[What are you eating just now?]

Bolognese but not with spaghetti .. I had some cubed butternut squash and sweet potato and I mixed that in instead .. in a bid to be a tad more healthy   

[Janet's Log - Stardate 2016]

Great review Janet I think I prefer Pride and Prejudice too but it's a very close run thing. I think the whole book (Sense and Sensibility) changes once they move down to Devonshire .. that's when it all starts happening and when I really love it. That dear little cottage (which they think a bit pokey .. and which is MY dream!!!! ) in the rolling hills. It's all so romantic If it's a dull day with a patch of blue sky I always say to Alan .. 'there's some blue sky .. let's chase it' .. which of course is from the film and not the book at all but it does lift ones spirit up. Though we don't run .. ever!  (it's the thought that counts!) 

I have got an audio (unabridged) Sense and Sensibility but it's on cassette sadly. I'll have to work out a way of getting them onto CD .. I've got so many and nothing to play them on now. 

 

Anyway, all the Austen's deserve repeated readings/listenings/watchings   

Have you seen the version with Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield? Though that's got David Morrisey in it .. and he can be marmite   Anyway, that's quite a good one. I've got a really old one where Tracey Childs (from Howard's Way) plays Marianne   It's a bit creaky but good in lots of ways (though nobody would want to marry THAT Colonel Brandon .. he did look a bit too 'flannel waistcoat' ) .. it's on video tape though so again I need to convert (though I do still have some means of playing it .. I think.) 

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

I really like Sue Perkins, so this sounds like something I might enjoy.  Great review. 

Thanks Janet  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

Synopsis: Meet Silver. Forty-four, divorced and living alone. His once celebrated music career is now a faded memory and his ex-wife is about to marry another man. The only good thing in Silver's life is his Princeton-bound teenage daughter, Casey - and she would probably say the exact opposite about him. So in Silver's opinion, things could be going better ...a lot better. Then Casey drops a bombshell: she's pregnant. Yes, it was her first time, and, no, she hasn't told her mom. Silver knows things have got to change, and when he discovers he has a fatal heart condition that means he could drop dead at any minute, he decides it's time to make a list: 1. Be a better father 2. Be a better man 3. Fall in love 4. Die But the question is, can Silver rebuild his life, regain the respect of his family, and be there for Casey when she needs him most, or has he left it all too late?

Review: Great read, quite similar to the other one I've read of his (This is Where I Leave You) .. but this one was even more of a mix of funny and sad. Lots of laugh out loud moments (or the closest I get to it) .. I loved Silver and his band of misfit mates .. most of which are abandoned husbands .. all living together in what sounds like the 'Last Hope Hotel' There's some comfort in being in the same boat as others .. some stability. They're quite shaken when one of their number leaves to move back in with his wife .. he's giving it another go! They're both sceptical and envious.
Silver's daughter was just a little unbelievable .. a bit too fictional. There were a lot of arguments between her and Silver where I ended up almost getting involved in the dialogue .. urging him to say the stuff he needed to say etc. This is quite usual though .. once I'm committed   His illness manifested itself in peculiar ways .. for instance he starts speaking all of his thoughts out loud (or the most embarrassing ones anyway.) This of course leads to cringe city!

The ending was a surprise .. quite brave. Not sure I was entirely happy with it but then impossible to say what I would have been happy with. On balance it was probably for the best .. it didn't go down that line where everything is a little too conveniently (and implausibly) tied up. Overall it was a very witty and enjoyable read. It stayed on the right side of sentimental too. Many thanks to Claire for lending it to me  Liked it!

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Spectacles by Sue Perkins

Synopsis: Spectacles is the hilarious, creative and incredibly moving memoir from much loved comedian, writer and presenter Sue Perkins. When I began writing this book, I went home to see if my mum had kept some of my stuff. What I found was that she hadn't kept some of it. She had kept all of it - every bus ticket, postcard, school report - from the moment I was born to the moment I finally had the confidence to turn round and say 'Why is our house full of this shhhhhhh?' Sadly, a recycling 'incident' destroyed the bulk of this archive. This has meant two things: firstly, Dear Reader, you will never get to see countless drawings of wizards, read a poem about corn on the cob, or marvel at the kilos of brown flowers I so lovingly pressed as a child. Secondly, it's left me with no choice but to actually write this thing myself. This, my first ever book, will answer questions such as 'Is Mary Berry real?', 'Is it true you wear a surgical truss?' and 'Is a non-spherically symmetric gravitational pull from outside the observable universe responsible for some of the observed motion of large objects such as galactic clusters in the universe?' Most of this book is true. I have, of course, amplified my more positive characteristics in an effort to make you like me. Thank you for reading.

Review: I do love Sue! I've always liked her so this was a must. It doesn't really contain any big revelations .. not sure it's as in depth as I would like but it's very, very, readable and funny. She makes it clear at the start that there'll probably be some embellishing .. and probably downright lying but for all that it's not silly (looking at you Miranda Hart) because Sue has too much wit for that. She also makes it clear that she comes from a family who find it hard to show emotion so that's probably why we are only scratching the surface here. Lots of great background info on her and Mel, where and how they met and their beginnings etc including details of all their early, very shoddy and completely unrehearsed first stand up gigs and more than touching on the supposed fact that Mel can't keep her bowels in order pre performance  The one thing I love about them is how much they love one another. I'm always so disappointed when it's revealed that a comedy double act can't stick each other. It takes the shine off.

There are hardly any photo's included but quite a few drawings and homework projects from when she was young .. including teacher's comments etc .. so sweet and also funny with Sue's added captions.

Having sad that she's unemotional, she's clearly not .. as anyone who reads her letter/tribute to her dog (called 'I Had You Killed') will tell you, very moving .. though also funny .. the dog would understand .. she lived with Sue for a long time.

Anyway, if you like Sue already .. you'll love this. If you don't this probably won't change your mind as it's very Sue-ey! You can hear her voice loud and clear. Having said previously that I don't really laugh out loud when I read .. this proved a rare exception. I howled at times especially when Sue recounted the hideous encounter she had with the Gorillagram (with dubious personal hygiene) .. ordered by Mel for Sue's 30th. To say he wouldn't take no for an answer is an understatement .. lots of dry humping from him and dry retching from Sue. Mel claims he was only supposed to read poetry

I would have liked to know a bit more .. which is a compliment to her as sometimes I can't wait to be done with some celeb autobiographies. Liked it! 

[Kylie's Literary Adventures in 2016]

Hope you have/had a great time at the book fair Kylie .. can't wait to see your list of books bought Well done on raising $75 on your books .. that is excellent .. plus you had the pleasure of picking more books!  (that's three less Agatha's you have to look for at the book fair )

 

Half the time the fun is in the browsing but sometimes I wish I knew that Harry Potter spell (is there one? .. if not there should be) where all the books in a store/warehouse/town .. which are on my wishlist .. would just fly directly to me     

I would only use it though in extreme cases of over tiredness/can't be botheredness   .. wouldn't want to be knocking Janet & Claire over every time we met up in Waterstone's  

[Frankie reads 2016]

I'm so glad that your job is going well frankie and that the lady is a good sort and everything .. so nice that she's a relaxed sort of person and not a fusspot or anything. 

If you get good at ironing .. I can perhaps employ you to come and do mine I might have to pay you in toast and books though  

So happy that things are going well for you Well done lovely!  

[What do you dip your chips in?]

I dip my chips in whatever's on my plate .. ketchup, brown sauce, mayo, tartare sauce, baked beans, gravy (as in a pie) etc etc but my fave thing to dip my chips into is a fried egg  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Those are some nice covers! I particularly like the covers of A Robot in the Garden and The Snow Sister. I hope you enjoy all your new books .

Thanks Gaia .. I'm sure I shall  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

  

 

Pics of the lovely books I received .. I am sooooooo lucky   

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

I have a bit of a list...in my head! They have a small section dedicated to Agatha Christie (and then the rest of the crime/mysteries are thrown in together) so I'll be heading to her section first so I can pick up any I don't already have, but only if they're the particular editions that you and I have. From there I'll probably wing it!

Ah yes .. the all important covers  

I wonder how many books you'll come home with Kylie Look forward to seeing the list of the one or two books you bring home with you  

Well, it had the *proper* cover so I couldn't pass it by, could I?

.. and very beautiful it is too Thanks Claire  

I hope you enjoy The Redbreast I really enjoyed it when I read it.

Thanks Brian That's very encouraging! 

[Just William by Richmal Crompton (spoilers included!)]

I forgot all about the TV adaptation with Bonnie in Oh God .. her character was as annoying as anything! Is she in the next lot of stories? (More William?) .. hope not .. but then they may have ramped up the annoyability of Violet's character for the sake of drama. I'm like Claire .. I'm not sure how far I'll go with the series but I really enjoyed this one so I'm going to get the next  

[Just William by Richmal Crompton (spoilers included!)]

I though it was odd that the chapter about how the family acquired Jumble appeared at the end when he'd already appeared.  Not that it mattered, but it just made the book feel rather disjointed.  Top stuff though.

This was exactly what I thought Janet .. I was confused (doesn't take a lot ) I thought .. there is already a dog called Jumble .. isn't there? *flicks back to make sure he was called that and not Jimbo or something!* ... surely this isn't another one? The author can't have run out of dog names after just naming one! .. Feels like that chapter would have been better placed before we heard anything about Jumble.

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Yay for Chrissy! Dorothy L Sayers is at the top of my list of authors I want to look for at the book fair next week (I mean their books, not the authors themselves ). I'll be very disappointed if I don't find at least one of her books!

Yes .. Yay for Chrissy indeed I hope you do find some of Dorothy's books at the book fair Kylie .. surely there'll be some there? 

Have you a hitlist? Best to be prepared, though let's face it .. you're going to wander off piste too  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Oh Kay, that's hilarious!   Poor Louise.  I'm sure she will be/was happy to hear that you enjoyed it more when you read it.

Yes .. I did tell her but not sure she believes me  I think she thinks I'm being kind but really I'm not .. I did enjoy it loads but the more you say it the less convincing it sounds .. given your former criticisms   Oh dear!

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Just realised that I didn't write here about the lovely books Claire bought for me  They were Christmas prezzies but we weren't able to meet up until after Christmas so lucky me .. I had late Christmas prezzies .. booky Christmas prezzies!! Oh frabjous day!

I do have a pic somewhere which I will upload later but anyway the books I received were Boris Akunin's The Death of Achilles and Emma Carroll's The Snow Sister (which I read a few days after Claire gave it to me as it was wintery and just the thing to curl up with during the stormy weather ) Also Claire gave A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install to Alan .. but I take no notice of that All books that come into the house are equally mine I will give him a fighting chance to read it first but if he is too slow then I will swoop in. I know you understand these things so won't judge me   

Plus there was chocolate (was being the operative word ) and a beautiful tree decoration .. I really am so lucky .. thank you Claire    

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Received two brilliant books from Chrissy this week as she saw they were on my wishlist They are Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers and Redbreast by Jo Nesbo Very excited to read Whose Body? which is the first of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories I'm more nervous about Redbreast as it's a step up for me .. a grown up detective story I'll have to be brave  But I've been intrigued about Harry Hole for ages who is often described as a loose cannon That's the sort of detective I like

 

Anyway, it's a great reminder of how wonderful and kind the people on this forum are  .. thank you so much Chrissy  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Actually, yes, I like the idea of an incoming chute a lot better than the outgoing! I'd love to work as a book postie, dropping books off at people's houses. Although, I wouldn't get to see their faces of pure joy whenever I dropped a book in... Hm... They'd have to sign a contract where they'd promise to take a polaroid picture of their face when they saw the book come in, and then leave it for me when I dropped the next on.

Wouldn't that be a great job? .. I think one would get tremendous job satisfaction from that but the temptation would be .. if I was book postie .. to drop all the books off at MY house   

Yes, best not disturb sleeping dogs books... Just let us know of the numbers and we'll take them as they come. Next year we will, that is! No confusing Finnish inquisitions next year, promise!! 

I'm going to bribe Claire with toast next year   

But not all Christmas Holidays books are good, so maybe it was good that this one was not one of those John Grisham's Skipping Christmas was bloody awful, for example. I wish I'd skipped reading it.

To be honest, he must have known the dangers when he came up with that title It's too tempting!! 

I've heard bad things about it before so yes .. I'll give it a miss   

It's odd, though, because you said Cake and Ale wasn't all that, but then again, I have the book on my wishlist and I do wonder if your review made me add it there. I have a feeling it did, even though you didn't even enjoy it to a great extent.

Lord! I can't remember saying anything good about it  Others have liked it more I think .. perhaps you took your lead from them (very wise )  

Is that how you spell the word?? I've never known!! When I was in junior high school, me and my friends used to say 'toodle-oo' all the time, I don't know where we came up with it, but we were obsessed, but none of us knew how it was spelled... So we would write 'tyyydylyy', which is what it sounds like to a Finn. Oh my gosh, to have gone so long without knowing how it was spelled...

I think that's how it's spelled/spelt (I NEVER know which .. is it both? I hope it is .. I fluctuate ) How funny to think of you all saying 'toodle-oo' In a month of Sunday's I'd never have imagined that! 

I knew they have copies of CBtD because I've done a search before, but I went to check again. When I wrote 'cartes beats the devil', the library site asked me if I had meant 'dances with the devil'. Meaning they don't have English copies... But they have plenty of Finnish copies!  They are all at their respective libraries, though, meaning, nobody's borrowing them.

Well no .. they wouldn't have any English copies. I've composted them all

I'm glad to hear that the Finns have sense. I knew it of course but this confirms it  

[Shyora's reads 2016]

Happy Reading in 2016 Shyora!  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman

Synopsis: Marvellous Ways is eighty-nine years old and has lived alone in a remote Cornish creek for nearly all her life. Lately she's taken to spending her days sitting on a mooring stone by the river with a telescope. She's waiting for something - she's not sure what, but she'll know it when she sees it. Drake is a young soldier left reeling by the Second World War. When his promise to fulfil a dying man's last wish sees him wash up in Marvellous' creek, broken in body and spirit, the old woman comes to his aid. A Year of Marvellous Ways is a glorious, life-affirming story about the magic in everyday life and the pull of the sea, the healing powers of storytelling and sloe gin, love and death and how we carry on when grief comes snapping at our heels.

Review: This was a strange one. I downloaded it from Audible in November but couldn't get on with it. The author narrates (which, as she's also an actress, is not or shouldn't be a problem) and she just didn't manage to hold my attention. If I put it on late at night I inevitably fell asleep and if I was out walking I just mentally wandered off and started planning my next cake bake etc!  Most frustrating. Some of this was to do with her narration but some of it was to do with the style of the story. It's very whimsical and it leaps about in time etc .. I wasn't able to catch any threads. Anyway, fast forward to Christmas and it was amongst my book presents from my niece .. this led to a VERY embarrassing conversation between us when we met up just before Christmas to exchange presents ... going something like .. 

Louise: 'What have you been reading recently?' ..
Me: 'Ermm .. this and that. I tried to get into the new book written by the author who wrote 'When God was a Wotsit'.
Louise 'Rabbit?'
Me: 'Yes .. that's the one .. I liked that book but I couldn't get on with this one .. had to abandon'
Louise 'Oh dear'
Me: 'Yes'
Louise: 'You'll be disappointed come Christmas day then'
BIG PENNY DROPS and I mumble something about it being the narrator's fault and that I'm sure I'll get along with it just fine when left to my own devices      Happily though, this turned out to be the case. I did still have a bit of a mental block about the first few, already half listened to, chapters but once I'd cleared that hurdle I was fine and the story began to draw me in.

 

Marvellous Ways is a character who sets a lot of store in nature .. the type of person who lives like a hermit and heals with herbs and feels things instinctively .. things like rumour and curse. Probably would be called a witch by those who don't understand unconventional ways. It's a very salty tale as she has a close bond with the sea .. claiming that her mother was a mermaid (actually it's a bit salty in other ways too .. there's definitely some racy bits   ) The story gets really interesting when Drake comes into it. He's sort of abandoned life but ends up washed up in the creek by Marvellous' caravan. It's no surprise to her .. she's been expecting him. He needs healing but in helping him, she also finds restoration.

 

It's quite a slow story but once you're hooked it's pretty gripping. I stayed up late to finish it with tears in my eyes so it definitely worked its magic on me. There's a soundbite from Patrick Gale on the back which sort of sums it up .. he says it's like 'Dylan Thomas given a sexy rewrite by Angela Carter' .. and I can't improve on that! That's exactly what it's like. It takes perseverance but it's pretty rewarding especially if you like whimsical, salty, mystical tales. I'm glad I gave it another try. Liked it! 

[Frankie reads 2016]

Anything with 'Paris' and 'Bookshop' in the title ought to be brilliant .. there should be responsibility and commitment to that title because it promises much. I'm very annoyed with it for not living up to that promise but also glad that you've told me as I've been looking longingly at it Great cover and great title!! But bad insides .. oh brother!!      

 

You are abandonment Queen I need to take a leaf out of your book (   ) because I have yet to abandon anything even when it's plodding and I'm losing the will. It's like stepping on cracks .. it's psychological and I need to break its hold on me. I'm all for giving things a fair go but reading should always be enjoyable. If not .. move on! I will try to call for help next time I'm struggling and you can give me the great big shove I need! 

I suppose those books I've put to one side is abandonment of sorts .. even though I haven't read a page of them. I intend to read a few pages and then give them up if they don't hold my interest. None of this has happened in theory though so I can't claim it as a victory yet   

 

I don't know how you got through One of Us .. so harrowing and made ten times worse by hearing about all his petty complaints        I couldn't read about such a monster but then I'm a wimp when it comes to true crime and can only take fictional crime if it's the sort that involves fruit cake and Grandfather clocks   

[Just William by Richmal Crompton (spoilers included!)]

Thanks for starting the thread frankie
I'm loving it so far, William is like no other ... he's even liable to be smitten by girls/women .. which is quite unlike most other boys his age. This is the sort of stuff I expected Katy to do (in What Katy Did) only she didn't .. her pranks were far too tame. William causes mayhem .. it's brilliant. I love the slang he uses too.
I laughed my head off reading about Robert and his crush on Miss Cannon Also when William 'borrowed' Robert's bicycle .. loved the line 'I have said that William did not know where he was going. But Fate knew' :D
 
Such enjoyable stuff.
 
Bizarre fact though .. I remember that the actor who played Robert in the drama series was the same actor who played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter's :D

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Well well well, if it isn't the return of the Excreman...!!!  

 

I was just browsing the new acquired books on the libraries' website, and the title 'Notes from the Sofa' caught my eye. For some reason I didn't remember it from your review, but it made me think of Bill Bryson. And then I looked at the book cover. And the name of the author. And thought I'd seen it somewhere... The I thought the illustration reminded me of a Finnish or a Swedish children's book from my childhood. I searched the title on Amazon and at the mention of The Snowman I realized it must be the book that you recently reviewed.   

 

The Excreman has come to take over Finland!!!!

 

(Are you sure you don't work for the Finnish library? Or could you possibly check the library's not following your reading log on here? Because more and more often it seems that once you've read a book and liked/loved it and reviewed it, the library will get a copy of the book if they don't have one already. I've seen this happen with The Girl on the Train and now The Excreman Notes from the Sofa and just the other day, Our Endless Numbered Days. )

Haha .. The Excreman gets everywhere! I'm very happy to think that the Finnish libraries and me are on the same wavelength! We know what we like when we see it and we order it in. Have they got a copy of CBtD? Because I may take it as a sign if they have .. then again I may not!  

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

Well yes, doing it one at a time would make more sense. I wish one had one of those thingies they have at the library... When you've read a book or at least decided you didn't want to have it around any more, you could just go to the foyer, and there'd be a panel through which you could push the book out into a box, and then someone would come and collect

Wouldn't that be ace!! .. and what if there was an incoming chute as well? .. where the books that other people discarded (but which were on your list) came in! :D Oh .. what bliss! To be buried in books  

Serves you right for thinking your Book Jar could be cruel: now you're reading a book I believe you're very much enjoying at the moment..? No second picks for you! Or maybe the Book Jar is lulling you into a false sense of blissful reading...

That is the way its mind works. Yes, take it from me .. it's going to be super evil next time!  

Probably not... I never remember the different words for the mathematical ... actions. I do know and remember what 'adding' means, but the others... Not so much Subtracting I now figured out from the context ^ but if it had been there on its own, I wouldn't have remembered what it meant So really it would only have confused me just as much.

Wouldn't help that I don't know how to add and subtract properly. Best leave things as they are I have come up with some figures ... which may or may not be a work of fiction  

Loved reading the review Sorry it wasn't quite what you were hoping for... Thank goodness you decided to leave it till after Christmas. Dostoyevskyan Wodehouse? Now that's an interesting combo

Certainly is .. and it was good in a way that it surprised me. Anyone could write a book about the Christmas Holidays .. bah! Still, I wish he had done just that! My nerves were stretched .. I needed soothing! 

Any how... Toodle pip!

Yes .. toodle-oo old bean! 

[Poppyshake's Reading Year 2016]

I'm sure A Fine Balance will whizz by for you, Kay ... it's such a fantastic book.  I read it many years ago now, and I still remember parts of it quite well, and know I hated finishing it because I wanted to read more.  I did plan to read more of Mistry's books, but I don't think I ever got around to it.

I'm two thirds of the way through and loving it .. I'm so invested in the characters that it's going to be a wrench when it ends   I havent looked the author up yet Claire .. has he written much more? 

I love the sound of A Traveller's Year and what a great idea to read the entries for the each on that day ... the trouble is if you're enjoying it, you'd be tempted to keep going! 

I've done that once or twice already  plus peeped at the next day's offering quite regularly   

A Fine Balance is a fab book, Kay.  I hope you enjoy it.  

Thank you Janet .. I am indeed enjoying it .. very much

I love the sound of A Traveller's Year.   I hadn't seen your post about this when I said today that I was planning to read a book in its monthly instalments! 

Great minds thinking alike! 

Lovely to see you guys today.   I forgot Alan's book again.    I'd even moved it to somewhere more obvious.  At least, I thought it would be more obvious...! 

Honestly, don't worry at all. He's not missed it .. be a month of Sunday's before he ever gets around to looking at it again. And if that happens, and it's not here, it'll be a good excuse to call on you and sample your brownies again  

Just passing by to say I'm loving the TV adaptation of Love in a Cold Climate (I've just finished part 1).     I think it's pretty clever how they're weaving the two books together! 

:cows: Oh .. good!! I hoped you would and thought you would but you never can tell. I know they take a few liberties and it's always harder when you've just read the book and it's fresh in your mind. Hope you love part 2 just as much! Great cast!