chojnacki-matthew%2Fprod9780764338311.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute</span></em></a> by Matthew Chojnacki </strong></p> <p>In the 1980s, music defined the moment: "Video Killed The Radio Star" ushered in MTV, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" ruled <em>The Breakfast Club</em>, and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" became the anthem of a generation. The 1980s were also the most visually provocative era of the last millennium. Every new vinyl single hit the stands wrapped in eye-catching sleeves that reflected the latest trends. <em>Put the Needle on the Record</em> is pop culture historian Matthew Chojnacki's definitive guide to 7- and 12-inch vinyl single artwork from the '80s. He presents and compares more than 250 vinyl single covers representing nearly every prominent musician of the decade. Read previously untold stories behind the '80s' most iconic images from the designers and visual talent behind Madonna, Prince, Pink Floyd, Queen, Adam Ant, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Pet Shop Boys, Van Halen, and more. Coupled with exclusive commentary from more than 100 of the '80s biggest musicians, including Annie Lennox, Duran Duran, Run-DMC, Devo, The B-52's, Erasure, The Human League, Scorpions, The Knack, and Yoko Ono, this is an authoritative journey back to the songs and images that continue to influence our culture.</p> <p><strong>6. <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/93981/71095/1880?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fwonderful-tonight-pattie-boyd%2Fprod9780307407832.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me</span></em></a> by Pattie Boyd </strong></p> <p>For the first time, rock music's most famous muse tells her incredible story. Pattie Boyd, former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, finally breaks a forty-year silence and tells the story of how she found herself bound to two of the most addictive, promiscuous musical geniuses of the twentieth century and became the most legendary muse in the history of rock and roll. The woman who inspired Harrison's song "Something" and Clapton's anthem "Layla," Pattie Boyd has written a book that is rich and raw, funny and heartbreaking-and totally honest.</p>

Books

The Queen speaks out about her sister Margaret’s affair with toyboy lover

<p>Speculation regarding the late Princess Margaret’s love life have persisted for decades, but in an explosive new documentary titled <em>Elizabeth: Our Queen</em>, Her Majesty has finally addressed the rumours.</p> <p>In the eight-part TV special, a member of the royal inner circle has opened up about the Queen’s thoughts on her sister’s affair with a man 17 years her junior, landscape gardener Roddy Llewellyn.</p> <p>Margaret, who was 43 years old and a mum of two at the time, was introduced to the then-25-year-old Llewellyn by a close friend, Lady Anne Glenconner. What followed was an eight-year secret relationship with the Princess, inevitably leading to her divorce from Antony-Armstrong Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon.</p> <p>Now, Lady Anne has broken her silence on the scandal, revealing in the documentary what the Queen said to her at Margaret’s 2002 funeral.</p> <p>“It was difficult for the Queen and I felt rather guilty always having introduced Roddy to Princess Margaret,” she said.</p> <p><span>“But after Princess Margaret’s funeral the Queen, she said, ‘I’d just like to say Anne, it was rather difficult at moments, but I thank you so much introducing Princess Margaret to Roddy because he made her really happy.’”</span></p> <p>After Margaret and Llewellyn went their separate ways, he went on to marry Tatiana Soskin, with whom he had three daughters. The Princess remained good friends with the couple, and Llewellyn attended Margaret’s memorial in 2002.</p>

Family & Pets

10 beautiful gardens every flower-lover must visit

<p>You could spend a lifetime listing the beautiful gardens the world has to offer (let alone actually visiting them in real life). From Holland’s colourful tulip fields to Singapore’s hanging gardens and the spectacular grounds of France’s famous Palace of Versailles, there’s a treasure trove of potential destinations for flower-lovers to explores.</p> <p>But which gardens are the best of the best? Well, we’ve enlisted our in-house flower experts to narrow it down to a shortlist (it wasn’t easy) of 10 beautiful gardens that everyone who’s passionate about flowers should visit once in their life.</p> <p>To see these beautiful gardens, scroll through the gallery above.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Have you visited these gardens? Are there any that we didn’t include on our list, that we should’ve? Let us know in the comments section!</p>

International Travel

5 European destinations every wine-lover must visit

<p>Raise a glass to these decadent destinations.</p> <p><strong>1. Champagne, France</strong></p> <p>There’s just something about the word ‘champagne’ that gets us all excited. Arguably the most famous type of wine in the world, champagne was first developed right here in the south of France by monk Dom Perignon in the 17<sup>th</sup> century. Today, you can tour some of the world’s oldest and most iconic producers – like Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot and Ruinart – then bed down in beautifully restored country chateaux.</p> <p><strong>2. Piedmont, Italy</strong></p> <p>Sitting in the northwest of Italy on the border with Switzerland and France, the Piedmont (pronounced Peh-ah-mont-ay) region is famous for its rich reds like Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, and crisp white Cortese, Arneis and Erbaluce. As well as some excellent – and ancient – cellar doors, there are high-end hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and indulgent spas.</p> <p><strong>3. La Rioja, Spain</strong></p> <p>Earlier this year Vogue magazine called La Rioja the wine region to visit right now, so you know it’s got to be good. The landscape is made up of gnarled vines, shimmering olive groves and walled medieval villages, all set under pale blue skies and near constant sun. It’s only a small region but there are more than 500 wineries turning out excellent varietals, ranging from deep reds to delicate rosé and fresh whites. Don’t miss a stay at Marqués de Riscal, arguably the world’s most famous wine hotel, designed by Frank Ghery.</p> <p><strong>4. Douro Valley, Portugal</strong></p> <p>The Romans introduced wine to the Douro Valley in northern Portugal as far back as the third century AD. Over time, it’s become known for its steeply terraced vineyards, small family-run quintas (winemaking estates) and port. Everything here centres around the Douro River and vineyards run all along its winding banks. You can see this enchanting region by road or hop aboard a small ship and cruise along the river at a stately pace – with plenty of stops for tastings.</p> <p><strong>5. Velké Bilovice, Czech Republic</strong></p> <p>It might not be as famous as the others on this list, but Velké Bilovice is something special. The Czech Republic’s most famous wine producing town has the good stuff running through its veins. It has a population of just 3,900 yet is home to more than 1,000 winemakers tending 2,000 vineyards. Every building in town has something to do with wine and every day during the season a different cellar door will open for tastings – just look out for the sign reading ‘degustace’.</p> <p>Have you ever been to these destinations?</p>

International Travel

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The best countries for food lovers to visit

Tina Turner: an immense talent with a voice and back catalogue that unites disparate music lovers

Dog lovers rejoice after "greedy" serial puppy farmer handed life ban

Police finally reveal motive behind murder of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay

Gruesome twist in how secret lover campers were killed

Halloween lovers show off their best dressed pets

Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot were much more than Picasso’s muses or lovers. They are important artists in their own right

The 5 best films for cat lovers (that aren’t the movie Cats)

21 hidden health benefits music lovers wish you knew

The best hotels around the world for book lovers

Husband on trial for murder for torching wife’s secret lover

Lord Howe Island: a nature-lover’s paradise

Is your lover insecure?

Good news for cat lovers! New study finds cats are just as “emotionally attached” to us as dogs or infants

The world's best hotels for music lovers

Every book lover should be able to pass this quiz

6 books every music lover should read

The Queen speaks out about her sister Margaret’s affair with toyboy lover

10 beautiful gardens every flower-lover must visit

5 European destinations every wine-lover must visit

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

The best countries for food lovers to visit

Tina Turner: an immense talent with a voice and back catalogue that unites disparate music lovers

Dog lovers rejoice after "greedy" serial puppy farmer handed life ban

Police finally reveal motive behind murder of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay

Gruesome twist in how secret lover campers were killed

Halloween lovers show off their best dressed pets

Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot were much more than Picasso’s muses or lovers. They are important artists in their own right

The 5 best films for cat lovers (that aren’t the movie Cats)

21 hidden health benefits music lovers wish you knew

The best hotels around the world for book lovers

Husband on trial for murder for torching wife’s secret lover

Lord Howe Island: a nature-lover’s paradise

Is your lover insecure?

Good news for cat lovers! New study finds cats are just as “emotionally attached” to us as dogs or infants

The world's best hotels for music lovers

Every book lover should be able to pass this quiz

6 books every music lover should read

The Queen speaks out about her sister Margaret’s affair with toyboy lover

10 beautiful gardens every flower-lover must visit

5 European destinations every wine-lover must visit

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