Poppyshake's Reading Year 2013

[poppyshake]

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Synopsis: Don Tillman is a socially challenged genetics professor who's decided the time has come to find a wife. His questionnaire is intended to weed out anyone who's unsuitable. The trouble is, Don has rather high standards and doesn't really do flexible so, despite lots of takers - he looks like Gregory Peck - he's not having much success in identifying The One. When Rosie Jarman comes to his office, Don assumes it's to apply for the Wife Project - and duly discounts her on the grounds she smokes, drinks, doesn't eat meat, and is incapable of punctuality. However, Rosie has no interest in becoming Mrs Tillman and is actually there to enlist Don's assistance in a professional capacity: to help her find her biological father. Sometimes, though, you don't find love: love finds you...

Review: I feel a bit mean judging a book by its narrator (as in audio narrator) but it really was key to my enjoyment .. I just wasn't convinced by him. The main character Don has Aspergers .. so he has a unique way of thinking and reacting etc (for example .. when someone says to him 'give me a minute' .. he times them). Now, somehow the narrator's very relaxed, laid back style of talking was at odds with the things he was saying and thinking. I thought Ben Tibber did a marvellous job at narrating The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime but Dan O'Grady just didn't get it right for me. This is annoying because I'm sure I would've enjoyed the book much more if I had read it rather than listened .. ah well .. you win some etc etc.
Don is a very unique character and I liked being in his head, he is trying hard to adapt socially and is making good headway .. when ordering a coffee for someone he notes that a skinny decaf latte is a 'ridiculous form of coffee .. but I did not point it out'  He buys the same ingredients every week and cooks the same meals on the relevant days .. only someone so meticulous could come up with a wife questionnaire in order to save time and wasted energy on unsuitables ..

“I've sequenced the questions for maximum speed of elimination,’ I explained. ‘I believe I can eliminate most women in less than forty seconds. Then you can choose the topic of discussion for the remaining time.’
‘But then it won’t matter,’ said Frances. ‘I’ll have been eliminated.’
‘Only as a potential partner. We may still be able to have an interesting discussion.’
‘But I’ll have been eliminated.’
I nodded. ‘Do you smoke?’
‘Occasionally,’ she said.
I put the questionnaire away. ‘Excellent.’ I was pleased that my question sequencing was working so well. We could have wasted time talking about ice-cream flavours and make-up only to find that she smoked. Needless to say, smoking was not negotiable. ‘No more questions. What would you like to discuss?”

When Rosie comes along, wanting help to find her biological father (Don is a geneticist), Don is strangely drawn to her though she's as unsuitable as can be. Somehow the pair of them connect but it's not easy falling in love with someone who has difficulty in feeling, let alone showing, emotions.
It's actually quite an uplifting tale and also very funny .. sad a bit too but not too sad (maxing at about 20 on my sad-o-meter) but the whole thing was ruined by an unconvincing narration I think I'll read it again in the future .. when I've forgotten the audio. 3/5 (possibly would have made it to a 4 .. if I'd voiced it myself   )

[bobblybear]

Nice review, and another one added to my wishlist. I have to say, I like your cover better than the one on Amazon, which is of a lobster!

[poppyshake]

Nice review, and another one added to my wishlist. I have to say, I like your cover better than the one on Amazon, which is of a lobster!

I picked that cover especially  .. the one on my audio was of the lobster    .. it's horrible isn't it? I wasn't going to defile my bookblog with it  Hope you enjoy it bobbs   

[Kidsmum]

Happy wedding anniversary Poppy, i love your book piccies. It's our 24th anniversary next month ( not trying to be competitive honest) & i shall be showing hubby your post so he knows what kind of standard i expect for future anniversaries. Perhaps Alan should write his own book giving hopeless hubbies tips on how to be a thoughtful husband 

[poppyshake]

Happy wedding anniversary Poppy, i love your book piccies. It's our 24th anniversary next month ( not trying to be competitive honest) & i shall be showing hubby your post so he knows what kind of standard i expect for future anniversaries. Perhaps Alan should write his own book giving hopeless hubbies tips on how to be a thoughtful husband 

I'll write it for him  

Happy 24th anniversary for next month KM  .. not long to go til the biggie  

[poppyshake]

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

 

Synopsis: Set in June 1940, when the Nazis occupy France, Suite Française falls into two parts. The first is a brilliant depiction of a group of Parisians as they flee the Nazi invasion; the second follows the inhabitants of a small rural community under occupation. This is a novel that teems with wonderful characters, each more vivid than the next. Amidst the mess of defeat, and all the hypocrisy and compromise, there is hope. True nobility and love exist, but often in surprising places.

 

Review: Truly marvellous, the writing just sings. The cast of characters is pretty vast and I'm not usually a fan of books with excessive cast lists, I can never keep track of everyone, but it simply wasn't a problem here. Somehow Irene manages to capture them all in a way that stays with you .. even the most minor and very realistically too. You would think that in such a perilous situation people would refrain from grumbling and being peevish etc but of course our human natures prevail and our quirks remain  .. we can even find the humour in it .. though our hearts are breaking. People do react in different ways though and there's really no knowing what you're capable of until disaster strikes. Some people become heroes but others are wholly consumed with their own survival. Most are just trying to do their best.

This is a book of two parts and I preferred the first one slightly .. that is the part detailing the flight of the Parisians as the Nazi's advanced .. which is odd because it's the more frenetic of the two and I do prefer calm but both parts are amazing and together they give you a much more rounded view of Nazi occupied France. 

 

What is truly astonishing is that she wrote this (in Paris) in 1941 during Nazi occupation and at a time when her own future looked more than uncertain. The two parts were intended to be part of a much larger work, perhaps five parts in all but tragically she was arrested and subsequently sent to Auschwitz where she was executed shortly afterwards  This edition contains notes by Irene giving an insight as to how she envisaged the story panning out and also, rather more harrowingly, letters from her to her publisher and subsequently letters from her husband imploring their friends and publisher etc to do all they can to obtain news of her etc. What I found really upsetting was how her work was pored over in order to find traces of anti-semitism or anti-bolshevism (and the reverse probably) in order to help release/convict her .. I thought it was an outrage (though understood that every avenue that might bear fruit had to be explored). Strangely, though she was living under occupation, she didn't seem to write with bitterness and she spoke very fairly about the Nazi soldiers who were only doing their jobs and mostly with civility .. the death camps weren't discussed .. the full horror of them wasn't widely known at that point. It's impossible to read the appendices without tears .. her husband begs at one point to be allowed to swap places with her (  as if he was dealing with reasonable people .. and anyway unbeknown to him she was already dead ) Her daughter managed to keep hold of the manuscript .. even though she and her sister had to go into hiding. She didn't know what it contained .. she just knew it was the last thing her mother had been writing and as such it was precious to her.

 

Totally absorbing. I must read some of her earlier works. 5/5

Edited August 12, 2013 by poppyshake

[poppyshake]

 
Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan

Synopsis: Rosie Hopkins is about to face major upheaval. Her elderly aunt Lilian - feisty, independent Aunt Lily who never talked about her past - needs her help, so Rosie is moving to the depths of the countryside for a few months to look after her. Plus Rosie will be away from Gerard, the man she hopes to settle down with soon, and they'll miss each other dreadfully... won't they? Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton's village sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to sell up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets. And the longer Rosie and Lilian spend together, the more they realise they can learn from each other.
 

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan
 
Synopsis: Ever dreamed of starting over? Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe’s bakery she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. So when she’s made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment and open up her own café. It should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. As her friends point out, she has trouble remembering where she left her house keys, let alone trying to run her own business. But Issy is determined. Armed with recipes posted to her from Grampa, and with her local bank manager fighting her corner, Issy attempts to prove everyone wrong. Following your dreams is never easy and this is no exception. Can Issy do it?  
 
Review: Sometimes, with books .. only comforting will do. I have an iPod which I regularly download audiobooks to .. usually to help pass the time when I'm stitching etc but more recently to help me with sleeping .. or to keep me company when sleep has gone to the devil. Before I was unwell I downloaded some pretty involved stories .. one being Les Miserables but, brilliant though I'm sure it will prove to be, it wasn't conducive to either sleep or relaxation .. it tied my already knotted head in tangles and eventually I had to admit defeat and save it for a day when all my cylinders are firing (if they ever do again ). What I needed was something less taxing but still engrossing and happily I saw Claire's review for Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams which sounded just the job. I love books about food .. especially sweet food .. (this may be news to you .. if so .. where have you been?  ) and this book in particular sent me right down memory lane because the shop Lilian owns is one of those old fashioned sweetshops full of jars of bonbons and pear drops etc .. I was in nostalgic heaven  
 When picking my book for France .. my talking book that is. I knew I needed something along the same lines .. more comforting if anything because there was a high possibility that Paris and me were going to stress each other out (and we both kept to that bargain I'm proud to say ) Thankfully Jenny has written a whole raft of foodie books (she's written others too but these were the ones that especially appealed to me) and so I had plenty of choice. Sleep went out of the fenêtre in Paris but it didn't worry me one bit because I was in the cupcake cafe serving up lattes.

What I particularly loved about both books is that the chapters start with recipes, I may not make any of them but I can if I like and that makes me feel involved. Also I'm always dreaming about running my own cafe (I saw one for sale on the IOW and straight away my mind was ticking) .. I'll never do it of course but mentally I've decorated it all out and baked all the cakes (which is far more rewarding than actually doing it because a) in my imagination everybody loves it and loves my cooking and b) there's no washing up.) The one thing they will have is books .. lots of them .. second hand books so it doesn't matter so much if customers pick them up and drop toasted teacake buttered crumbs onto them. I've also dallied with the idea of working in a sweet shop .. only Alan just doesn't need that kind of encouragement to max out on sugar.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes  The stories contain great characters, especially Lilian in WTRHSOD and Grampa Joe in MMATCC .. Grampa especially I got very sentimental about and both the two leading characters, Rosie and Issy, are thoroughly likeable women who you are happy to root for (and not at all the sort you want to poke in the eye with a stick for being so smug.) I was able to somewhat second guess the love stories but it didn't spoil my enjoyment because there were also surprises along the way. I loved the humour too and the banter between characters.

The two books were narrated by different people and though both good the narrator for Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe was outstanding.

 

I want to read/listen to more from her .. The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris is definitely on my list (I was going to listen to this in Paris but thought that if I needed to mentally escape Paris then reading a book set in it probably wasn't wise ) and I believe there are further tales from the cafe in Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe which is a must for this winter. I gave both books 4/5  Thanks Claire for the recommendation  

[poppyshake]

The One Dollar Horse by Lauren St John

Synopsis: Fifteen year old Casey Blue lives in East London's grimmest tower block and volunteers at a local riding school, but her dream is to win the world's greatest Three Day Event: the Badminton Horse Trials. When she rescues a starving, half-wild horse, she's convinced that the impossible can be made possible. But she has reckoned without the consequences of her father's criminal record, or the distraction of a boy with melty, dark eyes, with whom she refuses to fall in love. Casey learns the hard way that no matter how high you jump, or how fast you gallop, you can never outrun the past. A real life thriller that delves into the competitive and elite equestrian world from the 2011 BLUE PETER BOOK OF THE YEAR award-winning author.

Review: A great little read but you really do have to be a horse loving thirteen year old girl to thoroughly enjoy it and .. as you may have noticed .. I'm not  The boy with the melty dark eyes for instance .. I'm too old to remember about all that stuff (watery dark eyes maybe ) However, I do think that .. as a YA book .. it's one of the best of its kind. It's extremely readable, with a sort of mix of old fashioned and modern .. that is it feels like a story that Enid could have written only it's much more detailed and up to date. I liked the characters and enjoyed the humour and though it wasn't quite my type of thing I never felt like abandoning .. I was too interested in the outcome (though .. there is a sequel which I doubt I'll read and so not all the ends were tied up.) I guess even if your teenager doesn't love horses it would still be a good read .. though if they were absolutely averse then obviously don't touch it with a bargepole

I have a soft spot for it because Alan bought it me when I was talking about my lack of pink spined books. He got it wrong actually because the spine isn't at all pink but it has cerise pages (as in edges) and you have to make allowances due to his high sugar intake .. he meant to buy me something I wanted and that's the main thing   3/5
 

[poppyshake]

A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen

Synopsis: When James Bowen found an injured, ginger street cat curled up in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London and the last thing he needed was a pet. Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent tom cat, whom he quickly christened Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas. Soon the two were inseparable and their diverse, comic and occasionally dangerous adventures would transform both their lives, slowly healing the scars of each other's troubled pasts. A Street Cat Named Bob is a moving and uplifting story that will touch the heart of anyone who reads it.

Review: Awww .. totally endearing. You probably do have to be a cat lover or an animal lover at least to fully enjoy this but who could fail to warm to Bob? (I don't believe in such heartless folk .. there certainly aren't any on here anyway ) This is not a fictional story, though Bob is such an amazing creature that you have to keep reminding yourself that it's true. When James takes Bob on he can barely look after himself let alone a pet. For one thing, in a effort to quit drugs, he's on a methadone programme. He hopes to quit methadone in time too but obviously easier said than done. His life is a bit of a mess actually and he's lonely. He works on the streets of London (busking and selling the 'Big Issue' etc) and Bob gets into the habit of walking a little way with him and then being there when he comes home. Now that Bob's recovered from his injuries James is thinking that it's time to find him a new owner .. one that can give him more time and company. Bob has other ideas though and when James gets on the bus for work .. Bob jumps on with him It's not really surprising that the commuters and people of London become far more talkative and friendly to James now that he has Bob in tow .. people stop and chat .. they knit him things and buy cat food. They worry about him when he's not there (and I loved it that Bob only goes to work when he feels like it .. if having an off day he just curls up at home). Bob blossoms and James does too .. he finds the strength to deal with his problems and sort them once and for all. There's no doubt that Bob has had a massive impact financially on James .. firstly when collecting money but also subsequently with the telling of his story (and due to public demand there are several sequels now) but you don't .. or at least I didn't .. ever feel that Bob is being exploited. He is free to come and go as he pleases (at home that is .. due to his being spooked and running off in panic a couple of times he is tethered when out in London) and his favourite thing of all is to be with James. He's a celebrity now .. people clamour to get a pic of him in Covent Garden .. I must say I would love to see him and pat his silky head (I'd quite like to see Bob too ) 4/5

 

   
 

[Kylie]

Aw, what gorgeous pics of Bob and James! I love the first one, especially.

[~Andrea~]

Aww great review Kay - I've been wanting to read this for a while!

 

He's a celebrity now .. people clamour to get a pic of him in Covent Garden .. I must say I would love to see him and pat his silky head (I'd quite like to see Bob too ) 4/5

 

Oh you do make me laugh

[Kidsmum]

I'll write it for him  

Happy 24th anniversary for next month KM  .. not long to go til the biggie  

 

thank you Poppy 

 

I've added Suite Francaise to my wishlist. For me it's always the characters that matter more than plot , The Forsyte Saga & I Capture The Castle are two of my favourite reads but i think if you were to describe what actually happened in them they'd sound very dull  I also like the sound of A Street Cat Named Bob although i'm not an animal lover so i think i shall have to buy it as a present for a friend & then borrow it back off them when they've finished with it 

I love the pics, definitely think Bob would look good with a matching knitted hat worn at a jaunty angle

[julie]

Miss Poppy

 The second pic of the cat with his neckerchief  reminds me of MY pet cat's face ( Clarence) who was my cat when I was a little girl. He was the toughest cat on the street and liked to show all the others who was boss ,so sadly, he came home somedays looking like he had possibly tried to fight a mountain lion rather than another neighbor cat .

Anyhow, I liked dressing him in my pink baby doll dresses with a bonnet to match  His face and ears did what the 2nd BOB picture looked like -- """"GET THAT THING OFF ME """ . I would then put him in my carriage to give him a ride ,which never worked well. As soon as I let loose of him, he took off out of there and shook himself the whole way down the street to get those "SISSY" clothes off .

 

I haven't had a pet since my dear old Clarence departed to his Old Cat's Home in the Sky ..... . but he was fun while he was here .

[poppyshake]

Aw, what gorgeous pics of Bob and James! I love the first one, especially.

Aww .. me too. When I look at Bob .. it makes me miss my ginger boy even more

Here's another pic .. this time at a book signing  bless him .. he's gorgeous  

 

Aww great review Kay - I've been wanting to read this for a while!

Oh you do make me laugh

Thanks Andrea  .. have you got the book? .. you're welcome to my copy if not

[poppyshake]

thank you Poppy 

 

I've added Suite Francaise to my wishlist. For me it's always the characters that matter more than plot , The Forsyte Saga & I Capture The Castle are two of my favourite reads but i think if you were to describe what actually happened in them they'd sound very dull  I also like the sound of A Street Cat Named Bob although i'm not an animal lover so i think i shall have to buy it as a present for a friend & then borrow it back off them when they've finished with it 

Hope you like Suite Francaise KM  Again .. happy to send you my copy if you would like. I Capture the Castle is one of my top favourites too .. I absolutely love it. I haven't read The Forsyte Saga .. I saw the series or at least some of it but that was many moons ago and apart from remembering Susan Hampshire was in it I can't really recall the story.

I love the pics, definitely think Bob would look good with a matching knitted hat worn at a jaunty angle

He would wouldn't he .. I'm almost tempted to get my knitting needles out but Bob deserves something better  

Miss Poppy

The second pic of the cat with his neckerchief reminds me of MY pet cat's face ( Clarence) who was my cat when I was a little girl. He was the toughest cat on the street and liked to show all the others who was boss ,so sadly, he came home somedays looking like he had possibly tried to fight a mountain lion rather than another neighbor cat .

Anyhow, I liked dressing him in my pink baby doll dresses with a bonnet to match His face and ears did what the 2nd BOB picture looked like -- """"GET THAT THING OFF ME """ . I would then put him in my carriage to give him a ride ,which never worked well. As soon as I let loose of him, he took off out of there and shook himself the whole way down the street to get those "SISSY" clothes off .

 

I haven't had a pet since my dear old Clarence departed to his Old Cat's Home in the Sky ..... . but he was fun while he was here .

Cats can be a lot of fun, certainly the ones with the ginger genes are absolute nutcases as a rule  I love the name Clarence for a cat .. what inspired it Julie? was it the old cross eyed lion? Would love to have seen him in his pink dolls dress and bonnet

 

[poppyshake]

Sacred Sierra: A Year on a Spanish Mountain by Jason Webster

Synopsis: This is a romantic, utterly alluring leap into Spanish sunshine, remote mountains and rural life. Jason Webster had lived in Spain for several years before he and his partner, the flamenco dancer Salud, decided to buy a deserted farmhouse clinging to the side of a steep valley in the eastern province of Castellón, near the sacred peak of Penaglosa. With help from local farmers - and from a twelfth-century Moorish book on gardening - Jason set about creating his dream. He had never farmed before, and knew nothing of plants, but slowly he and Salud cleared the land, planted and harvested their olives, raised the healing herbs they learned about from local people, set up bee-hives and nurtured precious, expensive truffles, the black gold of the region. And beyond all this they started to fulfil another vision, bringing the native trees back to the cliffs ravaged by fire. At the same time they became drawn into the life of the valley: this is a book rich with characters as well as plants. It follows the people of the village from the winter rains to baking summer heat, from the flowering of the almond trees in spring to the hilarious, fiery festivals and ancient pilgrimages, and tells the history of the region through folk-songs and stories of the Cathar and Templar past. Jason and Salud lived through storms that destroyed their roof and fire that swept across their valley, but as the year passed and his farm flourished Jason found himself increasingly in tune with the ancient, mystical life of the sierra, a place that will haunt your imagination and raise your spirits, as it did his.

Review: Firstly thanks to Claire for lending this to me  I love travelogues and books about people buying farmhouses or vineyards etc abroad, especially dilapidated ones that need renovating. I would love to try it but not being the least bit adventurous settle for reading about it as the less disastrous option   I read this on one of the hottest days of the year and it did actually help to transport me to sunny Castellón. I had spent the morning gardening so I knew something about Jason's struggle to tame his wild olive trees though obviously deadheading your petunias isn't quite the same. The farmhouse is situated in a place which most of us would find inhospitable and the surrounding farmhouses .. those that are still occupied .. are inhabited by the most weird and wonderful characters .. people steeped in folklore and tradition (one of them had a ritual which involved peeing on things .. not sure that's one I'll take up ) Really enjoyable, I learnt plenty of things which I've added to my skills list. I am quite certain now that I know the right way of preparing snails for a casserole (all about the purging and the scrubbing with vinegar etc) and it's possible that I could keep bees though they're tricksy little blighters and probably quite unpredictable. I know quite a bit about truffle growing/hunting now too which could be lucrative if cross stitch fails but I'm quite sure you need a dog or a pig to help with that .. cats probably can't be trained (let's face it ..cats are very much the 'what's in it for me' type of animal). I was absolutely fascinated by the fact that Salud was a flamenco dancer but Jason didn't expound on it much .. would love to have heard more about it. Salud was quite mysterious actually .. she was the calming, level headed influence but she still freaked about insects etc  There are probably people who live a more traditional life here but it's a real eye opener to read about the Spanish village women dealing with a wild boar carcass .. draining it's blood and washing it's intestines out for stuffing later etc ... I get slight collywobbles when trying to stuff the Christmas turkey   4/5

[chesilbeach]

Hooray!  I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Kay.  The first book of his I read was Duende which is about his earlier time in Spain trying to learn flamenco guitar, and I'm pretty sure he meets his girlfriend in that book - I can lend it to you if you like.  I love flamenco guitar, and I picked up lots of tips of artists to listen to after reading it.

[poppyshake]

Hooray!  I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Kay.  The first book of his I read was Duende which is about his earlier time in Spain trying to learn flamenco guitar, and I'm pretty sure he meets his girlfriend in that book - I can lend it to you if you like.  I love flamenco guitar, and I picked up lots of tips of artists to listen to after reading it.

Ahh that would probably enlighten me further. I would like to borrow it yes please Claire

[chesilbeach]

I will add it to the pile

[poppyshake]

Serves Me Right by Sarah Miles

 

Synopsis:  This is the second part of Sarah Miles's memoirs. While at RADA, Sarah made a dream list and to her amazement began ticking it off with relish. During the filming of "Wuthering Heights" she had an affair with Laurence Olivier. But keeping the relationship secret began to take its toll, and her relationships with her other lovers - James Fox, Willie Donaldson and Nicol Williamson - fell apart one by one. As she became more of a recluse, she met Robert Bolt, whom she later married.

 

Bolt From the Blue by Sarah Miles

 

Synopsis:  The final volume in Sarah Miles' highly acclaimed three-part memoir opens in the aftermath of a mysterious and tragic death that eventually destroyed Sarah and Robert Bolt's marriage. Yet the relationship was far from over. In the years that followed, a spiritual revelation changed Sarah's life forever.

 

Review: I didn't enjoy these last two parts quite as much as the first, there was something extra enchanting about her childhood years that made the first volume outstanding. These are both brilliantly told though and thoroughly absorbing. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and Sarah's life is nothing short of bizarre. Her affair with Laurence Olivier lasted practically until his death and he would adopt numerous ridiculous disguises to avoid detection (which probably drew attention rather than the opposite.) David Whiting was a seriously unstable man .. hired by Sarah to take pics etc (he initially worked for Time magazine but eventually became Sarah's manager) he became dangerously obsessed by her and died in mysterious circumstances. Sarah was implicated though I believed her account of events .. however .. the impression you get is that quite possibly .. if it wasn't suicide ...

 

Burt Reynolds murdered him

 

The furore over it seriously hampered Sarah's film career and it also was a factor in her marriage breaking down.

One of Sarah's oddest notions (though it's backed up by scientific research I believe) is to drink a glass of her own wee every day .. it does you no end of good apparently as long as you only put good things into your body in the first place (I'd better rule it out then ). She also has a notion that nettles etc won't sting you if you believe they won't. I actually put this one to the test and either I got it slightly wrong or the nettles knew I wasn't fully committed  Sarah also discovered .. not so much an inner voice as an outer voice .. or some sort of spiritual presence and for a time made it manifest itself by way of extinguishing candles. Certainly odd things happened around her, she had two friends (and this doesn't include David Whiting who possibly made a third) who committed suicide as a direct result of their obsession with her (though were only ever house guests really.)One of them gassed himself in Sarah's home and a while later another friend was staying (whilst Sarah was abroad filming) and was woken up in the night by clanking .. he came downstairs to find no-one there .. but the gas oven was completely dismantled and lying in pieces on the kitchen floor    There are plenty of acting anecdotes as well .. including stories of Trevor Howard who was always drunk as a lord .. somehow I never would have thought it of him. I think all three volumes are sadly out of print now .. it's a shame because they really are amongst the best I've read. 4/5

Edited August 14, 2013 by poppyshake

[poppyshake]

I will add it to the pile

Thank you

[poppyshake]

The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman

Synopsis: A remarkable short novella, a modern fable that is weird, uplifting and romantic all at the same time. A robber charges into a bank with a loaded gun, but instead of taking any money he steals an item of sentimental value from each person. Once he has made his escape, strange things start to happen to the victims. A tattoo comes to life, a husband turns into a snowman, a baby starts to sh*t money. And Stacey Hinterland discovers that she’s shrinking, a little every day, and there is seemingly nothing that she or her husband can do to reverse the process. The Tiny Wife is a weird and wonderful modern fable. Small, but perfectly formed, it will charm, delight and unnerve in equal measure.

Review: This may well go down as the weirdest thing I've ever read .. which is saying something as the contenders are numerous. I didn't know where it was going and I didn't have a clue how it would resolve. Luckily it was short (88 pages) because grasping hold of it was difficult. An intriguing read though .. I'm still not sure that I fully understood it. It made me laugh and cry (well not cry exactly but sad anyway) but most of all it made my head hurt. There's plenty of food for thought here if only I could work out exactly what the author's trying to tell me .. I only understood it in doses. Possibly it needs a re-read .. after a month long diet of fish or something. The main character is Stacey .. the tiny wife of the title who, following the bank raid, becomes smaller every day  that's a seriously freaky thought .. imagine if your books were bigger than you were? (I have a feeling Madame Bovary might start getting her own back ) There was also a character that was continuously chased by a lion  Seriously weird .. like a magic mushroom trip (or an undigested bit of beef ) I feel I should apologise for sending it out as a Christmas prezzie in 2011. I wasn't to know it was odd though .. the cover is exquisite (not entirely true .. I did read the blurb ) It hasn't put me off the author, I think he's a unique writer and I'm hoping to read All My Friends are Superheroes soon and that's a much longer story  3/5

[Kylie]

Here's another pic .. this time at a book signing  bless him .. he's gorgeous  

 

 

Awww! I want a scarf for my kitty! That's just too cute.

 

Review: This may well go down as the weirdest thing I've ever read .. which is saying something as the contenders are numerous. I didn't know where it was going and I didn't have a clue how it would resolve. Luckily it was short (88 pages) because grasping hold of it was difficult. An intriguing read though .. I'm still not sure that I fully understood it. It made me laugh and cry (well not cry exactly but sad anyway) but most of all it made my head hurt. There's plenty of food for thought here if only I could work out exactly what the author's trying to tell me .. I only understood it in doses. Possibly it needs a re-read .. after a month long diet of fish or something. The main character is Stacey .. the tiny wife of the title who, following the bank raid, becomes smaller every day  that's a seriously freaky thought .. imagine if your books were bigger than you were? (I have a feeling Madame Bovary might start getting her own back ) There was also a character that was continuously chased by a lion  Seriously weird .. like a magic mushroom trip (or an undigested bit of beef ) I feel I should apologise for sending it out as a Christmas prezzie in 2011. I wasn't to know it was odd though .. the cover is exquisite (not entirely true .. I did read the blurb ) It hasn't put me off the author, I think he's a unique writer and I'm hoping to read All My Friends are Superheroes soon and that's a much longer story  3/5

 

Don't you dare apologise! I remember enjoying it. I need to read it again though, because I'd forgotten about the lion.

[poppy]

Great reviews as always, Kay. Love the look of the Street Cat one ....and it's available on Kindle

[Kidsmum]

Hope you like Suite Francaise KM  Again .. happy to send you my copy if you would like. I Capture the Castle is one of my top favourites too .. I absolutely love it. I haven't read The Forsyte Saga .. I saw the series or at least some of it but that was many moons  

 

thank you Poppy but i was lucky enough to find a copy in a charity shop today while i was out with my sister. I quickly grabbed it off the shelf & had to do a little dance of happiness it was such a great find   I missed out on watching The Forsyte Saga when i was a kid but i'd like to see it at some point just to see how it compares to the books