Bella
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Posts posted by Bella
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Hate the ads for loans or accident claims etc
Confused.com ? No actually I'm
off.com ....arghhhh -
oh I envy you the first reading of The Stand ! It has to be one of my top 5 books ever and the best he's written too!
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Ok. I've just finished Matt Haig's book The Last Family In England - a novel about modern family life told from the perspective of Prince a black labrador. I think this is a marmite book, you will either love it or hate it and to love it you probably need to be a dog lover too!
We have a black lab which made this book more enjoyable and helped me continue after I got a bored in the early chapters. I found that if I read this book in large chunks then it continued to work for me but read slowly a few pages at a time ... it loses it's credibility.
I did enjoy this book but it was infuriating, slow and depressing at times... but an interesting idea.
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I love doing the bedtime stories - it's such a lovely time to share books and your little baby obviously agrees! We've read some really fun books like -
The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business (the best book about poo ever
)Marvin The Sheep Who Wanted More
and
Cushie Butterfield - She's A Little Cow
There are some great books out there to have fun with - I'm almost sad that our guys have now moved on to having chapters of full books instead.
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The Hovis advert is great and I kind of like the really weird Cravendale adverts too - with the toy people fighting with cows who want their milk back....
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salted pretzels or crackers dipped in chocolate mmmmmm and salt n vinegar crip sandwiches mmmmmm
yesterday was an ultimate in guilty pleasures - chipshop battered sausage plus chips smothered in salad cream, followed by a bag of cola bottles whilst watching 3 hours worth of X-Factor.....
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Hello ! Hope you enjoy the forum - have you tried BookMooch as an alternative source of EL books ?
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rooster burgers and homemade chips yum !
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Welcome aboard Sean - there are some great bookshops in Sheff !
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Congratulations on finding your way back to books & to the forum
welcome !! -
- hope you've found some book suggestions !
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Welcome to the forum - please can I come live with you ? I love the hebrides
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I remember getting the first 2 books together as a birthday present when I was in my early teens - I was so annoyed as I thought my auntie chose them as a way of saying that I was an irritating teenager
I really loved them though and have read the whole series - really great books and I love the way that Adrian's life has not turned out predictably
* hated the tv series though!
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Dogs like to talk.
The Last Family In England - Matt Haig
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Just finished The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde - it's a tough one as it is a page-turner and well written but predictable and has left a niggly sense of dissatisfaction
Possibly a very good writer who is writing in the wrong genre......Next - a novel from a dog's perspective
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Sardines in tomato sauce - I love them, but only discovered them this year.
Hot, mashed with salt & pepper and spread on buttered toast mmm otherwise yukk
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Wow - sounds amazing & the 3 books I've read from your 9 are brilliant
I just love this old style tailored service which leaves you feeling pampered and valued.....now big question -
When is your husband running his Masterclass In Present Buying ? and can I book a place for my OH ?
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The problem was, Megan had just taken the second half of the ecstasy when her father called with the news.
The Abortionist's Daughter - Elisabeth Hyde
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Fish & Chips from the chippy
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The Tragedy Of Miss Geneva Flowers - Joe Babcock
Pages: 342
Publisher: Carroll & Graf
ISBN: 978-0786715206
NB: If you choose to read this book avoid the Editorial Review on Amazon as it tells too much and will ruin the book for you.
Blurb: Like many gay sixteen year olds, Erick Taylor dreams of being a star. But that's a tall order when you're unpopular, stuck in Catholic school, and your bible-thumping parents make life a holy terror for a closeted gay kid. All of this changes in a snap, however, when Erick meets Chloe, a "grandiloquist" drag queen. With a glam rock makeover and a pair of platform shoes, Erick finds the courage to out himself to the world as Miss Geneva Flowers. Yet his headfirst dive into the fast-lane of dating, clubbing, and crystal-meth comes with a high price. Erick finds himself lost suddenly in his new life, and only his courage and self-love can save him.
Review: I have to admitt that this was a book I brought home purely because of it's title and I didn't read the blurb or I might have thought it wasn't for me. I'm so glad I picked it up though and I can see why it won the Best Self-Published Novel award in 2002.
This book is very much a coming of age classic of the future. It has the universal element of teen angst and confusion combined with the voice of an outsider on the edge of two communities. The novel is set in the 90's and Babcock captures the decade well in terms of culture and social attitudes - the music, party/rave culture, drugs and sexual morals are spot-on. The key here is that the characters draw you in instantly and I was able to hear their voices clearly. Babcock has written Erick warts and all - a self-centered teenager that at times has your sympathy and at others frustrates you. Into his life comes Chloe, and for all the extremes of his character - he too is believeable.
This book takes the reader on a spiralling ride through outsider culture and alternative lifestyles but always in a way that you can relate to. You do need an open mind to get the most from this book and it can be dark at times but nothing is too extreme! It's like the rebellious teenage sister of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and will leave you wishing we all had a Chloe to help us love ourselves.
Oh, and if anyone is wondering what the last book that made me cry was.......
9/10
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- it's a great forum !!
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Hmmm... as long as they all bring a dish each -
Alan Sugar
John Barrowman
Leonard Cohen
Bill Bailey
Stephen Fry
David Tennant
Sandi Toksvig
Jenny Eclair
Hilary Clinton
Davina McCall
Joan Rivers
Ruthie Henshall
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I was really lucky to read this book last year when I knew nothing about it - I could still forsee the ending but it was a very powerful read. The childs view of adult horror was well written and a powerful way of showing how such historic monstrosities were some peoples everyday life and unremarkable to them. I gave my copy to my 13yr old neice and she was gripped by the story and it did help her realise that these things happened to real people of all ages not just text book people.
I'd be happy for my children to read it once they can handle it as a self-read but they're 6 & 4 right now so obviously it's not time. They do know about the holocaust though and the basic outline of what happened to the jewish population. It has been discussed when we talk about bullying and racism and what can happen at the very very worst extent. Granted my elderly mum was a bit stunned when her 4 yr old grand-daughter started to tell her about 'the bad man Mr Hitler'
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I was sitting in class, in my final year of high school, when I finally came out.
The Tragedy Of Miss Geneva Flowers - Joe Babcock
Stephen Fry in America - BBC1, Sunday at 9pm
in Music / TV / Films
Posted
I saw this and it was great - I've been waiting for ages for something new featuring Stephen Fry.... I coud happily watch him hosting anything
It was really great though because too many shows where people go to the USA are about how bad the country is or how stupid the people are etc etc. This was refreshing for showing the country and it's people in a positive light - I wonder if the Griff Rhys-Jones version of this which is starting on ITV will be anywhere near as good!