poppyshake

Well you'd already convinced me Claire, I went out and bought it

I agree, I never would have picked it up if it hadn't been sitting on the shelf of a holiday cottage. Half of me was repelled by it and the other half completely engrossed. I couldn't bring myself to properly read 'that scene' though .. I bottled it and sort of skimmed it but I thought the writing was fantastic. History is full of women who didn't or couldn't love their children for one reason or another but it's funny isn't it, people can accept that a man may find it hard to love his child but a woman is seen as a monster. It's a film now with Tilda Swinton playing the mother .. I'm pretty sure I'd find it difficult to watch. So pleased you liked it .. welcome to the Jasper Fforde fan club you are in for a treat! I've read four of them now but am always thinking I should re-read them to fully get the jokes and understand the situations. It's a great workout for the brain

Love that book, makes me laugh .. everything he says about us is true!! I love your idea about the bookswap thread Frankie ... genius!

wise girl .. you don't need to be saddled with a name like that .. I have got rellies in Australia but they're not called Cox .. my Nan's sister emigrated years and years ago .. and she married so they ended up as Thompson's. If I was related though I'd send him a howler Stop hiding your light under a bushel Kylie you never know until you try. Yes, there's the Danish artist Kay Nielsen isn't there (I love his pics) .. he pronounced it Kai. That was another reason for being teased at school, when 'The Snow Queen' was read out to us and Kay was the boy ... oh man, school was nothing but torture, there were traps all over the place.

But I think Enid intended it to be Al-I-cee-a Kell (and certainly the audiobooks back it up), Aleesha is the American pronunciation I'm pretty sure. I've heard of women who are called Al-I-cee-a .. although I think it's a name of the past. My name Kay is the easiest name in the world to pronounce and spell but still they get it wrong .. they stick an e on it of course but worse than that .. some people .. and I'm talking mainly boys .. thought it was spelt with just a K The awfulness of that paled into insignificance when saddled with my maiden surname which was Cox .. I won't tell you what they used to say my middle name was at school and I won't tell you how they spelt it .. you can probably guess. Boy was I glad to get married I had a best friend at school called Marcia .. and she pronounced it Mar-see-ah. I'm pretty sure she stole one of my boyfriends so you can pull a great BIG disappointed face at her Peace Have you tried the gold hotpants? .. seriously all it would take is a new Kylie in new hotpants and the old Kylie would be history .. and what's more the new Kylie reads .. mega!

Just finished Mr Vertigo by Paul Auster and started The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Hello Kennedy, Welcome!! sounds like you're going to fit in here just fine Look forward to seeing you around.

Kylie won't mind, she's probably and dreaming of I'll whisper though so as not to wake her. Of course, spines as bookmarks .. brilliant idea Have you got a photo of your Twilight bookmark Claire?

I haven't read either of them but just by the films etc I know I'm in for a long tedious time .. and with the films it's easier because there are beautiful things to look at. I can't say I'm looking forward to them but feel like I should read them. Also, just being terribly pretentious, I want to actually put 'Howards End' on the landing

It's only really one room that's nice, the rest of the house is a wreck (you will notice .. I didn't show those pictures ) .. we have some petrol blue ceilings thanks to the previous owners Alan is artistic, I sometimes have ideas but can't carry them out. I can't paint for toffee or draw which annoys me intensely. Like most men Alan leaves it up to me re decorating/furnishing but then has to do all the work!! It's got to the point now though that mostly what I want on the shelves etc is books which he is kind of happy with because bits and pieces and knick knacks aren't his thing at all. Actually I've had a thought, I could cross stitch my favourite book covers!! I've never thought of that before .. it might work.

Love that film .. the scenery is just gorgeous and I thought Kate was perfect as Marianne .. and lucky her to end up with Alan Rickman It was one of the few adaptations where they've included Margaret and though they took a few liberties with her character, I thought it worked well. Quite a lot of 'Harry Potter' actors in there too ... Alan Rickman: Severus Snape/Colonel Brandon Emma Thompson: Sybil Trelawney/Elinor Dashwood Robert Hardy: Cornelius Fudge/Sir John Middleton Imelda Staunton: Dolores Umbridge/Charlotte Palmer Elizabeth Spriggs: The Fat Lady/Mrs Jennings Gemma Jones: Madam Pomfrey/Mrs Dashwood

I heard the audiobook .. the narrator pronounced it Al-I-eese. Yes I struggled with Eilis in Colm Toibin's 'Brookyln' .. she was the main character and everytime I read her name I came up with something different, in the end I googled it and (though there were variations) it came up with Ay-lish .. I was happier then.

Poor fellow went to stay with Dickens and seriously outstayed his welcome (meant to be there for two weeks and stayed for five,) the family all thought him a bore. He never understood why Dickens never answered any of his letters afterwards. I blame it on Dickens though, he could be very pompous and intolerant. You must do something arty with them, they're crying out for it .. when you've come up with something let me know and then I can steal your idea

That makes me very happy Kylie .. I'm relatively new to her too, I only got into her last year but I play her music all the time now .. her songs are like little stories (weird little stories at that )

Yes but not as many as I would like Thanks Bobbly

I thought it was great too and loved all the images it conjured up in my head. He's such a clever writer and so imaginative, I love reading his books

Yes I really enjoyed it Claire, it's the sort of book that you look forward to picking up and have to be careful not to gobble up too quickly. Hope you enjoy it too

Dear Mr Bigelow - Frances Woodford Waterstones Synopsis: Dear Mr Bigelow is an enchanting collection of weekly letters written between 1949 and 1961 from an unmarried woman working at the Public Baths in Bournemouth, to a wealthy American widower in New York. Frances Woodsford and Paul Bigelow never met, yet their epistolary friendship was her lifeline. We follow Frances' trials with her ghastly boss Mr Bond; the hilarious weekly Civil Defence Classes as the Cold War advances; her attempts to shake off an unwanted suitor, and life at home with her mother and her charming ne'er-do-well brother. Sparked with comic genius, the letters provide a unique insight into post-war England and the growth of an extraordinary friendship. Review: I read this at the same time as reading Veronika Decides to Die and I'm glad I did because it was the perfect antidote. Whilst VDTD was dreary and flat, Dear Mr Bigelow was lively and full of spark. This is a book containing the letters sent to Mr Bigelow (and she wrote him a weekly letter for twelve years,) a retired captain living in Long Island, New York by Frances Woodsford a 36 year old living in Bournemouth England, and working as as secretary in the Bournemouth Public Baths. We never ever read Mr Bigelow's replies because Frances didn't keep them. She was told, after Mr Bigelow's death, that her correspondence to him had not been kept and after a few years she discarded his too (she said they were a bit haphazard anyway and were just scrawls written on scraps) but a few years later she was contacted and told that the letters had been found. You get a strong impression of what Mr Bigelow was like though from Frances's replies, they shared a similar sense of humour and anything that was thought could entertain the other would be cut out and sent. Frances had started writing to Mr Bigelow as a kindness to his daughter who was a good friend and who often sent over precious food/clothing packages etc from America (for though it was the 1950's, rationing was still in strict operation in Britain,) but she soon grew to enjoy their correspondence. Frances always typed her letters during her lunch hour at the public bath's, she called them her 'Saturday Specials' but they were just as likely to be written on any day of the week .. she always mailed them on a Friday though. She has that happy knack of writing letters as if she's chatting to the recipient, they're full of news and gossip and accounts of her daily life. She lives at home with her mother and brother Mac and is often exasperated by the pair of them especially Mac who get's away with murder (not literally .. just that, like a lot of men from that era, he is used to being waited on hand and foot by the women.) 'Dear Mr Bigelow, ... My brother is very fond of telling the story of Dr Johnson who was said to have spat out a mouthful of too hot soup with the remark "some dam' fool would have swallowed that." Not that my brother does more than copy the remark, I would have you know. My brother does seem sometimes to be ashamed to be seen in public with me. One fine day, when I am out with the scion of the Woodsford family, I will do everything I know, and a few things I imagine, to give him really something to be shamed for - I shall scratch, hitch my skirts, smooth my girdle, pick my ear, run my nails through my hair for dandruff; stare at people; laugh like a nosiy hyena, and belch, whenever we come within hearing distance of any and everybody. That'll larn him. The peculiar thing is that I really know my one and only brother isn't ashamed of me. At least, I am always clean and tidy in public, and fairly quiet. I wore gloves (as I always do) and a hat, and my fur cape, a decent quiet dress and stockings. He wore a tennis shirt (he did have a tie, I will grant you) but no hat (he never does) and no gloves. So why he should act as though I were a leprous barmaid, heaven knows! In the street, we alternately crawled along to avoid catching up with somebody he knew, or raced along side streets to ensure meeting as few people as possible. It brings out the nasty, catty side of my nature, and I dream of becoming the Hampshire Lady Tennis Champion (much chance!) and then joining his club after they begged me to do so on bended knee, just for the pleasure of refusing to associate with Mac. See what a horrid nature I have at bottom, but you won't tell anybody, I know ...' A great snapshot of what it was like to live in Britain during the 1950's. Frances could draw well too and the letters are full of great little illustrations as well as a sprinkling of photo's. Anyone who loved reading Nella Last's 'Mass Observation' diaries will love this. Frances could be bossy and terribly competitive but you can't help becoming fond of her. 9/10

It's like the Malory Towers/St Clares books .. the new covers are too modern and they don't go with the stories because these are not modern girls .. they're nice, jolly, sensible, lacrosse playing girls, that can be jolly beastly to each other if the part requires it and know how to have a good time (ie .. playing practical jokes and planning midnight feasts .. not snogging or smoking behind the bicycle sheds ) Hope you enjoy the Mystery books Laura, you'll have to pop in the charity shops and see if they have any with the old covers. I'll keep a squint out for you

Well done Frankie, an excellent haul .. I only found one book at the charity bookshops today Apologies for blue writing (which I know is going to be troublesome later) I wanted to infiltrate your post and stamp all over it and it was the only way.

Rather stupidly I put some sort of reading goal into 'Goodreads' .. now it delights in telling me whenever I visit that I am 16% behind for the year

A miserable day here weather wise but I did brave it and bought 'Pastoralia' by George Saunders from a local charity shop for a £1 .. it's in great condition too. I have no idea what it's about but I know it's on the 1001 so got to be worth a try. Thankfully it is one off the list that I've ticked .. because I have got into the habit of buying some of the ones I've crossed (Veronika Decides to Die for a start) which is ridiculously perverse.

I've got the Penguin postcards but the Puffin ones look fantastic and much more colourful. You're spending my money again Kylie .. really, I might as well let you have my pin number

Great reviews Paula I'm especially liking the sound of 'Far to Go' .. I put it on my wishlist at Goodreads a little while back but yours is the first review I've read, glad to see you liked it.

It's true, there are some that I would hate to part with .. but others I would cheerfully lob at you as you came down the road I am intrigued about the book, will pop over to your blog later Thanks Kylie everything is quite neat in the living room .. it's just that there's not enough space there for many books, although Alan has promised to build me a set of shelves in the other alcove where I will be able to put lot's of books on ... will add pic so you can see what I'm talking about. At the moment there is a display cabinet with all manner of ornaments in it and only the bottom shelf has been commandeered for books (and now I look at the earlier pic .. there is a shocking lack of Jasper Ffordes .. I got most of them from the library and haven't found my own copies yet) but who needs ornaments!! I realised I didn't want them any more which makes Alan mad because he could have built the shelves when he was doing the one's the other side .. but I am a woman (it's not been scientifically proven but I'm pretty sure all the same) and so it's my prerogative to change my mind. The pic was taken a while back so didn't have the initials then and had photo's getting in the way which have now been placed elsewhere. When the rellies come I'll have to put them back. Yes, you are right .. keep off the Billy's!! I think he has that in mind, something that can mix and match and it's where he intends to put a great big TV because as you can see from the pic are TV is tiny and does not cut the mustard as far as watching movies/rock concerts goes. It will be Alan's cave but I will be allowed to go there for book selecting (but I may need a password!)