poppyshake

Finished Mitch Albom's 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' lent to me by Inver ... very moving book.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom Waterstone's Synopsis: From the author of the phenomenal number one bestseller TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, comes this enchanting, beautifully written novel that explores a mystery only heaven can unfold. Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in the toil of his father before him, fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. Then he dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, Eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life. Was it a heroic success or a devastating failure? The answer is as magical and inspirational as a glimpse of heaven itself. Review: Immensely readable, I loved the character of Eddie right from the start, it was quite extraordinary how upset I felt reading the countdown of minutes until his death after only reading about him for 20 pages. In a way it's quite a simple storyline, Eddie dies whilst trying to save a little girl at the fairground, where he works as a maintenance man. He is met in heaven by five people, some known to him and some not ... they've all had an impact on his life (or he on theirs). It is slightly like Dicken's A Christmas Carol although Eddie is definitely dead and doesn't need redemption he just needs to understand his life better. It's a very emotional read, the parts about him and his wife Marguerite were especially moving. This version of the afterlife is full of colour, memories (some good, some bad,) lessons to be learnt, understanding, forgiveness and ultimately hope and peace ... it would be lovely to think that this is the way life ends for all of us (not the cart falling on your head though of course! ) At the end of the book there are the first two chapters of Tuesdays with Morrie .. I read them and knew I would never be able to cope with reading the book itself .. my dad (along with his brother and two of his sisters ... two of which have since died) has Cerebellar Ataxia, which affects the central nervous system similarly to ALS, it would probably break my heart to read it, I cried just reading those two chapters. Maybe in the future though. Thanks again to Inver for being so kind as to lend me her copy An incredibly moving, enjoyable read. 9/10

College Major: Speech Pathology Thing You Keep Hidden: Spots Something Sticky: Sauce Famous Duos or Trios: Simon & Garfunkel Hobby: Sewing Things Found in a Purse: Stamps Things With Spots: Salamanders Part of the Body: Spine Things Found in the Kitchen: Spoons Type of Clothing: Shorts Type of Beer: Spitfire Athlete: Sebastian Coe Historical Figure: Samuel Pepys Type of Tool: Spanner Appliance: Spin Dryer Things Found in a Classroom: Stapler Sport: Snowboarding Music Artist: Sade TV Show: Smallville Junk Food: Southern Fried Chicken Types of Candy: Smarties Store/Company: Sainsbury's Brand Name: Samsung Something With a Tail: Squirrel

Thanks Readwine, I'm sure it'll be one that I'll want to re-read in the future because I just found it so interesting. The only problem is re-reads are taking a back seat at the moment .. I'm too busy looking at the new shiny one's

Starter Kit-Kat or Twix?

I love the covers .. the one for 'the Wizard of Oz' made me laugh .. I had to have it.

Don't read the reviews till you've finished Janet, especially mine as .. though I think I've got spoiler wraps on it .. it gives some of the story away. But when you have finished it'll be interesting to see what you think ... it causes quite a lot of debate. I enjoyed the Lee Evans adaptation of 'The History of Mr Polly' .. though not having read the book helps with that of course ... I'm terrible watching adaptations of books I've read. Keep your eye on the TV schedules for the John Mills film .. it's on quite a lot.

Oh bother!! I hadn't thought of that, but you're right I've just looked. I will still read it though .. and if I like it I'll get hold of a copy of the unabridged version. As the shelf is in the loo .. perhaps abridged versions are best . Thanks for the warning Janet.

Now is that the same 'History of Mr Polly' that has been dramatised Janet? .. the old film with John Mills and a newer adaptation with Lee Evans? I like that story if so. I've only ever seen the film of 'Kipps' but again, good story. I loved 'The Little Stranger' .. hope you do to.

Inver has just sent me .. as part of her bookring ...'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' by Mitch Albom which I'm going to get started on this evening. Thanks Diane

Girls of Slender Means - Muriel Spark Waterstone's Synopsis: This is London 1945, when all nice people are poor. Muriel Spark sets us down among the girls of good family but slender means as they fight it out, from their Kensington hostel to the last clothing coupon until this charmingly light-hearted period in their lives descends into horror and tragedy. Review: This is a fairly slender book ... only around 142 pages long, so a long short story really. The book tells the story of several girls living at 'The May of Teck Club' in Kensington in 1945 between VE and VJ day. Rationing is still very much in operation and the girls do what they can in order to make ends meet. For those that are slim enough, there is a shared use of a Shiaperelli gown which is regularly seen at the London hotspots .... 'you can't wear it to the Milroy. It's been twice to the Milroy .. it's been to Quaglino's, Selina wore it to Quags, it's getting known all over London' and there is also a tiny slit of an attic window (also only for the slim) which enables access to the roof for spots of sunbathing and canoodling. It's very sharply observed and witty as you might expect from Muriel, fairly reminiscent of Nancy Mitford. It has a rather tragic end which I wasn't expecting (I never expect tragic ends though ) I felt like I was just getting to know the girls well when the book ended. I liked it a lot but could have done with more, it took me a while to get into her style of writing and then it was almost at an end. It has made me want to read more from her ... Memento Mori, A Far Cry from Kensington and Loitering with Intent are on my mental TBR. 8/10

Thanks frankie ... I've got it on my shelf. I have a lot of Puffin classics because I bought a little bookcase from an antique shop and it's shelves weren't deep enough to fit standard sized paperbacks .. luckily I discovered that the Puffic classics fit perfectly. One of the one's that I bought was 'Tale of Two Cities' and so there's no excuse not to start reading it this year. I know the story from films and also an abridged reading that I once heard but you only ever get half the story from that so looking forward to reading it in detail.

Yes, Dancing on Ice .. good luck Hayley!

I didn't 'get' The Moomins either .. I tried reading them when I was little. This book looks promising though .. (Waterstones Synopsis) An elderly artist and her six-year-old grand-daughter are away on a summer together on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. As the two learn to adjust to each other's fears, whims and yearnings, a fierce yet understated love emerges - one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the very island itself. Written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom, "The Summer Book" is a profoundly life-affirming story. Tove Jansson captured much of her own life and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of her adult novels. This new edition, with a Foreword by Esther Freud, sees the return of a European literary gem - fresh, authentic and deeply humane. I think I will add it to my ever increasing TBR list ... even though I said I wouldn't add any more . I know from looking at this list that there are some that I'd never read because they're just not my thing .. but a lot of those that I've looked up seem to be really good .

There is a popular theory isn't there (genetic sexual attraction) that brothers and sisters that have grown up apart or that are unaware of their joint parentage are attracted towards each other because of their physical and mental similarities .. it's rare in siblings that have always been brought up together. I guess your teacher has a point because what Cathy loves about Heathcliff is that he is 'more myself than I am' but then he was a virtual brother anyway. I think she definitely viewed him as a brother ... and tbh I don't think they would have cared if they had been told they were half related ..their love was so all consuming and destructive anyway. I'm not sure that we need to look beyond what Emily wrote though .. that Mr Earnshaw found him as a beggar on the streets of Liverpool .. it gets you thinking though.

I haven't read them all yet but my faves so far would be 'Great Expectations' (truly astonishing) and 'Bleak House'. I love 'A Christmas Carol' too and read it every year. The one's I've read are Bleak House Great Expectations Nicholas Nickleby David Copperfield Sketches by Boz Pickwick Papers Martin Chuzzlewit Our Mutual Friend A Christmas Carol The Chimes I really want to read 'A Tale of Two Cities' sometime this year.

Lemon Curd yummmmmmmmm! Bacon, Egg, Sausage, Fried Slice and Tea ... or Coffee and Croissant?

Needed to do some stitching so couldn't read much yesterday ... listened to the first part of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' read by Richard Pasco .. very good but abridged unfortunately.

Big mistake .. went into Waterstones and got tempted by their three for two again!!! Bought 'Leviathan' by Philip Hoare (which was already on my TBR so that was ok) .. though I really must read Moby Dick first. Also bought 'Hearts and Minds' by Amanda Craig and 'A Long, Long, Time Ago & Essentially True' by Brigid Pasulka. Was incredibly tempted by 'Howards End is On The Landing' by Susan Hill also Angela Carter's 'Book of Fairy Tales' but they are both in hardback at the moment and not on the deal .. perhaps Angela's book is only ever going to be available in hardback so I'll probably get that in the near future .. it looked gorgeous. Also was tempted by 'Major Pettigrew's Last Stand' by Helen Simonson which has been recommended on the forum and was available on the three for two .. but it's in large format paperback at the moment and they just don't fit on the shelves!! Shouldn't have gone in there .. I knew it was fatal!

Laurel Sting or Bono?

The TV series was fantastic .. especially the first two series. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are just perfect. Wodehouse makes me crack up ... I love all his abbreviations like when Bertie said 'You know what Kipling says .. the F of the S is more deadly than the M'

Yes , I'm really looking forward to reading 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' ... it's been on my TBR for a while and everyone seems to love it. I haven't read any of Marina Lewycka's other books Tunn ... I've looked at them and quite fancy reading 'We Are All Made of Glue' .. if I see it on my travels I'll probably pick it up (though I'm determined not to keep adding to my TBR list until I've got it down a bit more and also I need to do some re-reads). I loved 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian' though .. so funny, glad you're enjoying it.

Thanks Chesil ... It is officially 'My Favourite March Book' (though March hasn't quite finished yet so who knows!) Previous winners were .. The Shipping News 'My Favourite January Book' and Neverwhere 'My Favourite February Book' I guess at the end of the year I'll have to choose a favourite amongst my favourites .. if I can remember any of the plotlines by then 'A man gets a new job reporting the shipping news, somewhere underneath London and is there accused of a crime he didn't commit' Actually I should write that book .. it's the best idea I've had for a plotline ever (infact the only one).