chesilbeach Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to read your review, other than look at the rating. I'm desperate to read this after seeing Caitlin's Hay session on Sky a couple of weeks ago, and even though I'm sure the non-spoilered bits don't give anything away, I still want to be completely surprised as her interview wasn't too much about the book, more about her. I'm really pleased to see you give it 9/10, and I will be reading in the future, then coming back to see if I agree with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to read your review, other than look at the rating. I'm desperate to read this after seeing Caitlin's Hay session on Sky a couple of weeks ago, and even though I'm sure the non-spoilered bits don't give anything away, I still want to be completely surprised as her interview wasn't too much about the book, more about her. I'm really pleased to see you give it 9/10, and I will be reading in the future, then coming back to see if I agree with you! ooh .. no pressure then Have you got it Claire because I can bring it along with The Snow Child? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I haven't got it, but was going to Kindle it, as I think it's going to be one I want to keep, but thanks for the offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 I haven't got it, but was going to Kindle it, as I think it's going to be one I want to keep, but thanks for the offer. You're welcome I hope it is one you'll want to keep then but if it's not, remember, Caitlin is to blame not me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I read all the spoilers. A book not really aimed at me obviously, but she seems funnier than Tucker Max, who I suppose is the sort of male equivalent. If you haven't read any Tucker Max- don't worry you are better off in blissful ignorance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I don't have time to comment on all the stuff I want to, at the moment, I'm going out soon to run some errands, but I read some of the spoilers (will read the rest later!) and I had to laugh because you'd managed to find a toast quote :D A perfect book for you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 I read all the spoilers. A book not really aimed at me obviously, but she seems funnier than Tucker Max, who I suppose is the sort of male equivalent. If you haven't read any Tucker Max- don't worry you are better off in blissful ignorance I haven't read Tucker Max but thanks for the warning VF I think men might enjoy this actually because it really is an insight to how a woman's mind works .. and a teenage girl's mind in particular. It might not be good for men who have daughters of that age actually because it might worry them to death but for anyone who is still wondering how girls/women tick it's ideal. It was frighteningly accurate as far as I was concerned .. it could have been my diary early on if I had had the guts to write it all down .. in the event my diary only had what I wore and what I ate written in it when I read it back years later I nearly died of boredom. I don't have time to comment on all the stuff I want to, at the moment, I'm going out soon to run some errands, but I read some of the spoilers (will read the rest later!) and I had to laugh because you'd managed to find a toast quote :D A perfect book for you!! Yay .. a toast quote I must add it to my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Well, poppy, I'm definitely off to buy this. I may be male, and not normally into 'humour' books usually, but a couple of those spoilers (I read the lot) made me laugh out loud (especially the first one!). I was on the train to Manchester recently, and got chatting to a (female) student opposite me who was reading and chortling all the way through, and she said she was going to give the book to her boyfriend because she did think that men would both find it funny and interesting. I'll let you know! (I know what you mean by the toast too!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 It sounds great. I read all the quotes. I'm adding to my wish list right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Well, poppy, I'm definitely off to buy this. I may be male, and not normally into 'humour' books usually, but a couple of those spoilers (I read the lot) made me laugh out loud (especially the first one!). I was on the train to Manchester recently, and got chatting to a (female) student opposite me who was reading and chortling all the way through, and she said she was going to give the book to her boyfriend because she did think that men would both find it funny and interesting. I'll let you know! (I know what you mean by the toast too!). Honestly Willoyd .. I'll happily send it out to you .. just pm me your details if you want it. I'm not precious about my books .. especially large format paperbacks which this is (though I hope I'd be just as benevolent with a small sized paperback ) .. it doesn't fit on any of my shelves so it's hanging around looking forlorn which is a shame because it deserves to be seen/read. Still, if you do buy it and hate it then we can blame it on the student Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 It sounds great. I read all the quotes. I'm adding to my wish list right now. It's one of the funniest books I've read this year .. there were bits I didn't like but on the whole her humour is the kind I like. Again though, don't buy it Andrea .. we can circulate it round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 That would be great! Thanks Poppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Thank you, thank you everybody *bows* I have actually rambled on for 3,000 posts now I can only apologise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 3001 now! Here's to the next 3,000! How to be a Woman is cheap on Kindle at the moment. I might just download it - it sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 You could be forgiven for thinking that my literary diet recently revolves entirely around Paris and you'd be right .. though I have been trying to dilute the dose (for one thing I swear I was putting on weight just by reading about the food .. something had to give .. other than my zip ). It's great to get some insight and these three books have all been written by expats .. Elizabeth Bard is American and John Baxter & Sarah Turnbull are both Australians ... ahhh the dreaded Anglo Saxons .. at least they weren't British! I enjoyed all three books, probably the best memoir was Sarah's but Elizabeth's was also memorable because it included, at the end of each chapter, at least three, delicious sounding and seemingly achievable recipes and John's made me want to don my training shoes ( ) and get walking. One thing is certain, there's no point in me actually thinking I might blend in .. I may as well write 'English Woman' on my forehead and be done with it. But they wouldn't need it .. the size of me .. the way I eat .. what I wear .. my terrible accent ... etc etc etc .. it's all going to give me away. As I said earlier I will give some thought to what I wear .. well, more thought than I do now anyway, so that I don't cause too many flinches. I will probably be subject to some severe muttering .. I made Alan draw around a bruise on my arm last week to make it resemble a raincloud .. I fear that sort of thing will definitely be a non-non. However, I'm not daunted .. not really. I get the feeling the French quite like to be exasperated by 'les rosbifs' .. it'll give them something to grumble about in the fromage queue. All the talk about the cafes, restaurants, parks, walks etc has excited me beyond belief .. Paris gets nearer and even though, the more I read, the more it sounds like Mars (but with brilliant pastries) ... I can't wait There is so much to see and do and it's all, more or less, on your doorstep Lunch in Paris - Elizabeth Bard Waterstones Synopsis: Has a meal ever changed your life? Part love story, part wine-splattered cookbook, "Lunch in Paris" is a deliciously tart, forthright and funny story of falling in love with a Frenchman and moving to the world's most romantic city - not the Hollywood version, but the real Paris, a heady mix of blood sausage, pains aux chocolats and irregular verbs. From gutting her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen) to discovering the French version of Death by Chocolate, Elizabeth Bard finds that learning to cook and building a new life have a lot in common. Peppered with recipes, this mouth-watering love story is the perfect treat for anyone who has ever suspected that lunch in Paris could change their life. Review: Elizabeth has it that the reason French women stay slim is that they know that for two weeks every year they HAVE to wear a bikini .. and not just in a private villa somewhere or in their own backyard but on a beach surrounded by their rellies. I have to say that if anything could make me forego cake or, which seems almost worse, take a bite of it and then push the rest around my plate, then it would be that. This was enjoyable, I liked how Elizabeth finds her feet in Paris by cooking the dishes ... I'm trying to imagine it the other way around with a French person struggling to heat up a shepherds pie in Hackney ... it doesn't seem quite so romantic. 'When we arrived at the beach, I scanned the small group of people dotting the sand. Something was odd. Then I realised, with considerable shock, that almost every woman from sixteen to sixty, was wearing a bikini. Obviously, they didn't all look as if they'd just stepped out of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. That would be unfair. There were wrinkles, some cellulite, less than perky breasts, a few flappy arms where muscle used to be. But in almost every case, you could see the body (with a few minor adjustments) that they must have had at seventeen. There was a distinct lack of things jutting out at odd angles. Very few jelly rolls, very few thunder thighs. The immediate impression was one of comfort and ease. They weren't perfect, but these people didn't hate their bodies. They had no reason to'. 8/10 The Most Beautiful Walk in the World - John Baxter Waterstone's Synopsis: The most irresistibly witty and revealing tour of Paris in years...In this enchanting memoir, acclaimed author and Paris resident John Baxter recounts his year-long experience of giving "literary walking tours" through the city. Baxter sets off on the trail of Paris's legendary artists and writers. Along the way, he tells the city's history through a brilliant cast of characters: the favourite cafes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce; Pablo Picasso's underground Montmartre haunts; the bustling boulevards of the late-19th century flaneurs; the secluded "Little Luxembourg" gardens beloved by Gertrude Stein; the alleys where revolutionaries plotted; and finally Baxter's own favourite walk near his home in Saint-Germain-des-Pres. Paris, by custom and design, is a pedestrian's city - each block a revelation, every neighbourhood a new feast for the senses, a place rich with history and romance at every turn. The Most Beautiful Walk in the World is your guide par excellence to the true, off-the-beaten-track heart of the City of Lights. Review: I did enjoy this but didn't feel there was quite enough written about John's tour guides. For instance it took sixteen chapters before he even got to the bit about starting the literary tours (though there were brief bits and pieces before) and I was itching to know about them by then. There is however plenty of history and literary history at that .. anecdotes about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein etc as well as painters, actors and all sort of notables. I'm going to take this one to Paris with me and see if I can't fit in one of his walks. The reason he is such a good tour guide is that he knows how to inform without being boring ..it's not about loading people down with facts and figures, it's about feeding their already stimulated interest .. 'most of my clients needed little to stir the imagination. They would not have come to Paris if they were not already halfway convinced. Jean Paul Sartre, in his sharpest insight, realised that "existence precedes essence", that we act first, then find a philosophy to explain our actions. There are no "natural laws" - only those we make for ourselves. Every week I see Sartre vindicated as some Ohio schoolteacher or advertising executive from Santa Barbara ran a hand over the counter of a cafe on rue Jacob while I explained it was at this very bar that Fitzgerald and Hemingway stood when a tearful Scott confessed that "Zelda said that the way I was built I could never make a woman happy .. she said it was a matter of measurements". "And, if you wish", I pointed to narrow steps leading into darkness, "you can visit where they conducted the examination Hemingway mentions - but never describes in A Moveable Feast". 8/10 Almost French - Sarah Turnbull Waterstone's Synopsis: Number 1 on the Bestseller list (Australia) with over 20,000 copies sold in the UK alone and over 250,000 world-wide! Almost French has been a huge success and now with the new-look, mass market B Format it is ready to go stellar! Publication timed for major trade promotions including summer reading and airport holiday exodus. In the bestselling tradition of Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, Chris Stewart's A Parrot in the Pepper Tree or Peter Mayle - but without the pile of stones! Funny, perceptive and poignant Almost French is an often hilarious mixture of a young woman's personal memoir and armchair travel. A spectacular example of culture clash - and a happy ending. Review: Sarah's account of her life in Paris is infinitely readable and both funny and sad. It's quite a struggle for Sarah to fit in and it's not helped much by the attitude of French women towards her .. they're not very sisterly to say the least and they don't appreciate her views or her loud laugh. She has left behind a piece of her heart in Sydney too which causes her frequent pangs. The differences in culture are amazing and so interesting, I loved her account of an evening spent helping out at the local soup kitchen. Far from being grateful, the homeless locals would demand to know what was on the menu and then leave if it wasn't something they fancied or up to their standards (even wanting to know the provenance of the meat). I liked their swagger .. they had a similar attitude to the shop assistants and the waiters .. they're not about to wait for you to talk down to them .. they'll get in there first. The trip that Sarah and Frederic (her boyfriend) make to the hypermarket just creased me up .. I'm British I have to laugh at toilet humour .. it's in the blood 'We have to circle several times to find a car space, Frederic grumbling ungraciously about the "invasion" and how you'd think two centuries of British occupation in northern France were quite enough. Inside squadrons of English shoppers choke the aisles, wheeling trolleys piled with wine, spirits and enough beer to sink the ferry on the way home. As they pass in shorts and singlets, thongs* and tracksuit pants - PANTALONS DE JOGGING?! - Frederic's mood sours by the second. Never mind that the Auchan hypermarket in economically depressed Boulogne-sur-Mer is hardly a summit of style (more like a crevasse). Their sloppy dress standards are "polluting" his hometown. Revolted, Frederic glares at an Englishman who is bending for more beer, causing his shorts to slide south and reveal a substantial expanse of pink bottom. We are standing behind him, waiting to get near the shelves, when he farts Emphatically Explosively It is not the most gracious of gestures to be sure but you've got to admit the timing is exquisite. What a succinct response to Frederic's Brit-bashing! It's as if the shopper took aim - Frederic (gassed and stunned) is just centimetres from the firing line. I practically fall on the floor laughing. But someone experiences a serious sense of humour failure. Frederic is truly, genuinely livid. The fart is not funny. It is - and these are his exact words - "a declaration of war! A lack of respect for French standards! AN OUTRAGEOUS PROVOCATION!" And France retreats in a petulant fury, abandoning the trolley and leaving the alcohol aisles to the enemy English'. * I am imagining .. or I am hoping (given that Sarah is Australian) .. that in this instance thongs mean flip-flops because the alternative is too horrific to contemplate. The only thing is, I wish she had given me a list of the 'go-to' places .. whether it be cafes or shops or museums etc because I feel I could trust her opinion .. she'd know what I'd like. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 3001 now! Here's to the next 3,000! That's a frightening prospect isn't it? How to be a Woman is cheap on Kindle at the moment. I might just download it - it sounds great. Hope you like it Janet I hope it makes you laugh as much as it did me .. more in fact .. I'm feeling generous today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Bit of a theme showing through Poppyshake....you getting excited about going to France? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Bit of a theme showing through Poppyshake....you getting excited about going to France? Very .. I am ridiculously excited VF. I have a notebook filled with recommendations half of which I know I won't be able to do but at least I won't be stuck for choice (bet I leave it behind ) When it gets nearer I'm going to do a bit more research and attack the book with a highlighter pen. I hope we can do Paris by night as you did London ... we're not very good at staying awake but because the nightlife there doesn't start until late maybe we can have siestas or something (wrong country I know) .. nice bottle of wine at lunchtime should do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Great review Poppy - and can only agree with what you say, as I loved reading this back in March: http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/9536-willoyds-reading-log-2012/page__st__40#entry293247 Another book where, unusually, I really enjoyed the humour: not poking fun at anybody (which far too many so-called travel writers do), more enjoying the contrasts and cultural differences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I have the John Baxter book as well, although I haven't managed to read it yet. Apologies if I've missed it, but when are you going, by the way? If there's one bit of advice I'd give you, it's - don't overplan your trip. Just go where you fancy, and see what you find. Paris is very much like London - wherever you wander, you'll find plenty to intrigue you if you just keep your eyes open. Make it your holiday, not the one other people want you to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Great review Poppy - and can only agree with what you say, as I loved reading this back in March: http://www.bookclubf..._40#entry293247 Another book where, unusually, I really enjoyed the humour: not poking fun at anybody (which far too many so-called travel writers do), more enjoying the contrasts and cultural differences. Yes, I much preferred all three of these to Stephen Clarke's travel writings on Paris. He seemed to be just wanting to make the reader laugh but by poking fun (both at us and the Parisians) so continually that it began to pall after a while. He made it sound a bit like a place you'd never want to find yourself in (too many do's and don't's.) The others gave a more balanced view. I have the John Baxter book as well, although I haven't managed to read it yet. I hope you like it Geoff .. I think you will. All mine have suffered a bit by being read at the same time. I wanted to fit them all in before going and so tacked them more or less together (I've still got some others .. Julia Child's and Julie Powell's books for a start) It gave me a lot of confidence in the truth of what they were saying though because they were remarkably similar. John's is more informative though .. more about the history of Paris and the literary history in particular. Apologies if I've missed it, but when are you going, by the way? If there's one bit of advice I'd give you, it's - don't overplan your trip. Just go where you fancy, and see what you find. Paris is very much like London - wherever you wander, you'll find plenty to intrigue you if you just keep your eyes open. Make it your holiday, not the one other people want you to have. I am going at the beginning of September .. which is still eons away but a lot nearer than when I booked it. I will most probably overplan my trip Geoff .. I can't help it .. it's an illness but the good thing is that we seldom take any notice of any of it when we're actually there, it's just part of my holiday to obsess about it three months in advance There will be one or two highlighted phrases (me: Hot Chocolate and Mont Blanc at Angelina's & browsing around Shakespeare & Co ... Alan: Monet's Nymphéas at Musée de l'Orangerie & everything within the walls of the Musée d'Orsay) which we will definitely do at all costs. One thing we love to do is walk and so we will just do that and see what turns up cake will probably turn up so the walking is a necessity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood Waterstone's Synopsis: In Homer's "Odyssey", Penelope - wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy - is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan War after the abduction of Helen, Penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumours, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and - curiously - twelve of her maids. In a splendid contemporary twist to the ancient story, Margaret Atwood has chosen to give the telling of it to Penelope and to her twelve hanged maids, asking: 'What led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?' In Atwood's dazzling, playful retelling, the story becomes as wise and compassionate as it is haunting, and as wildly entertaining as it is disturbing. With wit and verve, drawing on the storytelling and poetic talent for which she herself is renowned, she gives Penelope new life and reality - and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery. Review: Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining (thanks Claire for lending it to me ) This is another book in the Canongate Myth series and the second that I've read (the first being Ali Smith's Boy Meets Girl which was a retelling of the myth of Isis - from Ovid's Metamorphoses) and the first book I've read by Atwood (despite having a couple on the shelves.) This book, as its title would suggest, is Margaret's take on Homers The Odyssey from the viewpoint of Odysseus' wife Penelope (who didn't have much to say in Homer's text and is somewhat setting the record straight here) .. and a very witty take it is too. As Penelope wanders around the Asphodel meadows in Hades she reflects back on her life and in particular Odysseus' voyage and war with the Trojans and his subsequent return and slaughter of her twelve maids. The twelve maids tell their story too in the form of a choral commentary which, though macabre, is a complete delight. It's very funny, I was particular amused by her take on Helen of Troy as some sort of simpering, vain, femme fatale. Always a thorn in Penelope's side she hasn't given up digging the knife in even now. "I understand the interpretation of the whole Trojan War episode has changed." I tell her, to take the wind out of her sails. "Now they think you were just a myth. It was all about trade routes. That's what the scholars are saying." "Oh Penelope, you can't still be jealous," she says. "Surely we can be friends now! Why don't you come along with me to the upper world, next time I go? We could do a trip to Las Vegas. Girls' night out! But I forgot - that's not your style. You'd rather play the faithful little wife, what with the weaving and so on. Bad me, I could never do it, I'd die of boredom. but you always were such a homebody." I don't know if this is typical Atwood but it's very impressive, she has such a sure touch and blends comedy and tragedy seamlessly. It definitely makes me want to read more by her and if the other Canongate Myth retellings are anything like as good as the two I've already read (other writers include A.S. Byatt, Jeanette Winterson, Salley Vickers and Alexander McCall Smith) then they're a must also. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Hi Miss Poppy It sounds as if you thoroughly enjoyed the book. I'm a little slow on the uptake,so wouldn't really be able to keep track of the story as well as you have done. I know Atwood is a very popular author. The only one of hers I have read is Alias Grace . I'm not sure if it is based on an actual case or not ( I read it long ago ),but it's about a young lady who is in jail,I believe for murder ? I think . Not sure I remember the story it's been so long . It was a very good book though and written very well . Maybe one of these days I'll SPROUT a few new brain cells then be able to read more than The Cat in the Hat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Had lovely cake and coffee with Claire yesterday and of course we discussed books and progress (hard luck VF ... I do believe Claire reads in her sleep .. you've got no chance ) Finished A Monster Calls this morning and wept buckets .. good job I wasn't meeting Claire today because I cried myself into ugliness (and yes .. I know .. it wasn't that difficult Steve I had a head start .. quite literally ) Very touching book and such an emotional read. I don't care that it's a childrens book .. I defy anyone not to be moved by it. Alan made me a nice cup of tea but spoiled it by saying that stuff needed getting to the post office and could I get a wriggle on (heartless fiend ) Am reading the lovely Bill Bryson that Julie sent me and have laughed already a zillion times so, as usual, Bill's proving to be a tonic. He does poke fun but there's always a great affection too for all the idiots and numpties and one horse towns that he writes about that it doesn't, to me anyway, feel at all like nastiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 (and yes .. I know .. it wasn't that difficult Steve I had a head start .. quite literally ) What, now you're stealing my punchlines? Hmmph! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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