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Frankie reads 2015


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I know I don't publish my ratings, but I give any book I abandon 1/5, but if I manage to finish a book, I give it at least 2/5 … seems only fair ;)

 

Do you mean fair because it must've been somewhat okay and therefore not the worst (1/5) because you did manage to finish it? 

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#24. My Madder Fatter Diary by Rae Earl

 

Blurb: RAE'S BACK!

 

But now it's 1990. The Berlin Wall is down and the Happy Mondays are up, really up, but the new decade's brought new mortifications for Rae Earl and she's madder and fatter than ever. About to enter the most important year of her life – her actual bloody A Level year – everyone expects her to concentrate on schoolwork, but how can she when Haddock's backside is still a national treasure and revision at home is just not happening! It's hell outside the house too, if hell was in Stamford, Lincolnshire, and punishment for sins was a fiery eternity of awkwardness.

 

In My Madder Fatter Diary, Rae reveals her real-life teenage diary once again, transporting us to a Britain instantly recognisable to those who remember Bryan Adams at the top of the charts and anybody who's been eighteen and agonisingly embarrassed by everything.

 

 

Thoughts: Another deeply satisfying diary by Rae Earl. I've missed the teenage Rae :smile2: She is a character you want to root for and I couldn't wait to read what happened in her life next after the first diary. I think this second diary was even better than the first, ... I know you can't compare diaries but as a read I liked it better. 

 

I won't go into the book, I'll just say that at the end of the book there's a few pages of Rae Earl telling about what happened to some of the people in the diary, and whether she's still in contact with them or not. I actually cried when I was reading it :blush:  I guess that's rather indicative of how touched I was by Rae and her diaries. 

...

 

But I do have to talk about the music. First of all: 

 

In the diary there was talk about Smash Hits Yearbook and magazines, and it made me think how back in the day, way before the internet, one would eagerly wait for the monthly music magazine of one's choice. In the magazine you could read about the artists and bands one liked, if one was lucky enough to have those particular ones mentioned in the magazine. The disappointment when the centerfold poster was of someone you didn't like!

 

And one would read through the Q&A section of the magazine, hoping that the mag staff had printed the addresses of the bands one liked... You couldn't google them anywhere, let alone send them e-mail or post a comment on their website.

 

These days you can google anyone you like and all the info that is available of the person/people is right there, just a click away. It wasn't so back in the day. The wait and the anticipation... If you liked a song on the radio, you had to pay attention to the radio show host to hear what band it was. You couldn't just google the lyrics... And then you had to ask all your friends if they knew the band and had their cassette or CD so you could borrow it. Or you could go to the library. There was no youtube where you could listen to pretty much anything, let alone Spotify.

 

I think all the trouble that went into finding out the artist/band and then physically finding a copy to listen to made all the music of those days more important, valued and appreciated. I'm not saying I'm not happy about the easy access to music of today (no in the least!) but there's a certain nostalgia to thinking back how overjoyed you were a few decades ago when you found something you'd been looking for for years. 

 

And then to the actual song and band/artist references... 

 

 

First the ones I have quotes on: 

-------------------

 

"“OH NO YOU DON'T.” Mum is listening to 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. That's one of my […] songs. She's not hijacking that.”  […] is a guy but I'm not giving away the name so as not to spoil anything for anyone."

 

-------------------

 

“Thursday 8.2.90

 

THE CHARTS ARE TOTALLY DEPRESSING at the moment.

 

'Nothing Ever Happens' by Del Amitri – Great song but says it like it is. AKA everything's SH!T, we all have boring crap lives then die and the Post Office is always shut when you need it.

 

'Hangin' Tough' by New Kids on the Block – I bloody hate it when BOYS pretend to be hard. I have never wanted a band to be involved in a plane crash more.

 

'Instant Replay' by Yell! - Two floppy-haired tossers fiddleing over Dan Hartman. Well, not over him but his tune.

 

Feel bad about the plane crash thing. I don't wish the New Kids would die I wish they would just fudge off.”

 

-------------------

 

“Wednesday 18.4.90

 

I'm trying to revise whilst Paula Abdul is on TV flirting with a cartoon cat. More people trying to sleep with drawings! Try a real person! You might like it.

'Opposites Attract!' - No they don't Abdul.”

 

:haha:

 

This was particularly funny because I remember loving the song and the music vid as a kid, and even more so because in the past month I've heard one of Paula's other songs played in the radio TWICE. Before that it was decades of not hearing her songs. What's up with that :D This one:

 

Straight Up

 

(When I was listening to the song, I thought that Paula had a really mediocre singing voice. Doesn't stand out in any way. If she was a young woman today, trying to make a career for herself in the business, I think she wouldn't have a chance in heck.)

 

-------------------

 

Other songs mentioned in the book: 

All of My Heart by ABC  

T-Rex and David Bowie – Diamond Dogs and Electric Warrior (Rae prefers latter) (“'Get It On' sounds like sex is happening in an alley and 'Rip Off' sums up my life at the moment”)

Letter from America by The Proclaimers

Shine On by House of Love

Got To Have Your Love by Mantronix (which is all classic ace)

Infinity by GURU Josh

Hand Held in Black and White by Dollars

Uptown, Uptempo Woman by Randy Edelman

Love Shack by The B-52's – have heard

Strawberry Fields Forever by Candy Flip

Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants

Soul Finger by The Bar-Kays

Cloudbusting by Kate Bush

Bedsitter by Soft Cell

Love and Affection – Joan Armatrading

Stay With Me Till Dawn – Judie Tzuke

My Oh My – Sad Café

The Man With The Child In His Eyes – Kate Bush

Night Owl – Gerry Rafferty

 

 

(I have to say apart from the Kate Bush songs and one other song, I'd not heard any of the others :o There were more songs I recognized in the first diary. Although I got only maybe 80 pages in before I grew tired of writing these songs down :D 

----------------------

 

Almost forgot: Rae also writes poems and I honestly think she's bloody good. Have a look at this:

 

"TELL HER THEN!

My friend, impart then to win the battle,

And rub rhine into the graze

But know that sweet retribution fall onto those

Who dare to encourage the thick hand of fate

I'm not afraid your slate is not clean.

Your greenhouse is gladd

Your secrets are stone

I have them in my hand

Kill my shed. I kill yours."

 

“I didn't mean rhine I meant brine.[...]”

 

 

5/5

 

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This trip to the golden age of music is bringing back memories... I loved Prodigy when I was growing up, and I remember looking up the word 'prodigy' in a dictionary and it wasn't there. I had no idea what the word meant till much, much later. Okay, it was only a small pocket dictionary so you couldn't really expect it to cover all the words but still... :D 

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#26. Lost & Found by Brooke Davis

 

From Amazon: Millie Bird, seven years old and ever hopeful, always wears red gumboots to match her curly hair. Her struggling mother, grieving the death of Millie’s father, leaves her in the big ladies’ underwear department of a local store and never returns.

Agatha Pantha, eighty-two, has not left her house—or spoken to another human being—since she was widowed seven years ago. She fills the silence by yelling at passersby, watching loud static on TV, and maintaining a strict daily schedule.

Karl the Touch Typist, eighty-seven, once used his fingers to type out love notes on his wife’s skin. Now that she’s gone, he types his words out into the air as he speaks. Karl’s been committed to a nursing home, but in a moment of clarity and joy, he escapes. Now he’s on the lam.

Brought together at a fateful moment, the three embark upon a road trip across Western Australia to find Millie’s mother. Along the way, Karl wants to find out how to be a man again; Agatha just wants everything to go back to how it was. […]

 

 

Thoughts: I borrowed this novel from the library based on having seen the cover in their recently acquired books section and liking the sound of the blurb.

 

My reading was a bit scattered, I don't even really know why, but it did affect the enjoyment of the novel somewhat, unfortunately. If my mojo had been 100% I would've liked the book even more than I did.

 

I thought the characters were wonderful: Millie was an insightful kid, Agatha had a few hilarious habits and Karl was a sort of a darling. I really liked reading how they all came about to know each other and loved reading about their journey together. The ending was not what I expected and I felt there was no sense of 'closure' but I didn't mind it too much.

 

The structure of the novel was something I struggled with a bit. It's not difficult, per se, but I thought it interrupted the 'flow' of my reading. The story is told from the point of view of Millie, Karl and Agatha, which I really liked, but there were also these sections where the actual storyline wasn't going anywhere but we got to read what one of the main characters 'knew' about something. It was all interesting info and relating to the story but personally I think I might have preferred if it had been done differently. Or maybe it was just my mojo.

 

 

I have a quote:

 

a day in the life of agatha pantha

 

6:00 a.m.: Wakes without an alarm. Doesn't open her eyes until she's wearing her brown glasses. Notes the time on the clock on the wall in front of her. Nods approvingly. Walks to the bathroom to the beat of the ticking clock. Is careful not to trip over her husband's slippers, which have not been moved since the last time he wore them.

6:05 to 6:45: Sits in the Chair of Disbelief and measures Cheek Elasticity, Distance From Nipples To Waist, Foreign Hair Growth, Wrinkle Count, Projected Wrinkle Trajectory, and Arm Wobblage. Notes the data in an exercise book titled Age. Narrates the entire event while looking at herself in the mirror. I'm measuring Arm Wobblage now! she yells at herself while she bats a hand at the underside of her upper arm. It's up from yesterday! she yells after checking the data. It's always up from yesterday!

6:46: Allows herself one deep, dark sigh.

 

I think this book has a real chance of being a very well liked novel, and it's a debut I would recommend :)

 

 

4/5

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#27. A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay 


 


From the book jacket: When Cal Weaver stops at a red light on a rainy night while driving home, he ignores the bedraggled-looking teenage girl trying to hitch a ride - even when she starts tapping on his window. But when he realizes she's one of his son Scott's classmates, he knows he can't really leave her to the mercy of the weather and who knows what else. 


 


Cal's very aware that inviting a teenage girl into his car might not be the smartest move, but then again, how much harm could it do? [...]


 


Thoughts: This was just what I needed: a good thriller, a real page turner. This is my fourth Linwood Barclay book and I would say it's my second favorite by him. Oddly enough I did pick up one of the clues when reading the book and so one of the twists didn't come as a surprise to me, but I didn't mind that at all. It was more like, 'hey, I could figure something out myself for once!' :D The other twists were totally unexpected and good ones. And just when I thought everything's smooth sailing till the last page, there was yet another twist. 


 


A really good 'un! I guess it helped that I read this in two days, I think. That's how all thrillers should be read, really, so as not to miss all the tension. 


 


5/5


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I know and love most of those songs listed .. what great choices :) Can sing a rousing rendition of the Proclaimers Letter From America especially when tipsy  :blush2: Judy Tzuke's Stay With Me Till Dawn and Joan Armatrading's Love and Affection are also great songs .. very emotional. I am a very 70's girl so like those tracks but loved ABC .. great band! 

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Great reviews frankie .. I'm liking the sound of all the books but definitely like the sound of Lost and Found in particular :) Love the quote about 'arm wobblage' :D :D :D Wobblage is such a great word isn't it? :D

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I know and love most of those songs listed .. what great choices :) Can sing a rousing rendition of the Proclaimers Letter From America especially when tipsy  :blush2: Judy Tzuke's Stay With Me Till Dawn and Joan Armatrading's Love and Affection are also great songs .. very emotional. I am a very 70's girl so like those tracks but loved ABC .. great band! 

 

Yeah I have to say that Rae didn't limit her music choices to the (then) contemporary stuff, she did jaunt back sometimes :D I'm glad you approve of Rae's tastes :D

 

Edit: I accidentally read that you can sing an arousing rendition of Letter From America ... :blush::lol: 

 

I loved Tzuke's voice when I listened to the song on youtube, but I didn't warm up to the song... Might give her another go sometime :)

 

 

Great reviews frankie .. I'm liking the sound of all the books but definitely like the sound of Lost and Found in particular :) Love the quote about 'arm wobblage' :D :D :D Wobblage is such a great word isn't it? :D

 

When I was writing my review I was thinking that you would probably like the book very much, and I knew you would love the term 'arm wobblage' :D I had a feeling that if someone was going to comment on it, it would most definitely be you :D It's a wonderful word, yes :yes:

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Have I ever told you guys that one of my favorite things to do is check all the new books acquired by the helmet libraries, online? It's simply wunnerful :D 

 

I've just now reserved these books...

 

Of Things Gone Astray by Janina Matthewson

 

Disclaimer by Renée Knight

 

The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones 

 

The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman by Mamen Sanchez (don't you just love the title...)

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What's a "helmet" library :blush2:.

 

That said, I hope you enjoy those books when they become available for you :).

 

In the Netherlands, the brand new books aren't allowed to be loaned out for more than a week at a time, because they are so popular. Do you have similar restrictions in Finland? I can understand it, but I haven't picked up any new ones because of it, because I'm not sure if I'm able to travel back to the library so soon.

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Oh, silly me  :doh:   Helmet library is a Helsinki metropolitan area library, and so the ones I have access to with my library card. I can reserve books and borrow books from any of the helmet libraries, that is, libraries in Espoo, Helsinki, Vantaa and Kauniainen. :cool:

 

 

In the Netherlands, the brand new books aren't allowed to be loaned out for more than a week at a time, because they are so popular. Do you have similar restrictions in Finland? I can understand it, but I haven't picked up any new ones because of it, because I'm not sure if I'm able to travel back to the library so soon.

 

I'm not yet sure about the helmet libraries, but in Joensuu they had this rather clever system: they had two different ways to treat new books: some of the copies were so called 'quick borrows', meaning you couldn't reserve them and you could only find them on a certain shelf at the library, and you could borrow them for one week only. The other copies of new books you could borrow for two weeks. I think after six months they extended that to the normal month. However, some of the books that they acquired and that they deemed not as popular, they would put out in the shelves as normal 1 month loans. :shrug: I'm not sure what their criteria for that was. 

 

Like I said I'm not sure about the helmet libraries yet, but I've noticed that at least in the Sello library the popular new books are marked as 'bestsellers' (it doesn't have anything to do with them being actual bestsellers on some list or another, but them just being new and the library people knowing they will be constantly borrowed) and those books you can borrow for 2 weeks. However, I've noticed that just like in Joensuu, the English books start out as normal books with a month :shrug:

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That all makes a lot of sense :). The system in Joensuu does sound clever. I wish you fun exploring the libraries close to you :). A month! That's pretty good. Here the standard term for loan is three weeks.

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