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Janet's Reading 2012


Janet

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I'm still definitely NOT attempting to watch the Muppet one though. :giggle2:

The only Christmas Carol I have enjoyed is the Muppet one!!! But then I grew up with the Muppets ..(not literally of course, my Dad would've been furious if there was a green frog sitting halfway up the stairs all the time.. :D My Mum loves the Alastair Sim version but I'm not a fan of black and white movies unless it's A Wonderful Life. :)

You know that phrase never say never...?! :giggle2:

 

My son has decided to subscribe to the free trial of Love Film (the one that comes onto a TV, not the one where they send DVDs by post), and A Muppet Christmas Carol is available, so I might give it a go just to see. Who knows, I might even end up loving it!!

 

I have never seen It's a Wonderful Life, Chalie. I wonder if it'll be on TV over Christmas? I love the Alistair Sims version off ACC. There is a colourised version, which is rather amusing - the green is rather dominant! :giggle:

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You know that phrase never say never...?! :giggle2:

 

My son has decided to subscribe to the free trial of Love Film (the one that comes onto a TV, not the one where they send DVDs by post), and A Muppet Christmas Carol is available, so I might give it a go just to see. Who knows, I might even end up loving it!!

 

I have never seen It's a Wonderful Life, Chalie. I wonder if it'll be on TV over Christmas? I love the Alistair Sims version off ACC. There is a colourised version, which is rather amusing - the green is rather dominant! :giggle:

 

Oh you've got to try The Muppets Janet, what have you got to lose?! :bookworm:

 

It's A Wonderful Life is on every Christmas, a definite must see and always at the top of the favourite Christmas movie lists. :)

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I watched The Muppet Christmas Carol this afternoon. It was much better than I expected but I didn't love it. I'd probably watch it again if I happened to be around when it was shown on TV but I won't be buying the DVD. I didn't expect it to be true to the book*, but I did find two Marleys rather a surprise and some of the pointless changes grated a bit ("cooked with his own turkey" instead of "boiled with his own pudding" - why?! scratch.gif ). I loved Michael Caine's Scrooge - and I loved the shot of him at the end standing in front of the shop called Micklewhite's! :giggle2:

 

Steve, I didn't watch the clip beforehand - I was waiting for it - I didn't have long to wait! :giggle:

 

*Probably not helped by the fact it's one of my favourite ever books!

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I had started The Snow Child, but I've given up as I've come to the conclusion that December is not the right time to be reading it! :giggle2: I will wait until January when it's not so busy and read it then. I've started Matilda by Roald Dahl instead - it doesn't take as much thinking about as I've watched the film umpteen times! :D

 

A big thank you to Kay for my Christmas present! :hug: I have put it upstairs with the family parcels for Christmas day - I can't wait to see what's inside! :D

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At the Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper

 

The ‘blurb’

It is 1665 and Hannah is full of excitement at the prospect of her first trip to London. She is going to help her sister, Sarah, in her candy shop, 'The Sugared Plum'. But Hannah does not get the welcoming reception she expected from her sister, because the Plague is taking hold of London. However, Hannah is determined to stay and together the two young women face the worst-with the possibility of their own demise, growing ever closer. But through it all they persevere with the support of their neighbours and each other. And at last, they find hope in a daring attempt to escape the city.

 

Country girl Hannah heads to London to help her sister Sarah who makes sweets to sell in her shop, unaware that the city has been affected by the plague; because the letter Sarah wrote warning her not to come didn’t arrive in time. Hannah, beguiled by London the minute she arrives, determines to stay and brave it. She soon settles into life in London, catching up with an old friend from the country who now works as a maid in a prosperous household and meeting a love interest. But as the plague rampages, the girls are increasingly at risk – and soon only people who are certified as healthy are allowed to leave London. Hannah and Sarah must take a risk to leave the city, and at the same time help to save someone from a desperate situation.

 

This is the second of Mary Hooper’s children’s books I’ve read this year and I have enjoyed them both. Hooper really captures the essence of London and of the absolute horror of the plague and tells it in a way that is acceptable for children without being patronising to adults. There is a sequel, Petals in the Ashes which I will probably try next year.

 

(Finished 5 November)

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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

 

The ‘blurb’

 

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming... The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth…

 

Connor’s life is falling to pieces around him. If it wasn’t bad enough that his Mum’s suffering from cancer, he’s now being visited by a monster. The monster wants Connor to tell him a story – but first the monster has three tales of his own. I don’t really want to say any more about this book – apart from ‘read it’!!

 

I adored this book! It is definitely one of the best books of 2012 for me. I bought it back in August - it was on my Wish List and then Michelle recommended it when I met her in Bluewater in the summer. It's so beautiful that I just wanted to own it. I'm certain I will re-read it (which I seldom do) as it was just so amazing! The illustrations, by Jim Kay really make this book. In some respects I wish I’d read the non-illustrated version first as I’d be interested to see whether that affected my reaction to it – I cried a lot and was in absolute bits at the end – it’s not often a book makes me cry. However, I’m certain I would have had the same reaction whether illustrated or not – nonetheless, for me the illustrations just make the book.

 

Finished November 2012

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The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

 

The ‘blurb’

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible her fate is merely hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the verses of the Book of Genesis that recount the life of Jacob and his infamous dozen sons. The Red Tent is an extraordinary and engrossing tale of ancient womanhood and family honour. Told in Dinah's voice, it opens with the story of her mothers - the four wives of Jacob - each of whom embodies unique feminine traits, and concludes with Dinah's own startling and unforgettable story of betrayal, grief and love. Deeply affecting and intimate, The Red Tent combines outstandingly rich storytelling with an original insight into women's society in a fascinating period of early history and such is its warmth and candour; it is guaranteed to win the hearts and minds of women across the world.

 

Surely everyone knows the story of Joseph and his brothers from the bible? This is the story of their lesser-known sister, Dinah, who grows up surrounded by strong women. In the bible, her story is one of misery, and she really doesn’t feature much after a tragic event that affects her whole family. This embellishes that tale as it tells the story of her life and of her four mothers from before her birth and throughout the course of her life. It’s such a rich story – a story of love and hope, tragedy and triumph. I certainly wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t a Book Club read, and I started it reluctantly, but to my surprise I found that I absolutely loved it! The women in this book were portrayed as being so strong and the story read like an epic Hollywood blockbuster, played out in glorious Technicolor in my head! It made for excellent discussion at Book Club too. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

 

The ‘blurb’

On a stormy night in small-town America, a couple, desperate and soaked to the skin, knock on a stranger's door. When Martha, a retired schoolteacher, answers their knock, her world changes for ever.

 

Her visitors are Lynnie and Homan, who have fled The School for the Incurable and Feebleminded with their newborn baby. But the police are closing in and their freedom is about to be snatched away. Moments before she is taken back to the School, bound and tied, Lynnie utters two words to Martha: 'Hide her.' And so begins the heart-rending story of Lynnie, Homan, Martha and baby Julia - lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love.

 

Lynnie and Homan both live in an institution in 1960s America – Lynnie because she has learning difficulties and Homan because he is deaf. But being the 60s, things are not as they should be – the residents are treated badly, and, following abuse from a member of staff, Lynnie finds herself pregnant. She and Homan flee but it’s not long before they are tracked down. Lynnie is returned to the institution, but not before she persuades Martha, a retired and widowed teacher, to take care of her baby. Homan escapes.

 

Told in turns by Lynnie, Homan and Martha, it follows the lives of the three characters from the 60s to the present day. This book didn’t really live up to expectations for me - I found that I didn’t really warm to any of the characters. The sections about Homan mostly bored me – Martha and Lynnie’s sections were more interesting, but I felt I plodded through it. Even though I didn’t dislike the book I didn’t overly enjoy it either and found it a bit clichéd – and the ending felt rather rushed. Not sure I’d try the author again.

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

 

The ‘blurb’

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old skinflint. He hates everyone, especially Children. But at Christmas three ghosts come to visit him, scare him into mending his ways and he finds, as he celebrates with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and their family, that geniality brings its own reward.

 

My now annual re-read of this, my favourite ever Christmas story and of course it didn’t disappoint. I love it and it just keeps getting better and better! It certainly puts me in the Christmas mood (not that I need much help in that department!). It is the ultimate story of redemption after Scrooge is visited by his past and shown his present and potential future and turns his life around. If you haven’t read any Dickens before then I heartily recommend this. If you’ve got a Kindle then you can download it free!

 

I said in my review of it last year that I would try to read some other of Dickens’ works in 2012, but I failed in this endeavour – maybe 2013 will be more successful?

 

Read in December

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I said in my review of it last year that I would try to read some other of Dickens’ works in 2012, but I failed in this endeavour – maybe 2013 will be more successful?

Hope it is. For me, Christmas Carol is definitely one of his lesser works - a bit too sentimental for my taste, even by Dickens's standards. Much prefer the relatively light humour of Pickwick Papers, the grittiness of Oliver Twist, or the intricacies of Bleak House (the last is my favourite). Definitely worth exploring at least! Good luck for 2013.

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A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

 

The ‘blurb’

Dylan Thomas, one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, captures a child's eye view of a magical Christmas Day in a small Welsh town, with uncles and aunties, singsongs, presents (some useful, some not) and lots of snow. The beautiful, lyrical prose is vividly brought to life by Edward Ardizzone's wonderful line illustrations. This modern classic will delight everyone with its marvellous tales of the fun and excitement of what it is like to be a child at Christmas.

 

This short prose poem by Dylan Thomas is in two parts and part one was originally written to be broadcast on the radio – the second part was written later and it became A Child’s Christmas in Wales.

 

It tells of an idyllic childhood Christmas when there was always snow and uncles – and family squashed into houses where auntie had too much to drink. Of boys out playing in the snow and carol singing – of Christmases that were always the same – and always fun. The poem itself is very short but this edition contains wonderful illustrations by Edward Ardizzone (an author and well-known illustrator who drew, amongst other works, the cover art and illustrations for Clive King’s Stig of the Dump). I simply had to buy it after hearing it read out at a Christmas concert. As I said, the poem itself is very short, but the imagery contained therein is wonderful and it really put me in a Christmas mood.

 

 

I think this will be my last read of 2012. I had to give up on Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café (I just couldn't get into it) so I've started Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles instead. :) Thanks to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to comment in my blog. :)

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