Booknutt
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Posts posted by Booknutt
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Just saw the great news this morning - a fourth eight episode series of "Downton", plus a Christmas special,
is secure for next year!
It's a long wait till next Autumn, but meanwhile ... the DVD's are a comfort.
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Anyone else into jigsaws? I find them amazingly relaxing - when they're not amazingly frustrating.
They're getting quite a price, too. I've started to trawl the charity shops for them, and can occasionally snaffle an unopened one for only a few pounds. Even the pre-used ones don't disappoint - all the pieces are there.
Like crosswords, too - Happy puzzlin' everyone.
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Maybe she varies her eras to ring the changes not only for herself, but her readers, too?
It can probably be "samey" to always write books on the one time period, as well as to
them. A change is as good as a rest, after all -
Well, I'm going to brave everyone's rotten eggs and say - I'm sorry Richard has gone. Maybe he wasn't a championship dancer, but he was certainly a showman and entertainer, and "Strictly" is also about encouraging everybody to have- a-go.
Lisa (gold stars to her) will probably be next, as the pressure for the trophy is really on,now.
...
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No offence to either hostess of no-Bruce week, but I didn't enjoy it as much as with one-of-each hosting.
Difficult enough to get the lads interested in dancing - e.g. this topic ... we're all gals! - but having the job done by women gives the show more of a "girlie" front, and that seems a shame, to me.
O.K. - I'm ready to duck!
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What about watching the DVD's in that time slot instead - ? ... I'm going to give it a try!
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Did anybody else think that series 3 seemed to end very abruptly on Sunday night?
Suddenly - it stopped! Of course, there is the Christmas special to look forward to, which will help round things off a bit.
Poor old Bates - no good deed goes unpunished ... Thomas is b-a-c-k, and now he's senior to Bates, and no doubt out for O'Brien's blood... which'll put Bates in her bad books to add to his problems!
Wouldn't it be nice if Anna announced a pregnancy in the Christmas special?
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Who was your favourite character, Alexia?
Darcy and Elizabeth aside, I'm very fond of Bingley, myself.
His pleasant nature would draw any lady to his company, regardless of her age or marital state.
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Felt so proud of Tom last night - defending The Family to his crass brother who'd arrived for the christening of little Sybil. He's starting to feel the unity now, and that bodes well for the future.
Matthew on the hot plate in terms of leading the Abbey into the future being self supporting, as it goes. With Mary leading his support team - an amusement park can't be far behind!
So far the third series is wrapping-up nicely ... keep fingers crossed for next week's end of series revelations.
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The only way I can describe the experience of reading this series is ... by the gut!
Whatever Claire or Jamie are doing/having done to them - pleasant or horrific - Diana Gabaldon has the gift of inviting us to live it with them, to the full. .
In "Dragonfly in Amber" for instance one of the characters who Claire originally met at the hospital where he worked voluntarily, visited the home of Claire and Jamie for a social call. During the visit he described in chilling detail the skills of his job, in which he was first-rate. He was a hangman, and was about to travel to England to hang traitors to the Crown. I was totally repelled by his description of the process of not-quite killing a man by hanging, so he could be alive to feel and witness his own disembowelment - but I couldn't stop reading!
In fact, what he was doing was warning Jamie off returning to England, where he also was wanted for (fabricated) crimes against the Crown. He was taken very seriously - by them both!
It's that kind of detail which makes this series so good.
Squeeze "Cross Stitch" in, Kell - you won't regret it.
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I know I'm harping-on about the books again, but I just have to share ...
I wandered into my local supermarket this morning with nothing more interesting on my mind than the usual weekly shop - and spotted the second book of the series "The Chronicles of Downton Abbey" for only £7. Did I snaffle it? You bet
!!(Gained a few more points too - every little helps ...
)Back to the show - I got a bit cross on Sunday when Lord G. and Mr Carson were united in their disapproval of Ethel, and her unmarried mother/reformed fallen woman circumstances, to the extent of forbidding the staff and ladies of the house her company. In contast, the women (upstairs and down) were approving of the attempts Ethel was making to rebuild her life and deal with her seperation from her son - and ignored instructions to stay clear of her. (Good on ya, girls!)
It's often the way, even nowadays - men can be so much more judgemental of a woman than her fellow females.
Anyone would think it doesn't take two to tango
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Finished "Dragonfly in Amber" last night ... finally.
Wow - they're great "reads" but one could gain white hairs while travellng through them.
Are you out there, Bookworm?
I'll polish off a Philippa Gregory over the weekend
. Then next week I could start "Voyager" - going boldly with Claire and Jamie on their adventures -?. If that's a bit short notice for you let me know - I've got plenty to keep me going till we're both ready
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I think it's a shame that the series is threatened - hopefully all us fans will protest loudly enough for a re-think by "them", and if the old show must go, a new version could be born?
I know the show helped encourage my own interest in history, and I never tire of watching the re-runs. It also encourages young and older people from all walks of life to respect our own heritage and the treasures from our past, which come to light. My only complaint has always been that the 3 day limit on the digs often ended frustratingly just when things were starting to get interesting!
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I wish you joy of
and collecting your favourites, Robbo Charity shops and cut-price bookshops are a fantastic source of traditional (i.e. paperback or hardback) books at give-away prices these days.
Many charity shop ones are actually new - surplus stock from retailers - or in mint condition, as their previous owners never actually read them
It's always worth a visit for a bit of a book trawl when you're about town.
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Well I loved the canine co-star of Dani and Vincent
Very brave of them to have a live animal in the act (as opposed to a dead one, I hear you ask? ) though I thought the dog poo bag joke was a bit tactless as she was a perfect lady. The "aah" factor may have opened the floodgates, though - next week ,,, a donkey?
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Has anyone else got "The World of Downton Abbey" the first-published book of the series? I snaffled it a few weeks ago in a cut-price shop and a very enjoyable bargain it is.
Very entertaining and informative, it deals with the second season mainly - those years covering the First World War when life for Abbey folks above and below stairs changed forever. This is a lovely and entertaining mixture of facts regarding those times, and the fiction of the Abbey family and staff. Easy reading, educational, and plenty of beautiful photographs throughout.
There's a second book just published too - I'm dropping heavy hints in the hope of getting it as a Christmas present.
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I'm currently reading P.G.'s "The Queens Fool", and recently finished A.W.'s "Lady Elizabeth" - both great as novels, and learning books too.
Both these authors have stimulated my childhood interest in history again - and make refreshing it a lot of pleasure.
Anyone with school age youngsters in the family could do worse than point them this way for accuracy of detail and daily lifestyles of the characters and times.
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Yes - one of the things I like about Jane Austen novels (and other classics too, of course) is that the characters actually have conversations/discussions exchanging views and opinions, generally pay attention to each other, and learn from each other's experience
Jane and Elizabeth spent a lot of time together, which built up their relationship to the close one it was.
Nowadays it seems that fewer siblings build that kind of close relationship through sharing the daily little things, and bigger things, as young women or men - they're too busy on computers, texting or each doing their own thing. The closeness can grow as they become older and share the knocks and laughs of a more mature life.
Jane and Eliz will be physically apart for much of their adult lives, but their close relationship will always be strong.
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Such a shame to lose Johnny at the weekend - he's such a nice bloke, and really put of himself into the dancng.
The Strictly standards are higher every series,though, quite merciless on the celebs, and even the pros get hurt.
I'm glad Richard survived to tell the tale though.
Finally - someone from breakfast I.T.V. who isn't a disaster on the dancefloor
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Anyone who hasn't seen last nights' episode (14.10.12) - look away NOW!
R.I.P. our sweet-natured Lady Sybil - I was very moist-eyed over her traumatic passing
and we'll miss her from the family circle.Seemingly, the actress who played her has received lots of offers of other roles, and decided to leave the series.
Although the exit of Sybil was tragic (and final!) I am glad "they" didn't decide to put another actress in her place to carry on.
Even among the splendour of Downton Abbey tears are a reality of life. The storyline will continue with chauffeur-Dad Tom no doubt sparring with the family over the upbringing of little Sybil. An opportunity for yet more pithy remarks from the Dowager Countess, to come.
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Have just requested "Through the Stones" (a companion book to the first 4 novels of the series) from my local Library. It's also published in America as "The Outlandish Companion".
Anyone ever read this?
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You name-dropper you, chaliepud
You should've snaffled their autographs - keep something to write on handy, next time you go in ... yeah?
(oops sorry, D.B must be catching - !
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I vote we forgive Anton for his gaff - he's not the first presenter to do so on telly, and won't be the last.
Didn't my Richard (Arnold) do well on the weekend show? I was quite amazed, myself.
Also Lisa Reilly really gave it her All, and Johnny Ball (the oldest novice there?) did well, too.It's fascinating to see people who are familiar faces for other reasons show a different side to themselves - and do so well.
I wish them all luck.
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Usually 2 - I find more a bit confusing, and I get frustrated by not making great progress in any of them.
Normally I try to make them different types for a change of pace. Currently though it's 2 historical novels of different time periods One Tudor, and one Scottish, which are still a "change" - so I haven't strayed too far from my principals
Charles Dickens
in The Classics
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What about trying "The Chimes" another C.D. Christmas story, Chesil? It's not long, and I found it just-nicely scary It's the right time of year for you to venture into it, too. .
Just added to my bookshelves recently - "Dickens Dictionary" by Rodney Dale (from the Wordsworth reference series) Very valuable in giving a good accounting of each of his novels and their major characters. I'm sure to find it helpful for years to come as some of them spin a wonderful but meandering "yarn"
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