poppyshake

I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression .. like I'm some sort of toast Gestapo or something .. sending my toast back if it isn't the perfect shade or complaining if it's not buttered to the edges etc (though that IS annoying no?) As long as it's neither burnt nor cold nor anaemic then I'm fine with it .. I'll accept it even then but I am more likely to greet it with a scowl than the look of adoration I normally give it. I should be a toast ambassador actually .. going around the country promoting toast. Reminds me of Jasper Fforde and his toast marketing board brilliant concept. Books and food/food and books .. they go together like ... ermmm .. Wallace & Gromit Life would not be worth living without them .. of course you couldn't actually live without food but the same could be said of books. Apparently there are people that survive without reading them but I've never met any of them (and quite frankly frankie .. I don't want to ). Well the jury's out about Ted isn't it? I must say that when I read her journals (and I know they have a biased slant due to Ted's editing) it seemed that he was quite nurturing .. he would be the one doing the cooking and making sure she ate and bolstering her up when the rejections came in which they did by the bucketload and encouraging her in her writing (of course .. he may have made it LOOK like that). She did seem to be quite difficult to live with .. very highly strung .. and almost majestically unreasonable at times (I recognised a kindred spirit ). I'm looking forward to reading the un-edited version to see if I get the same impression. But Sylvia was one of those see-saw people .. she was either incredibly high or incredibly low and like all geniuses she didn't really live to the same rules as the rest of us. I think that's quite hard to deal with especially for a man (because .. let's face it .. they think with a different part of their anatomy ... some of them that is .. a very small minority .. no-one on here ) they don't really like all those scenes. I DO wish he had stuck it out though .. made more toast for her (which might have proved to be a great cure because toast always sorts me out ) .. but it turned out he had feet of clay *very cross and affronted face shaking a fist* I hope you are still continuing to use it and I hope you have found a reasonable way to be it (I can be quite lairy on the subject of Madame B I can tell you!) Isn't it nice to have such a cheap hobby .. I mean you don't really have to spend a penny to read good books if your local library is well stocked. However, mine isn't .. it's quite shocking actually. I hadn't realised it before but the shoddiness of their shelves has cost me money. Actually, I love to collect books and to see them at home so I can't really blame the library for making me spend but .. if you were perchance EVER to come to England frankie *winks* and find yourself in the library at Cirencester .. I hope you will make a special point of going in and being lairy about their complete lack of interesting titles. Imagine having that sort of budget each year for books?!!? .. 'wouldn't it be luvverley' as Eliza Doolittle would say. *a sort of cheery-chappy cocknified nod* It IS funny ... now. *cheesey but rueful grin* .. I've run out of emoticons *looks bashful* Awww .. they are getting on famously I have no doubt .. they'll be saying .. 'I'll never forget when she read Madame B .. I thought she'd never need me again .. I had to make her walk past Waterstone's so that she'd see that lovely Mitford book in the window' .. ''ahh yes, I had a very similar experience ... but luckily Lois Lowry had a new book coming out' *big smiley smile* Glad you've seen it finally and enjoyed it ... it never fails to cheer me up. *cute dog rolling around laughing* I'm quite enjoying inventing new emoticons *crunchy piece of toast nods his head* ... it's a bit addictive though *an aspirin rolls his eyes* .. and quite difficult to stop once you start *a man with a white coat approaches' ... I obviously need sleep help.

Happy Birthday Chalie .. hope you have a lovely day and get cake! I'm reading Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs by Jeremy Mercer .. about his time at the Shakespeare & Co bookshop in Paris .. très bon

I'm afraid not Mary .. or at least not once the romance kicked in. I hope though that we can still be friends

I made the mistake of going to a Chelsea match when I was a teenager (because of a boy!! I support Tottenham so should never have been there) and ended up in The Shed End. When Chelsea scored the crowd surged forward and I lost my shoe (probably my fault .. strappy sandals are not the thing to wear apparently) .. and though it did surge back to some degree we never ended up back where we started from and my shoe was gone. I did try and search for it (as much as you could) but it was fruitless (and I was shoeless ) .. probably was stolen and kept for missile practice or something. I needed to get public transport home so that was interesting but it wasn't half as mortifying as it would be if it happened now. Somehow it's more funny when you're 17 .. though the loss of the shoe was felt quite deeply .. I did love those shoes I haven't been to a football game since. So am I. I had to watch it back too (thanks for the link Steve ) and laughed at all the same bits 'Oh, there goes me knotty pine' ... 'I'll give you what-for, you tyke! '

A Postillion Struck By Lightning - Dirk Bogarde Waterstones Synopsis: 'At the top of the field the cottage roof stuck up with its chimney, and then the flint walls and the two rather surprised looking windows in the gable looking down to the farm. Round the cottage was a rickety wooden fence with bits of wire and an old bedstead stuck in it, and some apple trees and the privy with its roof of ivy and honeysuckle' A Postillion Struck by Lightning was a bestseller on first publication and marked Dirk Bogarde's transition from star of stage and screen to a bestselling and internationally acclaimed author. This vivid and engaging memoir traces the first steps of Dirk Bogarde as a young actor before he became world famous as well as his childhood amidst the enchanting beauty of rural Sussex. Here is the delightful harmony of summer days spent fishing with his young sister, a hunt for an escaped tortoise, the discovery of the biggest mushroom in the world, and the quest to win a pet canary at the local fair. Then came the plays he and sister used to put on in their barn, followed by the local amateur dramatic society, all a prelude to his growing desire to join the world of the stage. Review: I really liked this. Dirk's a natural storyteller and, despite their different backgrounds (Dirk's father works for The Times newspaper and he and his sister were brought up mainly by their beloved nanny Lally), this memoir has a touch of the Laurie Lee's about it. I believe there are further memoirs though I'm not sure if they're in print now, this one leaves off just as World War II starts and Dirk has both started his acting career and just signed up. The majority of the book details his childhood growing up in Sussex. He's not what you might call a keen scholar .. indeed it doesn't seem to occur to him that he needs to learn anything, or anything academical anyway. He and his younger sister are absolute little minxes .. wandering about the Sussex countryside looking for trouble and usually finding it (including trying to poison unsuspecting walkers by making 'hikers' wine' .. a noxious bottled concoction of poisoned berry juice and water which they leave around the countryside with old packets and eggshells to make it look like the remnants leftover from a picnic) .. they have very sadistic leanings but, in the main, their bark is worse than their bite (though Dirk did stab his sister with a knife once for daring to read his comic first ) If you went to stay with them they'd frighten the life out of you by telling you all about the local murders or taking you to spy on the neighbourhood witch .. this does happen to poor Angelica even though she's been warned to take no notice .. 'my mother said that you can't believe a word you say in your family. You all tell terrible stories because you are too romantic. She says it's because your mother was an actress and your father is a journalist and you just don't know what is real and what isn't' One of the little anecdotes I really enjoyed was quite a simple one about a fishing trip. Dirk had gone along with two friends to try and catch a fierce, yard long, infamous pike at the river Ouse in Itford. As he hasn't got either the correct equipment or the right apparel he ends up being more of an observer than a participator ... it's all a bit boring but then a lady wanders past. He gives a short description of her (tall and thin, with a long woolly, and fairish hair which looks wispy .. she is carrying a walking stick and a bunch of wild flowers) and then she stops and speaks .. 'Fishing?' she says .. which Dirk thinks is a stupid question as what else would they be doing .. she then says she thinks she is lost and they point out the footbridge to her. After she's wandered off Perce says 'Bloomin' nuisance her. She's always about when I get here .. up and down the river like a bloomin' witch.' 'A foreigner, isn't she?' said Reg. 'Londoner. From over there at Rodmell' says Perce .. 'They say she's a bit do-lally-tap .. she writes books' .. Dirk finds himself wondering why there are so many witches in Sussex. The mysterious lady is not mentioned by name but of course I guessed who she was and it gave me a little thrill to 'see' her wander across the page like that .. even though they were so jolly rude about her, it helped give the memoir an added sense of time and place too. I learnt too that the young British singer Birdy, who I've been listening to lots lately, is related to Dirk ... she is his great niece. I looked it up on Wiki after reading at the start of this book that Dirk's surname is van den Bogaerde because I remembered reading that was also Birdy's surname. My brain is working better than I thought but then it is a very unusual name. She was three when he died so they wouldn't have really known each other but still .. I do love connections Very, very enjoyable. I hope to read the rest but you know how it is? .. too many books, not enough time. I hope at least to read his letters. 8/10

I'm sure there's a personal dig in there somewhere ... I have got 'some' fantasy and sci-fi in my thread but no, you've overlooked it .. you're never satisfied!

He has indeed Hope you enjoy it Timstar

I saw it too and I'm sure Claire that the final question was just perfect for you .. even I would have won (though I never would have got that far) .. I remembered Martina Hingis and Michelle Williams .. I didn't remember Pamela Stephenson though ..I might have blocked that on purpose

One of the ideas I had (and this shows how mad I am about toast) was to compile a book of literary toast quotations and I actually started writing them down whenever I came across them .. only I got lazy and forgot (there is definitely a toast reference in Sylvia Plath's journals for instance .. Ted makes her some .. in fact I think he makes it for her constantly which just goes to show that .. however much I think a man who makes you toast can be trusted .. he really can't .. so I had better not write my relationship book after all .. especially as I have a failed one behind me and as much as I could say that it was all in the name of research it might not .. inspire confidence I am glad that Alan doesn't much care for football .. all of his family though are footy mad and though they are not the sort to kick your head in they can get a bit lairy about it (is that a word you're familiar with?) .. also it costs an incredible amount of money .. my brother-in-law pays about £1,350.00 for a season ticket for him and his son and that's not including the travel costs and all the food and paraphenalia .. Lord!! that would buy a lot of books .. and to pay all that money to sit/stand with a load of apes (and I do apologise to any primates reading this ) shouting obscenities across a field with a load of overpaid prima donnas running around on it seems to me absolute madness. I do quite like football in a non fanatical way and have supported the same team since I was young but I watch it on the TV .. I did go once and it frightened me to death .. I lost a shoe! They are more likely to suggest things when you are in the shop then actually buy a garment. In my experience they pick up the offending pair of shorts/mini skirt and sort of waggle it in your direction (to see if you'll bite obviously.) Alan did once buy me a teensy tiny garment and when I said there was no way it was going to fit me .. he said .. and I quote ... 'it will ... an elephant could get in it' and so I tried it on and .. IT DID NOT FIT!!! He hasn't bought me any surprise clothing items since but I think his hearing has returned to normal now I was quite shocked actually .. he spelt it three or four different ways apparently and they seem to suggest it was because he couldn't spell rather than just because he wanted to bamboozle people .. goodness me. All credit to him for writing such great books but it must have been a nightmare for his editor Lord!! that would keep me awake at night (I'd be recognising myself in all of them ) Well it's jolly rude of them if they have and what's more it's pointless cos I AM meeting you and that's that. I do apologise though if my mojo is keeping yours away .. it's very much like me in that it does yak on so .. it maybe that your mojo has just fallen into a temporary coma.

Oh I'm sorry to hear that .. I've been a bit that way lately and it's a real downer. I hope that you find your mojo soon .. do you remember where you left it? I'm sure it won't be away for long but it's very frustrating while it lasts. Yes, I'm sure you'll remember the biog when it comes to reading 'De Profundis' .. I forgot you were a young person .. I was endowing you with my own foibles (and whatever else happens you don't want to be endowed with those I can tell you )

I know .. it should all be universal. I would spell Dostoevsky << like that I was just copying how they had spelt it but even so it is still totally different to yours. However the author spells his name that's how we should ALL spell it .. even if it looks like code or hieroglyphics. Wiki says that he spelt it several different ways himself .. now that's just plain ole unhelpful! I promise you, you won't regret it ... especially 'The Wrong Trousers' .. that's my favourite and therefore it must be the best one aye

I will get started on it I need to include some encouragement as well though .. places where you can compromise etc and one of those .. despite Wallace's reaction .. is that you can have a perfectly happy marriage/relationship even if one of you loves tomatoes and the other hates them and I daresay this is the case with most foodstuffs .. even cheese possibly .. though everyone will have their achilles heel. I couldn't marry a man who didn't like toast for instance .. or who couldn't MAKE toast. No .. we would have to part .. or perhaps he could go to toast school. If he was willing to go to toast school for me then that would definitely be a sign that he's a keeper (and you need to keep your eyes open for signs like that.) Again though it's worth keeping a chart of foodstuffs you disagree on because if they were to reach epic proportions that might create a difficulty. You definitely don't want to get into the 'cooking a different meal' scenario .. not even if he is cooking because it would mean more time apart and you don't want to start arguing when it comes to choosing takeaways or eating out .. it wastes valuable noshing time. Ditto music Ditto films Other things to consider : Don't under any circumstance marry a British football fan .. they are absolute slaves to it. Be tolerant when it comes to his clothes choices for you .. he will most likely pick out outfits that only Beyonce could get away with but remember he means well and it's touching that he thinks you'd look good in gold sequinned hotpants. Only get annoyed if he tries to insist upon you actually wearing them

Oh you must see it .. they're genius! You will fall in love with Gromit for sure .. even though he is made of plasticine. He is reading 'Crime & Punishment' in one of the pics .. but it has to be said that it's by Fido Dogstoyevsky

My only real objection to that particular Emma was that they rushed it and everyone in it seemed out of humour most of the time (because they had to do 'nought to really put out' in a very short space of time.) Samantha Morton was brilliant as you say .. perfectly cast as Harriet and much to be preferred to Toni Colette (in the Gwynnie version) who wasn't right for Harriet (but I think it was the fault of the script/director .. it couldn't be Toni's fault cos she's brilliant.) I did prefer Mark Strong's Mr Knightley to Jeremy Northam's .. and I thought Kate was better at being Emma than Gwynnie but for me everybody frowned too much. Have you ever seen Mark Strong in 'Our Friends in the North'? .. brilliant, brilliant drama with lots of fantastic actors in (as well as Mark theres Daniel Craig and Chris Ecclestone ) The really, really old adaptation of Emma (1972) is good but it's a bit creaky and stilted .. some great performances though and the best Miss Bates, Mrs Elton and Harriet ever .. and the best Mr Wodehouse too because the actor that played him seemed as if he WAS Mr Wodehouse ... very irritating with all his fussy little ways .. it didn't appear to me that he was acting (I wanted to bash him on the head or at least seat him near an open window for a very long time ) Doran Godwin who played Emma was good too .. perhaps a little bit too reserved but more like Jane intended I think. I haven't seen it in ages because my copy is on video and I haven't got a video player anymore *shakes fist* .. d*mn you technology! Look forward to the weekly reviews or the one big review at the end of them

I am hoping frankie that you know about Wallace & Gromit cos if not :o .. you've missed seeing the bestest most cleverest dog ever. I mean Gromit reads!! and not just any old books either but high brow ( .. lol I can't help but think of his expressions) books .. I wouldn't mind getting my paws on his reading list. Anyway, if you haven't seen Wallace & Gromit before you must This is no ordinary plasticine dog!

Michael Gambon played Squire Hamley in (Gaskell's) 'Wives & Daughters' (Roger & Osborne's Dad) and excellent he was too. Hope you enjoy Emma frankie .. I didn't like the book much and haven't enjoyed the adaptations much either but I don't think I've seen this one. Your review is needed

He was practice ... everyone needs to practice .. it makes perfect Wallace is Wallace as in Wallace & Gromit. He met Wendolene in one of his adventures ... 'A Close Shave' .. they seemed to be compatible but then she dropped the bombshell about cheese This is them before ... when love was just blossoming. Well I guess you could be more flexible .. if he is really worth getting a second saucepan out for (and doesn't mind doing it himself). What you don't want to be flexible on is mess .. you must both like .. or not like .. the same amount of mess. If you are a tidy person .. don't marry a slob and vice versa (really I should write a book on this .. I'm so informative ) because mess is a big 'nagging subject' and you want to avoid them if poss. Another one is money .. a spendthrift shouldn't marry a miser etc etc (honestly, I reckon I could halve the divorce rate given the opportunity ) I have made both the above mistakes (I wouldn't say I was the spendthrift slob .. but I was nearer to that end of the scale) ... and it wasn't pretty. We wore clothes and had haircuts that were bordering on criminal I think Oscar related to the shunned and persecuted Christ. I would read the biog first because that will set you up perfectly but perhaps .. if it could be done without too much disruption .. you could stop off at the point where Oscar is in prison (the biog will definitely mention him writing the letter) and read De Profundis then. I think you will get a greater insight ... I wish I had done that now come to think of it. Indeed I do

You will indeed. I mean there is always compromise in every relationship (I'm very bad at it though and a terrible digger in of heels ) .. but I really don't believe in all that 'opposites attracting' b******t .. that is heading for troublesville in my opinion. I think you need to be three quarters the same or similar .. and a quarter at most different. I mean Wallace loved everything about Wendolene and they seemed perfect but then he found out she didn't like cheese .. and for him that was enough (are you following me? ) I mean it's perfectly ok for you to like porridge for breakfast and him to like scrambled eggs but you're getting into a two saucepan scenario then first thing in the morning and that's not to be taken on lightly (hope I'm helping ) Lol ... it's hard for me to read it any other way because I spent most of my adolescence there (or very near it) and Alan was born there. It was a bit like a prison actually .. we were glad to escape. Oscar did do a lot of reading in Reading prison though .. mostly the Bible I think which made him very reflective. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he compared himself with Christ but he definitely identified with him. It's How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff .. Kylie hated it with a vengeance but I liked it Kylie can tell you why (hope my public liability insurance is up to date .. she nearly blew a gasket when she reviewed it last time )

I may have exaggerated .. just the teensiest bit Awww .. thanks (boy will you regret saying that ) Can I watch?

Ermmm ... let's just say it's a possibility. I haven't ruled out giving him another go but you know .. on your head be it (for instance where there's blame there's a claim Steve .. so I'd be worried if I were you ) Isn't that funny .. it looked all wrong on the page but my brain was working after all thanks Janet Sorry Janet I should have written the author's name down .. I used to do that sort of thing when I was a more responsible reviewer. Anyhow it's Maggie Stiefvater. It might be your cup of tea .. it's a lot of people's cup of tea ... not mine though .. I'd rather drink a bucketful of Bath spa water Yay!! I think the person to target first is Simon Cowell .. now all we need is a weapon .. something that destroys mirrors possibly You're too late Kylie I finished Dirk Bogarde's memoir last night and it put me in a much better frame of mind .. I'm in the mood to love all books again. Probably even Madame B would look enticing if I could see her but thankfully she's packed away in a box .. I'm not falling for that old one I can still remember your review of HILN .. I could feel the steam coming off the page

Yay .. thanks VF .. I do love company .. I don't like eating alone People need it all explained these days .. not us lot of course .. we're super clever but you know .. the others It's because of them that we have to have voiceover man telling us that 'Sheila is packing her bags' whilst they show us Sheila packing her bags The popularity of Cheryl Cole is really the eighth wonder of the world .. I'm still puzzling over it anyway. Britain's Got Talent!! .. has it? why are they trying to prove the opposite then I haven't read/seen The Hunger Games .. I listened to a sample on Audible and thought no .. I don't think it's for me. I am surprisingly susceptible to hype though and keep thinking I should give it a try but then my heart quails (can my heart do that? .. I'm not sure now I've written it .. it sounds vaguely avian) at the thought of a trilogy. Do you know I've never thought of myself as benevolent before but you're right that was good of me All of that 5 came before the love story kicked in .. I was thinking it was quite an 8 at that point ... then I started deducting points. Given the way Sam's lyrics were going I'm surprised it didn't end up in minus figures I'm being mean .. hopefully someone will come on here and give a more balanced account of it.

I'm not saying anything .. apart from saying that I'm not saying anything .. that's the only thing I'm saying .. nothing ... ... but if I was to say something it would be 'how's it going?' but I'm not saying that .. I AM thinking it though

Waterstone's Synopsis: Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter, he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack. In summer, he has a few precious months to be human ...until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet, they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever Review: It seems I'm still finding out what I do and don't like in books and it turns out I DON'T LIKE THIS!! Now I know I'm flying in the face of popular opinion here and definitely in the minority but I have to be honest, apart from the first few chapters (which I really rather liked), I hated it. There are all sorts of reasons why. I'm not a big fan of the high school teen romance thing .. I don't usually read it or watch it and ... though I've never read Twilight ... something has always told me that I wouldn't like the whole vampire/werewolf/human love thing and it turns out, if this is anything to go by, that my instincts were right. I'm probably just too old and cynical. I found myself mentally saying 'oh purleeze' nearly every five minutes and found that, as the story warmed up, I had to use the same amount of suspended disbelief as I did when I watched a tracheotomy being carried out on a kitchen table in 'Neighbours' .. more than I have in the tank in other words. I think I've said before that if there is to be vampires and werewolves in fiction .. I like them to act accordingly or at least I don't want them to curb their instincts because they are in love One of the things I liked about Professor Lupin was that ... when he was in werewolf form ... he wanted to rip everyone's head off Although things can hardly have said to have been going swimmingly I was really upset by the ending Really!! I believed in Frankenstein's creature more than I believed in Sam .. and goodness how I hated his song lyrics (Sam's not the creature's .. I'm not aware he wrote lyrics but then his grasp on the English language was such that it could only have been a matter of time before Lloyd Webber was on the phone .. oh! don't start me off!!!!) Many, many apologies to all the fans of this book. All I can say is that .. like one of those bad shellfish reactions you didn't know you had .. I've just found out that I'm violently allergic to this kind of storyline. It's not that it's bad .. it isn't .. it's just not for me and it has got a lot to do with my age most probably .. I may well have loved it when I was a teenager. I'm sad in a way because I do count myself as a bit of a romantic but this just didn't tug at any of my strings. It actually made me cringe in places which is probably not the effect she was after. I don't think my reaction is at all typical .. in fact I know it's not .. it's an incredibly popular book. I couldn't wait for it to end though ... I wanted to abandon but still have some ridiculous prejudices against doing so so suffered on. I think I may well be alone in my 'I hate Shiver' suport group .. the monthly meetings will be unpleasant .. all on my todd with only the howling outside of disgruntled fans for company but I can't pretend what I don't feel (well I can actually .. I once told my friend's Mum that her pie was lovely .. though I had found a dead fly in it ) and anyway I'm pretty sure that Maggie will get along fine with or without my good opinion. *Newsflash* I won't be reading the sequel 5/10

Yay!! well done Ronnie! I'm still not warming to Ali .. he seemed to be trying to stare Ronnie out during an earlier handshake .. bet that was Ebdons idea

Bet we can't agree on our favourite Muse song It's quite difficult infact ... but if you stood over me with a gun and demanded an answer .. I'd probably say 'Hysteria' .. but then again there would be a long list looking something like 'Citizen Erased/Microcuts/Dead Star/Supermassive Black Hole/New Born/Plug in Baby/Knights of Cydonia/Stockholm Syndrome/Cave/Muscle Museum/Bliss/Space Dementia/Apocalypse Please/Feeling Good/Take a Bow'' .. it would be easier to say what I don't like .. which is anything bordering on a ballad .. (worst example 'Guiding Light') Matt says the next album might have a lot of lullabies on it