poppyshake

Thanks lovely Doesn't Sinead look absolutely stunning in that vid? .. honestly .. I've never seen anyone so beautiful as she looks there!

I know .. doesn't life get in the way!? When I think of all the hours I spend shopping and cleaning and ironing and washing etc. Who wants to do any of that? It's cutting into my book and booky things time!! You did tell me yes, I remember you being particularly disappointed that they didn't do full justice to the 'birthday cake of revenge' scene I know! Is it an age thing do you think? .. something you grow to like more like Werther's Originals and cardigans? Thank you lovely xx I was wandering around Waterstone's on my birthday .. with money and vouchers and I was willing something to speak to me .. and this book did! I must say it's challenging though .. blimey did I suffer but I enjoyed it .. I quite like to suffer when reading. Apart from with boredom .. nothing is worse. It felt right to suffer as she was suffering so much. She doesn't come across very well .. she's not likeable at all but in a funny way I did admire her .. for her honesty as much as anything. Oh gosh the movie was just sublime :wub: Reading Keats is not as easy or accessible as I was hoping but I'm glad I did. I'm pretty sure the Finnish edition was not to blame It's one of the stories that has stayed with me actually and one that was v close to being loved. Yes .. Guylain is such a darling character. Not sure .. I thought they started with the modern but then again there might have been a prologue that was set in the 40s. I like stories set in WW2 .. my Dad watched so many films and documentaries about it when I was little that I spent my childhood in the trenches .. figuratively speaking Though I was often riding the range too I definitely am going to read more .. I love this partnership

Yes .. definitely do that!!

Nightbird by Alice Hoffman Synopsis: Twig lives in a remote area of town with her mysterious brother and her mother, baker of irresistible apple pies. A new girl in town might just be Twig's first true friend, and ally in vanquishing an ancient family curse. A spellbinding tale of modern folklore set in the Berkshires, where rumours of a winged beast draw in as much tourism as the town's famed apple orchards. Review: I did enjoy this though it was a bit slight. It is a magical read and certainly early on it's enchanting but I'm probably just a little a lot too old to fully appreciate it. As a teenager I would have lapped it up though but sadly books like this didn't come my way then. I was probably still reading Enid! I do love her writing, and it's a great piece of escapism. It's only short so you can gobble it up in one sitting and it's very atmospheric. I would have liked it to be a little more complex but it's not an adult book. Loved her book Practical Magic .. and was hoping for something similar and it was .. but in a gentler .. less hard hitting, less macabre (and shorter )way. Liked it! Ideal for a rainy afternoon .. probably in winter .. with cocoa and toasted marshmallows.

The Bees by Laline Paull Synopsis: Enter a whole new world, in this thrilling debut novel set entirely within a beehive. Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. But Flora is not like other bees. Despite her ugliness she has talents that are not typical of her kin. While mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is removed from sanitation duty and is allowed to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting pollen on the wing. She also finds her way into the Queen’s inner sanctum, where she discovers secrets both sublime and ominous. But enemies are everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously guard the Hive Mind. And when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all her instinct to serve is overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce love that will lead to the unthinkable . . . Laline Paull’s chilling yet ultimately triumphant novel creates a luminous world both alien and uncannily familiar. Thrilling and imaginative, ‘The Bees’ is the story of a heroine who, in the face of an increasingly desperate struggle for survival, changes her destiny and her world. Review: Just READ IT, READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!!!! That's all you need to know (and many, many, thanks to Claire for thrusting it into my hands at Waterstone's as I was aimlessly wandering about looking for inspiration among the millions of books .. ALL of which looked like my sort of thing .. I expect I would have hit upon something not half as brilliant or exciting.) Read on if you must but it's all just padding .. I've said the important bit already! I read about a page of it before deciding that Al and I needed to read it together. We'd had some unsatisfactory reads or reads that didn't quite set the Thames on fire and this sounded like just the thing to keep us interested and involved and it certainly was .. it didn't let up for a minute .. it was just thrill after thrill. Flora 717, a sanitation bee, is an unlikely heroine in lots of ways but she's feisty and inquistive and blessings of all blessings .. she's the sort of book character who WILL enter the forbidden west wing .. if her curiosity is piqued enough. There's only one Queen of the hive though and the others must vow to Accept, Obey and Serve at all times .. because if they don't .. they may fall victim to 'the kindness' (which is not very aptly named ) or some other equally barbarous treatment. What's so brilliant about this story is although it's fantasy of course .. it's steeped in reality. The bees .. though anthropomorphised here .. act exactly as bees do (well, with a little embellishment of course) so it's fascinating as well as thrilling. Surely this must be made into a film, they simply must! They've made such great strides in digital animation now that it would be brilliant. If they do I'll be lamenting the fact that they can't use Rik Mayall to voice the drone, Sir Linden .. who seemed to me to be the embodiment of Lord Flashheart! It's violent, it's bloodthirsty at times and a bit lewd. It's frightening and exciting, joyous and sad and all the things a great adventure story should be. Literally THE best book I've read in a long, long, time. Read it please, nag your library to get it in for you. You won't be sorry. Loved it! The only thing is (and bearing in mind that I'm not vegan or vegetarian) .. it's made me think differently about bee keeping I was watching a lovely programme about Martha Kearney (journalist) who keeps bees and sells the honey for charity etc. And all I could think was 'vandal' .. when she talked about extracting all the honey from the hive so that she would know for sure that the next batch would be solely from wild flowers and not oilseed rape .. I just yelled out 'now .. what will the bees do .. you scoundrel!! ) I always used to think of it as a lovely thing to do .. like being at one with nature. Bees and man .. working in harmony. Oh dear!!

Honestly Noll .. lots of people love it. Read some other reviews before making up your mind

Bird Cloud: A Memoir of Place by Annie Proulx Synopsis: Annie Proulx, one of America's finest writers, invites us to share her experience in the building of her new home on a rich plot of untouched, unspoilt prairie and her pleasure in uncovering of the layers of American history locked beneath the topsoil.‘Bird Cloud’ is the name Annie Proulx gave to 640 acres of Wyoming wetlands and prairie and 400 foot cliffs plunging down to the North Platte River. On the day she first visited, a cloud in the shape of a bird hung in the evening sky. Proulx also saw pelicans, bald eagles, golden eagles, great blue herons, ravens, scores of bluebirds, harriers, kestrels, elk, deer and a dozen antelope. She knew she had to purchase the land, then owned by the Nature Conservancy, and she knew what she would build on it – a house in harmony with her work, her appetites and her character – a library surrounded by bedrooms and a kitchen. Proulx's first non-fiction in more than twenty years, Bird Cloud is the story of building that house – solar panels, a Japanese soak tub, a concrete floor, elk horn handles on kitchen cabinets – and an enthralling natural history and archaeology of the region, inhabited for millennia by Ute, Arapaho and Shoshone Indians. It is also a family history, going back to nineteenth century Mississippi river boat captains and Canadian settlers, and an illuminating autobiography. Proulx, a writer with extraordinary powers of observation and compassion, turns her lens on herself. We understand how she came to be living in a house surrounded by wilderness, with shelves for thousands of books and long worktables on which to heap manuscripts, research materials and maps, and how she came to be one of the great American writers of her time. Review: I normally love Annie's writing but oh gosh .. this was a trial She just goes into too much in-depth detail. If you're the sort of person that wants to have every screw, gate post and rivet described then this book might be for you .. as long as you like archaeology and biology too. Plus lots of other ologies. I actually loved reading all about the wildlife (she has or had nesting bald eagles and golden eagles at Bird Cloud and was able to observe them whirling about the sky and in their favoured trees) and I loved reading about the build in general .. the problems and setbacks etc but goodness .. sometimes the chapters just laboured on. Sadly the bits I hated far outweighed those I enjoyed and I struggled to remain interested. I have great admiration for her, she built a house in one of the most inhospitable areas on earth, basically so she could get away from the rat race and live almost as one with nature (albeit it in a state of the art new build with regular trips into town) but, apart from herself, I can't see the book appealing to anyone really. It's too long winded with only glimpses of the gorgeous writing she's capable of. Apart from a pic of the area on the cover (which sadly .. you can't see ) .. there were no pics included. No pics!!?? Of this house that you feel you know every centimetre of .. that you sweated blood and sweat and boredom to read about. No pics of the eagles!!! Cheated doesn't cover it. I had to Google them straight after and thankfully there were a few. I feel some progress pics along the way would have helped. It's always nice to see a picture .. that's why I'm so gutted not to be able to include any myself .. to have you wade through all of this without the reward of some nice images Soz! I gave it a Liked it! But really it was a Not My Cup of Tea! It's just that she's a great writer (usually) and this is such a worthwhile thing to do and write about. I just felt she got it wrong in the execution.

Gracious! All behind again I won't make excuses .. I'll just try to plough on and get some reviews written. My computer is on its last legs (but will probably be made to stand on them for another five years at least .. I NEED a new kitchen ) and is refusing to upload pics so I'll have to do without for now If I can find the right buttons to push/spells to say then I'll add them later. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton Synopsis: On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways. Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall? Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth. Review: This was another book that I read jointly to/with Alan and, though we did like it, it outstayed its welcome and by the time we finished it we were glad to put it down and a bit miffed to have invested so much time and energy reading it without the big reward we felt was owed. It was a bit laborious at times and boring. Promising much that never really materialised. Characters .. behaved oddly .. if not totally bizzarely. I didn't make them up obviously but to me they started behaving out of character .. and it all got a bit 'soap opera' but not in a good way .. in a cardboard sets, listening at key holes, plotlines that fizzle out kind of way. I don't think our opinions are typical .. it seems to be quite a well loved book but neither of us loved it. Disappointing as the opening chapters are brilliant .. and the overall premise is great but it ended as a bit of a damp squib. Again, fractured reading of it might not have helped. After a while we weren't particularly eager to pick it up Liked it but could have cheerfully thrown it out of the window by the end .. its lovely cover saved it!

Love this review! I really must push it up my list. Al enjoyed it too and what with you and Tunn .. it's practically guaranteed that I'll love it especially as I've loved nearly all of Dan's books so far. The 'far-fetched' thing is funny isn't it? Sometimes I think a book is far fetched and other times I couldn't give a hoot that it is. It so depends on the writer/story. I don't know the reason behind Dan setting the novel in Paris but it wouldn't be the first time .. Little White Car was also set in Paris and Dan wrote it under the pen name Danuta de Rhodes

Love Rick Stein's Long Weekends .. great programmes so far. Reykjavik was probably my favourite .. just wacky but friendly people. Putrefied shark is an acquired taste though

Need You Tonight - INXS

I love the subject matter I'll be keeping a close eye on your list to see which of the books you've enjoyed the most Claire I've currently got my eye on a book called Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field by John Lewis-Stempel which I think won the prize last year. Have you read it Claire? I'm itching to read it but feel I should wait until next year .. and read the relevant bits in the relevant months (as I'm doing with The Traveller's Year this year) .. but it's tempting me Edit: Sorry Claire .. I should have said .. good luck with the challenge

Lord!!! Who would do that?!? The mind boggles! I mean, I've heard of people getting caught short but that's ridiculous. Gracious! Do you think they were aiming purposefully .. halfway up the wall :lol: Hope some good Samaritan has cleared it up by now. Good to hear that your boss is enjoying the book. That was one of my fave bits Far more exciting than reading tea leaves Glad your mojo is back lovely

Thanks bobbs! My work here is done xx Thanks Gaia .. glad your mojo is alive and well

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan Synopsis: North lives on a circus boat with her beloved bear, keeping a secret that could capsize her life. Callanish lives alone in her house in the middle of the ocean, tending the graves of those who die at sea. As penance for a terrible mistake, she has become a gracekeeper. A chance meeting between the two draws them magnetically to one another - and to the promise of a new life. But the waters are treacherous, and the tide is against them. Review: I read this with Alan and, like all books read with Alan, it suffered a bit from being put down too often due to time shortages etc. We did both love the world created by Kirsty .. a sort of topsy turvy world with the majority of people living on the water in ships and boats (some sort of dystopian future world to which we're all headed .. most probably!.) The writing is gorgeously imaginative. I was reminded of The Night Circus which can only ever be a good thing but this one was not quite as enthralling .. although very nearly. It had all the right ingredients. The chapters are split between two characters, North (a dampling .. living on a circus travelling boat with her bear) and Callanish (who lives on land) or mainly .. occasionally other minor characters have their say. All is not what it seems with these two .. secrets abound. In a split narrative there's usually always a character you prefer to be with and, for the most part here, it was North (for me) .. I found her and the circus crew more interesting .. especially the bear .. I had big plans for him in my imagination .. but there was a feeling from the start that the two characters would eventually meet and that it would have consequences. So it was exciting sensing that getting ever nearer. Because the story is so gorgeously inventive and the writing so evocative it was occasionally disappointing when it dipped a little (sometimes a problem when the bar's been set high.) This might have also been a result of fractured reading. When you can only devote half an hour to a book every now and then .. it becomes imperative for it to wow you in that time and it's almost impossible for any story to do that continually so it's perhaps not fair to judge it (but I'm going to anyway ) The book built to a crescendo but sadly it didn't quite deliver. That was both our views although Alan was more vehement about it .. but then he hardly ever likes an ending! I'd still recommend it to anyone who likes reading fantasy (dreamy, mystical sort of fantasy that is .. not complex stuff with warring goblins etc.) It's very visual and descriptive. I was slightly annoyed with it for just falling short (imo) of brilliant .. it was so very nearly there. Liked it! .. a lot!

Andalus by Jason Webster Synopsis: As Islam and the West prepare to clash once again, Jason Webster embarks on a quest to discover Spain's hidden Moorish legacy and lift the lid on a country once forged by both Muslims and Christians. He meets Zine, a young illegal immigrant from Morocco, a twenty-first century Moor, lured over with the promise of a job but exploited as a slave labourer on a fruit farm. Jason's life is threatened as he investigates the agricultural gulag, Zine rescues him, and the unlikely pair of writer and desperado take off on a roller coaster ride through Andalucia. While Jason unveils the neglected Arab ancestry of modern Spain - apparent in its food, language, people and culture - Zine sets out on his own parallel quest, a one-man peace mission to resolve Muslim-Christian tensions by proving irresistible to Spanish senoritas. Review: I've read three of Jason's travel books and he always engages. It was a bit of a tonic actually to read this during a freezing cold February (apologies for not writing this review until a comfortably warm May! ) With a bit of imagination I could envisage wandering around Moorish Spain (I've always wanted to visit the Alhambra actually .. and find myself in the gardens .. so it was a treat to read about it here, which is probably the nearest I'll get.) At the start of the book .. as part of his investigations .. Jason visits a fruit farm which employs illegal immigrants. He's trying to go under cover but is soon discovered and has to hot foot it out of there quick sharp. One of the immigrant workers, Zine, a Moroccan, helps him escape (actually on a motorbike with pursuing gunmen .. just like The Great Escape! ) and this turns out to be extremely fortuitous as Zine is a highlight in this story and adds much to it. Jason is obliged to help him after a) .. putting him out of a job (although the labourers on the fruit farm had been duped and were merely unpaid slaves) and b) risking his life. However Zine is not the easiest of companions/dependents .. he's unpredictable, moody and wayward. He accompanies Jason a lot on his travels though and his insight is invaluable as Jason continues with his quest to explore Spain's Moorish past (and discover its influences and relevancies to today's Spain.) Liked it!

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler Synopsis: When a bomb devastates the office of London's most unusual police unit and claims the life of its oldest detective, Arthur Bryant, his surviving partner John May searches for clues to the bomber's identity. His search takes him back to the day the detectives first met as young men in 1940. In Blitz-ravaged London, a beautiful dancer rehearsing for a sexy, sinister production of 'Orpheus In The Underworld' is found without her feet. Bryant & May's investigation plunges them into a bizarre gothic mystery, where a faceless man stalks terrified actors and death strikes in darkness. Tracking their quarry through the blackout, searching for a murderer who'll stop at nothing to be free of a nightmare, the duo unwittingly follow the same path Orpheus took when leading Euridyce from the shadows of Hell. Back in the present day, John May starts to wonder if their oldest adversary might be the killer who took his partner's life. He must work alone to solve a puzzle that began over half a century earlier. In a war-shaken city of myths, rumours and fear, Bryant & May discover that a house is not always a home, nothing is as it appears, the most cunning criminals hide in plain sight, and the devil has all the best tunes. Dark drama and black comedy combine as Bryant & May take centre stage in their first great case. Review: Phew .. long synopsis! I've been meaning to start on this series for a while, ever since reading Christopher's memoir Paperboy .. so much was written about his struggle to start writing and to fix on a plot or subject etc .. so many blank pages and incredulous storylines which eventually culminated in him beginning on these stories. I like detective novels .. especially those that have a bit of an angle. I'm not too bothered about the plot actually or the crime .. the less said about murder the better in my view. I'm happiest if the blood is all dried up by the time the reader arrives. Agatha is probably my limit .. or just beyond it What I like are detectives ... and I like them to be as eccentric and unconventional as possible and if it's a partnership .. so much the better. I like seeing the way they can spark off each other (haha .. Bryant & May .. no pun intended) and annoy and irritate in equal measure. These two are brilliant. I love Arthur Bryant in particular .. with his one foot in the supernatural and his fondness for boiled sweets .. plus his unpredictable train of thought and slightly non PC way of looking at things. It was a bit disconcerting to find that he was dead at the beginning of the book .. this was a bad beginning Though I had a notion how things would turn out. His partner John May, anxious to find Arthur's killer, thinks there may be a connection to the first case they ever worked on and so we flash back to the days of the Blitz .. and we jump backwards and forwards from thereon in. Perhaps the plot .. especially the revisited 1940's plotline .. plods on a little too long. I did lose interest occasionally and especially when Arthur's appearances were scanty but, on the whole it was extremely enjoyable and excellently read by Tim Goodman. I'm definitely reading/listening to more Liked it!

The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent Synopsis: Guylain Vignolles lives on the edge of existence. Working at a book pulping factory in a job he hates, he has but one pleasure in life ...Sitting on the 6.27 train each day, Guylain recites aloud from pages he has saved from the jaws of his monstrous pulping machine. But it is when he discovers the diary of a lonely young woman, Julie - a woman who feels as lost in the world as he does - that his journey will truly begin ...The Reader on the 6.27 is a tale bursting with larger-than-life characters, each of whom touches Guylain's life for the better. For fans of Amelie and Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore, this captivating novel is a warm, funny fable about literature's power to uplift even the most downtrodden of lives. Review: Such a title (and cover) raises expectations and also fear. I desperately wanted to love it but feared I might not. I was expecting all sorts of things but the story took me on a completely different journey to the one expected. This turned out to be a good thing as, though I didn't quite love it, I liked it enormously. Quirky characters and inventive story .. I loved the thought of Guylain reading aloud from the books he saved from the pulping machine In theory that is .. in reality I probably would have got off of the train at the next stop In novels I love characters who don't conform .. in life I prefer if they behave all nice and normal thank you very much .. especially on public transport. The pulping machine was fantastically described .. just as if it was the evilest of story monsters (which of course, it was!) One of the many books about books (which are almost ALWAYS worth reading) but one with a different angle. It's French so it has that Gallic charm to it too .. one minute it can have you laughing but the next you'll be feeling gloomy. I like to have all my strings tugged so that suited me. Liked it loads!

That's interesting It's funny ... I've read lots of references to it since .. I probably had before but it must have sailed in one ear and out of the other Well, we can't retain every bit of info .. our heads would burst! Thanks Gaia, hope you're enjoying your reading too

I did like Gillespie and I .. but it was very slow to get going if I recall. It somehow managed to be both riveting and boring (though not at the same time obviously ) This is always a trial with thick books as it plays on your mind that you've got a long way to go .. but it eventually gathered pace and got very unnerving .. but in a good way You're welcome to borrow it Claire if you do decide to read rather than listen xx

Bright Star: The Complete Poems and Selected Letters of John Keats Synopsis: John Keats died in penury and relative obscurity in 1821, aged only 25. He is now seen as one of the greatest English poets and a genius of the Romantic age. This collection, which contains all his most memorable works and a selection of his letters, is a feast for the senses, displaying Keats' gift for gorgeous imagery and sensuous language, his passionate devotion to beauty, as well as some of the most moving love poetry ever written. Review: I was determined to read more (I should say 'some' ) poetry this year. I'd picked up this book before but only managed to dip my toes in. It was time to fully submerge. Again the foreword, by film director, Jane Campion, was extremely helpful. It gave me some background information and it also made me feel like I wasn't alone in not fully understanding poetry. Jane doesn't understand it much either .. and she was still able to enjoy reading it .. and what's more make a film on the subject. I took the view that even if it was all as clear as mud I would just plough on and strangely .. I did get more attuned to it. I began to read it better .. I took notice of where the commas were etc Now, a lot of Keats' poetry is based on Greek mythology and sadly that's another subject that I'm almost clueless about (I know the greatest hits .. like Icarus and King Midas .. but even there my knowledge is limited) so it didn't help that I knew nothing of the stories he was poetically describing. Consequently the epic (and by epic they mean long ) poems Endymion and Hyperion were a bit of a trial. But .. I plunged on. And though it took me a long time .. it wasn't without reward. Every now and then a particularly poem or verse or line would just take my breath away and I found myself enjoying it (not quite harp playing/angels singing but pretty close ) I also got hold of a copy of Jane's film about Keats and his love, Fanny Brawne. I borrowed it from the library as didn't want to buy it in case I didn't like it. I didn't like it .. I LOVED it! So did Al .. we've now got to get hold of our own copy as repeated watching is a must. Mind you, it does put you through the emotional mill (Ben Whishaw plays Keats .. Ben Whishaw IS Keats!!) Anyhow .. the characters read quite a bit of poetry (from this book) out loud so that helped too. Of the 513 pages, 486 are devoted to poetry (and a couple of plays) .. so the 'selected letters' are really select I couldn't wait to get to them as I thought that's where I'd really get a flavour of him (to be honest I thought 'and then I'll be able to take it easy' ) .. and where he'd be most relaxed but the letters were every bit as complex. It's enough to make you feel sorry for poets .. their brains must be on fire 24/7. It was only in his letters to Fanny that I found him completely accessible .. and there were only a few of them (I intend to read more though.) As it says above in the synopsis .. Keats died a poor man. He believed himself a failure This always gets to me .. so many people who we now regard as geniuses .. were penniless and ignored in their own time. So unfair and undeserved. I could only ever name a handful of poets but Keats has always been one of them. Ah well .. such is the fickle nature of public opinion. I hope this is just the start and that I'll continue to (lovingly) wrestle with poetry this year. Liked it!

By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart Synopsis: Elizabeth Smart's passionate fictional account of her intense love-affair with the poet George Barker, described by Angela Carter as 'Like Madame Bovary blasted by lightening . . .A masterpiece'. One day, while browsing in a London bookshop, Elizabeth Smart chanced upon a slim volume of poetry by George Barker - and fell passionately in love with him through the printed word. Eventually they communicated directly and, as a result of Barker's impecunious circumstances, Elizabeth Smart flew both him and his wife from Japan, where he was teaching, to join her in the United States. Thus began one of the most extraordinary, intense and ultimately tragic love affairs of our time. They never married but Elizabeth bore George Barker four children and their relationship provided the impassioned inspiration for one of the most moving and immediate chronicles of a love affair ever written - By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. Originally published in 1945, this remarkable book is now widely identified as a classic work of poetic prose which, more than six decades later, has retained all of its searing poignancy, beauty and power of impact. Review: I don't usually read forewords .. they give too much away. That is, I don't read them before reading the book .. I go to them afterwards. I hadn't got far into this book though before I decided that some light shed on the subject might help me .. not only that but I also looked up Elizabeth Smart to see what I could glean about her background .. or what her story was before writing this book. The problem being that five mins in .. I was a little out of my depth It's classed as fiction but is clearly autobiographical .. I say clearly but all is not clear. What is patent though .. is that the narrator is in love and that it's agony. It's a difficult piece .. written as it is in poetic prose. I found it hard to grasp the meanings .. or to understand what she would be at but it was deeply fascinating. If this is love then you would wish to be spared from it ... because it's quite clearly destructive, soul sucking, selfish, love .. which is very closely related to hate. The anger that flowed from her pen must have surely burnt the pages!! It's very raw, very emotive, very challenging .. it's quite exhausting actually. You feel put through the wringer .. and you only ever grasp half her meaning but you want to grasp more. She does flit from agony to ecstasy and back almost continually although there is an eventual slide into complete despondency. I think with repeated readings I will understand it better .. it's a very short piece so no problem at all to pick up .. except it can tangle your brain like no other. Luckily I like a tangled brain .. The foreword here is by Yann Martel (of Life of Pi fame) and it was very helpful. There's also a quote on the back from Michael Ondaatje that says 'At some point every good reader comes across By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept (I must stop humming the Rivers of Babylon song every time I see that title ) And he or she recognises an emotion essential and permanent to us.' I believe it was this quote that made me take the book to the till. I wanted to be classed among the 'good readers' I'm not at all sorry I did because extraordinary books don't often come my way .. and this is the sort of book to shake you by the coat tails. What I would say though .. if anyone is interested in reading it .. is to perhaps borrow it (anyone is welcome to borrow my copy for instance) just to be sure it's your thing as I'm guessing it won't be everyone's. Here are a couple of the easier sentences 'I am shot with wounds which have eyes that see a world all sorrow, always to be, panoramic and unhealable, and mouths that hang unspeakable in the sky of blood.' 'All people seem criminally irrelevant. I ignore everyone and everything, and, if crossed or interrupted in my decay, hate. Nature is only the irking weather and flowers crude reminders of stale states of being.' It's something extraordinary as I said .. and something well worth tying yourself in knots over. Liked it!

Thanks Kylie I'm doing you a favour as I know you like nothing more than to add books to your lists xx

I've been wanting to read The Making of a Marchioness ever since Linda (in The Pursuit of Love) replaced Karl Marx's The Formative Years with it .. when she took over running the communist bookshop twice a week But yes .. the Persephone copies are so beautiful that it adds to the pleasure of reading them when you get a good copy. Great reviews Claire I'd forgotten that Julia Strachey wrote Cheerful Weather for the Wedding .. I was just reading about her yesterday in Among the Bohemians .. the consensus being that she wasted her talent (by not writing more I think.) I agree wholeheartedly with your review of The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth .. it's better than the first even though that was great too. I liked the secondary characters very much as well as the regulars. It's like the Wells & Wong series .. I can't see me getting fed up with them anytime soon ... unless the quality drops. I love the sound of The Little Shop of Happy Ever After .. very tempting