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Janet's Log - Stardate 2014


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013-2014-Mar-12-TheColorPurple_zps1a505c

 

The Color Purple   by Alice Walker

 

The ‘blurb’

Set in the deep American south between the wars, this is the classic tale of Celie, a young poor black girl. Raped repeatedly by her father, she loses two children and then is married off to a man who treats her no better than a slave. She is separated from her sister Nettie and dreams of becoming like the glamorous Shug Avery, a singer and rebellious black woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. Gradually Celie discovers the support of women that enables her to leave the past behind and begin a new life.  

 

The novel takes the form of correspondence between Celie, a poor black woman from the Deep South of America and God.  Celie’s life is not a happy one - she is abused by her father and bears two children by him but he takes them away from her, and then later her father arranges a marriage between Celie and a widower and she leads a life of drudgery looking after her husband and her stepchildren.  Meanwhile her sister Nettie has escaped from her terrible home life and whilst Celie writes to her sister, the letters come back unanswered and so Celie assumes she is dead.

 

Life is hard for Celie, but eventually she finds support from a surprising source and gaining strength from her new friendships she seeks to turn her life around.

 

I like epistolary novels and this one was no exception.  Despite its difficult subjects of sexual abuse, oppression and emotional pain the novel, which has been banned several times due to its racial and sexual content, is a good one which is ultimately about finding friendship and changing your life.  The one thing that is really odd is that despite giving it 4/5 and knowing I really enjoyed it, not much of the detail of the story has stayed with me.   I find that’s not so uncommon these days, but it wasn’t even a month ago that I finished it – I’d have expected it to take longer for the detail to fade than a little over three weeks! 

 

The paperback edition is 272 pages long and is published by Phoenix.  It was first published in 1983.  The ISBN is 9780753818923.  Read on Kindle.

 

4/5 (I really enjoyed it)

 

(Finished 12 March 2014)

 

I’d quite like to try the film – has anyone seen it?

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Look forward to hearing your thoughts on The Elegance of The Hedgehog, Janet, as it's on my TBR pile ( what isn't these days)  :wacko:

Lol - that can happen, can't it?!    :D  I think my 'to read' pile totalled about 6 books before I joined here!  :giggle2:  

 

I will be sure to post a review of it when I've read it. :)

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014-2014-Mar-17-ABreathofFrenchAir_zpsb8

 

A Breath of French Air by H E Bates

 

The ‘blurb’

With baby Oscar, the Rolls and Ma’s unmarried passport, the Larkins are off to France.  With Pop at the wheel there’s not much French without gin to match and with H E Bates, you may be sure, there’s no French without tears of laughter.  

 

The larger-than-life Larkin family are back – and this time they’re off to France on holiday –Brittany to be precise.  Charley spent many a happy holiday there as a child and so it is to the Hôtel Beau Rivage that they head.  However, it’s not all plain sailing.  Mariette and Charley seem distant with one another and the hotel manager is not comfortable with Ma and Pop’s marital status.  Will the holiday fix things, or will it cause more problems than it solves?

 

This is the second instalment of the ‘Pop Larkin Chronicles’ and whilst it isn’t as funny as the first volume, it’s still good fun - I have #3 on my To Read pile and will probably see the series through to the end.  :)  Not sure what else to say about it really, so I won’t!  :P

 

The paperback edition is 144 pages long and is published by Penguin.  It was first published in 1959.  The ISBN is 978 0141029641.   

 

3/5 (I enjoyed it)

 

(Finished 17 March 2014)

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Book #15 of the year.  You might already have read my thoughts about it in the Reading Circle thread.   :)

015-2014-Mar-26-OntheBeach_zps928c02a1.j
 
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
 
The ‘blurb’
After the war is over, a radioactive cloud begins to sweep southwards on the winds, gradually poisoning everything in its path. An American submarine captain is among the survivors left sheltering in Australia, preparing with the locals for the inevitable. Despite his memories of his wife, he becomes close to a young woman struggling to accept the harsh realities of their situation. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from the United States and the submarine must set sail through the bleak ocean to search for signs of life.
 
On the Beach is Nevil Shute's most powerful novel. Both gripping and intensely moving, its impact is unforgettable.  
 
Nuclear weapons deployed during World War III have resulted in total annihilation in the northern hemisphere.  The radiation is now slowly seeping outwards, spreading towards the south, and soon everyone will be dead.  Australia and New Zealand will be the last countries affected and the action takes place largely in Melbourne and its suburbs where Peter Holmes, a young Lieutenant submariner, waits with his wife, Mary and their baby girl pending his orders from the Navy. 
 
The couple organise a dinner party in order to introduce the American Captain of the submarine, Dwight Towers to their friend Moira.  The two hit it off but Dwight holds back, feeling a loyalty to his wife even though she is certainly dead.  News of a strange signal emanating from the US is received and the two men, accompanied by various crew, set off to investigate.  Is it possible that someone has survived – and what does the future hold for the people of Australia – is there any chance of survival?  Some of the characters accept the situation and make plans for how they will deal with death when the time comes, whilst others seem less able to accept the situation and make plans for the future.   Whether this shows insanity or just a coping mechanism is open to interpretation, but is it insane to hold onto the hope, however impossible, that something will happen which will make survival possible after all? I definitely think that it's the latter - a way of coping whilst awaiting their fate.
 
Shute writes with such brevity, and yet manages to convey such emotion.  It might seem hard to invest time in a book when one knows the characters are going to die but Shute’s writing ensures that the reader does care about what happens to them.  The story is believable and, despite the dated nature of it, I feel it could work in a contemporary setting with very few tweaks.   It’s a novel about man’s destructive nature and about the futility of nuclear war but it’s also a novel about love and I highly recommend it. 
 
The paperback edition is 320 pages long and is published by Penguin.  It was first published in 1957.  The ISBN is 9780099530251.   
 
5/5 (I loved it)
 
(Finished 26 March 2014)

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013-2014-Mar-12-TheColorPurple_zps1a505c  

I’d quite like to try the film – has anyone seen it?

 

Great review of The Color Purple, i'd highly recommend the movie but make sure you have a box of tissues handy - Oprah Winfrey is very good in it  :cry:

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Honest to dog, I had no idea I'd never been to your thread so far this year! *shocked expression on frankie's face*  What the hell is wrong with me. Many happy readings and findings and book hauls for 2014, Jänet! *muchos huggles*  (I'm having to butcher emoticons!)
 
I was going through the first page of your log and saw that the lowest rating you've given a book so far this year is 3/5! That's bloody great, you've either been really lucky with your books, or you've been very selective about what you read. I couldn't help myself, I got too curious, and I actually counted the average of your ratings: 3,85! I hope you continue to read great books only =)
 
I love it how you list your TBR according to the year in which the books were bought. I kinda wish I'd kept score of my books in that way, too. Makes things a whole lot more interesting!
 
And what a beautiful copy of A Christmas Carol, I'm glad you found it, I know how much you like the book! And guess what: it happens to be the exact edition of the copy I had as a loan from the library, when I read the book. Hee!
 

What a beauty ... you're really going to enjoy reading that this year  (how many sleeps now Janet? )


Shhh... Don't encourage her!

:lol: Funny you should ask, though, Kay, because whenever I look at your profile, I see your latest profile status update and it says "Is it still too early for the Christmas threads?", and this status update must've been up there for at least 1,5 years. I've been tempted so many times to post that 'yes, it's way too early!!!', lol!
 
 

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier

5/5 (I loved it)


What a great review of the book, I'm sooo happy you enjoyed it! It was so well constructed, it really kept you guessing.
 
 

The Darling Buds of May by H E Bates

5/5 (I loved it)

 
 This series has been on the Finnish TV, years and years ago. I never watched it, but I caught glimpses of it and always changed the channel. For some reason I really didn't want to watch it and I disliked it even though I didn't even know what it was really about! Years later, a friend of mine with whom I was discussing books said that she really wanted to find a copy of the book, and that's when I heard the series was based on a book. I wondered why she would be interested in something like that...
 
I really don't know why I've always had this huge aversion to the show. But I was determined to read your review, and the book actually sounds really nice :shrug: Maybe I should give it a go after all. I'm pretty sure there are copies at the library.
 
Anyways, I'm happy you loved the book =)
 

Five toast mentions, Kay. FIVE!

 
 Aww, you actually counted =D That's sweet!
 


Loved the review, very funny! :lol: I didn't actually know at first if you were just copying stuff from the book, until I read further and realized that no, it was your review. Epic :lol: A brilliant idea, brilliant execution!
 

Re: the things you talked about in the spoilers:

 

I was also the same about Wallaker when the kids were up the tree. I thought there was something going on, or there was something there that was going to be going on, if you know what I mean :D And I thought 'oh yes, please, thank you!' :wub:

And re: Daniel: When I was reading the book, I didn't really want to question the Daniel part, I was just so happy to be reading a new Bridget book that I took it as it was. Having read the book and loved loved loved it, I've read other people's reviews, though, and some others have said the same thing about it not being very plausible to have Daniel and Mark made up and everything be okay between everyone. But I do like it that he was in the book. I mean I wasn't thrilled when he showed up, but he seemed okay :)

And what you said: "I thought Bridget’s grief over Mark’s death and her struggling to cope as a widow with young children was well-written and seemed plausible – God forbid I ever find out for myself what it’s like.  I liked her relationship with her children – she wasn’t a perfect mother (who is?!) but she obviously loved them."

I totally agree. It was so well written and it was plausible, like you said, and I also think that it was comforting in a way. That even though people might be a bit ditzy, they can be great moms and everything can work out in the end.

Very weird about the Helen Fielding vs Reneé Zellweger thing. I think Zellweger is perfect for the role. She does truly become Bridget Jones, to me. It's her face that I see when reading the books.



 

I have acquired 13 new books so far this year! 
 
...

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery which is my next Book Club book.


I really hope you like this book! In case you don't remember, it was an RC book maybe a year or two ago... I think in 2012, in the summer. I think in general people found it at least okay. I very much enjoyed it =) And no, I'm not just saying that because I was the host :giggle:
 

New purchase #14, bought for 50p in a charity shop yesterday!  Buster's Diaries... as told to Roy Hattersley.
 
attachicon.gif2014 New Books 2.jpg


Aww, who is this cutie?

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Frankie - I'm going to have to split my answers to your post because of the smileys!
 

Honest to dog, I had no idea I'd never been to your thread so far this year! *shocked expression on frankie's face*  What the hell is wrong with me. Many happy readings and findings and book hauls for 2014, Jänet! *muchos huggles*  (I'm having to butcher emoticons!)

Thanks.  :)  I’m trying to be good, honest!  It’s not easy though! :blush:
 

I was going through the first page of your log and saw that the lowest rating you've given a book so far this year is 3/5! That's bloody great, you've either been really lucky with your books, or you've been very selective about what you read. I couldn't help myself, I got too curious, and I actually counted the average of your ratings: 3,85! I hope you continue to read great books only =)

I don’t really put much thought into what to read next (apart from Book Club books which have to be read by a certain time) so I think it must be luck!  3.85 is a good average!   :D
 

I love it how you list your TBR according to the year in which the books were bought. I kinda wish I'd kept score of my books in that way, too. Makes things a whole lot more interesting!

I sort of wondered if it might keep my book-buying in check – seeing all the unread books from each year… but it didn’t work!  :giggle2:  I did wonder about trying to eliminate some of the older years by reading those books first, but I don’t always fancy them. 
 

And what a beautiful copy of A Christmas Carol, I'm glad you found it, I know how much you like the book! And guess what: it happens to be the exact edition of the copy I had as a loan from the library, when I read the book. Hee!

It’s so lovely.  I’m so pleased I bought it – all too often I don’t buy something and then regret it and I know this would have been one of those regrets.  
 

Shhh... Don't encourage her!
 
:lol: Funny you should ask, though, Kay, because whenever I look at your profile, I see your latest profile status update and it says "Is it still too early for the Christmas threads?", and this status update must've been up there for at least 1,5 years. I've been tempted so many times to post that 'yes, it's way too early!!!', lol!

For the record – 262 days!   :hide:  :lurker:  :D

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What a great review of the book, I'm sooo happy you enjoyed it! It was so well constructed, it really kept you guessing.

I’m definitely going to be reading more of her books!  I'd really like to get matching covers if I can!  :)

 

This series has been on the Finnish TV, years and years ago. I never watched it, but I caught glimpses of it and always changed the channel. For some reason I really didn't want to watch it and I disliked it even though I didn't even know what it was really about! Years later, a friend of mine with whom I was discussing books said that she really wanted to find a copy of the book, and that's when I heard the series was based on a book. I wondered why she would be interested in something like that...

 

I really don't know why I've always had this huge aversion to the show. But I was determined to read your review, and the book actually sounds really nice :shrug: Maybe I should give it a go after all. I'm pretty sure there are copies at the library.

I like David Jason and Pam Ferris as actors – and it definitely looked like ‘my kind of thing’… and perfect Sunday night viewing. :)

 

I’m not sure whether I enjoyed the book so much because of the TV show. It’s not side-splittingly funny but it just appeals to me – and the characters are wonderful.

 

Aww, you actually counted =D That's sweet!

Oh dear – I suppose I should confess that I read it on my Nook so I availed myself of the search feature. I’d like to pretend it’s because I’m sweet, but I can’t lie! :giggle:

 

Loved the review, very funny! :lol: I didn't actually know at first if you were just copying stuff from the book, until I read further and realized that no, it was your review. Epic :lol: A brilliant idea, brilliant execution!

Aww, thanks! :blush:

 

Re: the things you talked about in the spoilers:

 

I was also the same about Wallaker when the kids were up the tree. I thought there was something going on, or there was something there that was going to be going on, if you know what I mean :D And I thought 'oh yes, please, thank you!' :wub:

 

And re: Daniel: When I was reading the book, I didn't really want to question the Daniel part, I was just so happy to be reading a new Bridget book that I took it as it was. Having read the book and loved loved loved it, I've read other people's reviews, though, and some others have said the same thing about it not being very plausible to have Daniel and Mark made up and everything be okay between everyone. But I do like it that he was in the book. I mean I wasn't thrilled when he showed up, but he seemed okay :)

 

And what you said: "I thought Bridget’s grief over Mark’s death and her struggling to cope as a widow with young children was well-written and seemed plausible – God forbid I ever find out for myself what it’s like. I liked her relationship with her children – she wasn’t a perfect mother (who is?!) but she obviously loved them."

 

I totally agree. It was so well written and it was plausible, like you said, and I also think that it was comforting in a way. That even though people might be a bit ditzy, they can be great moms and everything can work out in the end.

 

Very weird about the Helen Fielding vs Reneé Zellweger thing. I think Zellweger is perfect for the role. She does truly become Bridget Jones, to me. It's her face that I see when reading the books.

 

I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I think maybe Bridget has reached the end of the line, but a big part of me would like Fielding to write another! It is a shame about Zellweger. She was perfect for Bridget. Have you seen Miss Potter? If not then I really recommend it.  She’s great in that too, although it’s odd because she does sound a bit like Bridget!

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I really hope you like this book! In case you don't remember, it was an RC book maybe a year or two ago... I think in 2012, in the summer. I think in general people found it at least okay. I very much enjoyed it =) And no, I'm not just saying that because I was the host :giggle:

Thanks. :) I might start it next… although I’m going to Rutland at the weekend, so I might start Set in Stone by Robert Goddard – it’s the Rutland choice for the English Counties Challenge, so it seems appropriate!

 

Aww, who is this cutie?

Buster belonged to Roy Hattersley – a former Labour politician and former deputy leader. He attacked a goose in a Royal Park and Roy Hattersley was charged with, and found guilty of, breaking one of the park’s regulations! The press took an interest and the story was widely reported. Buster the dog dictated his stories to Hattersley! You can read about it here.   :)

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Thanks. :) I might start it next… although I’m going to Rutland at the weekend, so I might start Set in Stone by Robert Goddard – it’s the Rutland choice for the English Counties Challenge, so it seems appropriate

I've just finished that! I enjoyed it, but it's a bit weird. For the first 100 or so pages I wasn't sure where we were going or what genre of book it wanted to be! Stick with it though :)

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I've just finished that! I enjoyed it, but it's a bit weird. For the first 100 or so pages I wasn't sure where we were going or what genre of book it wanted to be! Stick with it though :)

Thanks, I will.  :) 

 

Great reviews :). It's pretty good you've had so many great reads so far this year. Congrats on the new book, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, Gaia.  :)

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I'm having to butcher some emoticons again!
 

Thanks. I’m trying to be good, honest!  It’s not easy though!


:lol: I did a little checking... And so far you've read more off your TBR than bought towards your TBR pile. So well done! (And quite wonderfully, you've read 10 of the 15 books you've acquired this year! I think that's pretty amazing, and well done.)
 


I don’t really put much thought into what to read next (apart from Book Club books which have to be read by a certain time) so I think it must be luck!  3.85 is a good average!


3,85 is a brilliant average, I thought mine was good earlier this year when I counted it, but your is loads better!
 

I sort of wondered if it might keep my book-buying in check – seeing all the unread books from each year… but it didn’t work!  I did wonder about trying to eliminate some of the older years by reading those books first, but I don’t always fancy them.


Yeah, you've got to keep reading the books you fancy at the moment. There's no forcing the mojo. Mojo's like an eligible bachelor: the more you chase it, the quicker it runs away. :rolleyes:

Maybe I could come over every couple of months and see how you've been fairing with your book buying vs book reading. It's like a dentist's appointment :D
 
 

For the record – 262 days!


:lol: 261 today!
 
 

I’m definitely going to be reading more of her books!  I'd really like to get matching covers if I can!


Oh yes, those psychedelic 60s - 70s covers :D They are really great, aren't they!
 

I like David Jason and Pam Ferris as actors – and it definitely looked like ‘my kind of thing’… and perfect Sunday night viewing.


I like Pam Ferris, but I confess, something about David Jason bothers me a bit. I wonder if it's some character he's played... But I can't think of any.
 

I’m not sure whether I enjoyed the book so much because of the TV show. It’s not side-splittingly funny but it just appeals to me – and the characters are wonderful.


It doesn't have to be side-splittingly funny :) I like books set in the UK. Books set in the city, or smaller towns, or the countryside... I don't know, there's something quaint about them. Well not all of them, of course. But certain type of books. I'm sure you know what I'm trying to get across.

 

Oh dear – I suppose I should confess that I read it on my Nook so I availed myself of the search feature. I’d like to pretend it’s because I’m sweet, but I can’t lie!


Busted :lol: :lol:
 

I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I think maybe Bridget has reached the end of the line, but a big part of me would like Fielding to write another! It is a shame about Zellweger. She was perfect for Bridget. Have you seen Miss Potter? If not then I really recommend it.  She’s great in that too, although it’s odd because she does sound a bit like Bridget!


Oh I definitely think Fielding could write another Bridget Jones :) I wasn't sure about it all when I heard that there was a third novel in the making, but it was just as good as I could've hoped in my wildest dreams.

I've seen Miss Potter, yes. Maybe it's her British English that made her sound like Bridget? *is trying to remember if Zellweger has been in any other British movies...* I wasn't a big fan of the movie.

It was so sad, you know, when the man died. I think. A man died, right? *blushes*


 

Buster belonged to Roy Hattersley – a former Labour politician and former deputy leader. He attacked a goose in a Royal Park and Roy Hattersley was charged with, and found guilty of, breaking one of the park’s regulations! The press took an interest and the story was widely reported. Buster the dog dictated his stories to Hattersley! You can read about it here.


Thanks for clearing that up, and thanks for the link, I read it last night. You know... 'goose' is a difficult word for me. It always makes me think of a moose. So I thought to myself, how on earth was a dog able to kill a moose?? And what was a moose doing in a Royal Park! I think it took me a few minutes to realize my mistake... LOL!

It's interesting about the goose belonging to the Queen of England (because it was in the Royal Park). This is something you'll come across in one of the Adrian Mole books, if you read them all :)

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*Emoticons culled*!
 

I did a little checking... And so far you've read more off your TBR than bought towards your TBR pile. So well done! (And quite wonderfully, you've read 10 of the 15 books you've acquired this year! I think that's pretty amazing, and well done.)

This year I’ve been trying to read the books I’ve acquired in 2014 rather than older ones. I won’t be able to keep it up though as I want to read some of my older books. :)
 

Yeah, you've got to keep reading the books you fancy at the moment. There's no forcing the mojo. Mojo's like an eligible bachelor: the more you chase it, the quicker it runs away .

:D I love the analogy – and it’s so true!

 

:lol: 261 today!

259 now! :giggle:

 

I don’t think even I can keep up this countdown just yet in the year!
 

Oh yes, those psychedelic 60s - 70s covers :D They are really great, aren't they!

I like those very much – but I meant the Vintage reissue ones – they’re quite dark covers but look really stylish, I think.  I've got three that match so far.

 

Although I did come across My Cousin Rachel in a charity shop the other day with a cover that matches my Rebecca cover. It was hard to walk away from it but I did manage to force myself and now sadly I can’t remember where I saw it, so I can’t go back and buy it even if I wanted to!
 

I like Pam Ferris, but I confess, something about David Jason bothers me a bit. I wonder if it's some character he's played... But I can't think of any.

That can definitely happen.

 

I went off Tom Baker for a while after seeing him in a TV adaptation of The Lives and loves of a She-Devil in the (I think) 1980s. I didn’t watch the series but my parents did and I came into the room just in time to see him naked and strapped to a bed! It was shocking seeing one of ‘my’ Doctor Whos in such a compromising situation! :lol:
 

It doesn't have to be side-splittingly funny :) I like books set in the UK. Books set in the city, or smaller towns, or the countryside... I don't know, there's something quaint about them. Well not all of them, of course. But certain type of books. I'm sure you know what I'm trying to get across.

I know exactly what you mean. :) The Larkin books are obviously somewhat dated but they are quintessentially English and certainly quaint.
 

Oh I definitely think Fielding could write another Bridget Jones :) I wasn't sure about it all when I heard that there was a third novel in the making, but it was just as good as I could've hoped in my wildest dreams.

I've seen Miss Potter, yes. Maybe it's her British English that made her sound like Bridget? *is trying to remember if Zellweger has been in any other British movies...* I wasn't a big fan of the movie.

It was so sad, you know, when the man died. I think. A man died, right? *blushes*

 

Let’s hope she does write another – maybe in a few years time. I’d like to know how

Bridget’s new relationship fared

and how she copes with teenagers!
 

Thanks for clearing that up, and thanks for the link, I read it last night. You know... 'goose' is a difficult word for me. It always makes me think of a moose. So I thought to myself, how on earth was a dog able to kill a moose?? And what was a moose doing in a Royal Park! I think it took me a few minutes to realize my mistake... LOL!

Hehe! It would have been pretty clever of Buster to successfully kill a moose, it’s true!
 

It's interesting about the goose belonging to the Queen of England (because it was in the Royal Park). This is something you'll come across in one of the Adrian Mole books, if you read them all :)

I definitely want to carry on with them – for as long as I’m enjoying them. The next one isn’t available in eBook form at either of the two library authorities I can get books from so I’ll have to see if I can borrow the paper version or buy it.

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Maybe I could come over every couple of months and see how you've been fairing with your book buying vs book reading. It's like a dentist's appointment :D

 

Hmm.  About that…

 

2014NewBooks3_zps31f2eb4d.jpg

 

What can I say, I needed to buy that for May’s RC.  :giggle2:

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Janet, your Bridget Jones spoiler did not work, I've read the book but for others who haven't, maybe you could edit it?

 

EDIT: I feel a bit weird asking this of an admin :blush2:.

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016-2014-Mar-31-TheGrowingPainsofAdrianM

The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend

The ‘blurb’
It is the first day of the school holidays and I can’t go out because of my gigantic swollen nose. Even my mother is a bit worried now… I’ve begged her to take me to a private nose specialist but she has refused. She says she needs the money for her ‘Well Woman’ test. She is having her primary and secondary sexual organs checked. Yuk!

Mortified by his parents, plagued by spots and tormented by his darling Pandora, Adrian Mole’s hilarious struggles with growing up continue…


Adrian’s back where he left off in his last diary - and things have gone from bad to worse. His parents’ relationship is having more ups and downs than a Weston donkey and Adrian’s own relationship with his beloved Pandora is not moving forward in the way that Adrian would like… Bert and Queenie also have their troubles and his best friend Nigel is struggling with issues of his own.

Set in 1982/83, it references some famous events of the time – the Falklands war, the start of Breakfast TV (ironically, given the scandal that surrounded him a few years later, Adrian wishes that Frank Bough were his father!) and the birth of Prince William to name a few - and is funny, but also tinged with sadness in places.

I really enjoyed this, the second instalment of Adrian’s diaries. As I was writing this review I read about Sue Townsend’s death at the age of just 68. I was very saddened by this. Although I’ve only read the first two diaries and The Queen and I (the latter many years ago) and despite not enjoying her last book, The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year I really enjoyed reading about Adrian’s exploits and thoughts, many of which are still pertinent today.

Since reading this I have just watched some of the TV adaptation of the diaries (sadly there are a few parts missing) and although I’ve since read that Sue Townsend didn’t like the productions at all I enjoyed them (despite the deviations from the book), although I preferred Julie Waters as Pauline! I am looking forward to the next book. :)

The paperback edition is 288 pages long and is published by Puffin. It was first published in 1985. The ISBN is 9780141315973.

3/5 (I enjoyed it)

(Finished 31 March 2014)

 

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My real name is Janet - the umlaut is as a result of a conversation that frankie and I had a long time ago (I can't even remember exactly what it was about now!) and I added it to my Facebook name as a joke - and it stuck.  :)

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