poppyshake

Would you bloomin' well Adam and Eve it!?! Violet to Vita : The Letters of Violet Trefusis to Vita Sackville-West edited by Mitchell A. Leaska and John Phillips All the more annoying as Vita appeared at the end of the last book and I wanted to get away completely from a similar timescale and set of people etc. Stranger still is that all the jar books have had one thing in common ... Virginia Woolf has been quoted and mentioned in each (well .. she has in the last two and I've no doubt she'll get a mention or two in this one) .. perhaps my jar is channelling her spirit I expect one of her diary collections will come out next (but I'd be happy to see it if so ) It's odd as the number of non-fiction books in the jar is as nothing compared to the number of fiction. Still, the jar probably knows that I live on a diet of fiction normally and it's trying to improve my mind etc. My mind is not improved however it is positively frazzled by facts and figures. Oh dear! .. I've had a peek and the intro is enormous. I'd better read it though as I'm not quite sure of the set up here. Book itself not too large .. about 300 pages which is positively slim compared to the last one. Oh well .. plod on I've already decided to read The Guest Cat also .. which is just the sort of book I wanted the jar to pick At least I'm looking forward to that

Just finished The Second Form at Malory Towers and eagerly awaiting the next installment which should be plopping through my letterbox soon. Also finished A Strange Eventful History by Michael Holroyd which I'm glad about as it was beginning to melt my head Going to pick from the jar again but have also decided to make a start on The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide because that's guaranteed pleasure

Just finished struggling with A Strange Eventful History .. Lordy!! .. what a behemoth of a book. I was sustained through the last third by thoughts of my jar .. and how it would be kinder to me next time .. and give me a nice easy fiction book to read. I'm fed up of reading about real people They get on one's nerves so!! ... I'm going to give the jar a good shake, rattle and roll .. say your prayers!

Claire wasn't that taken with this one (Don't Point That Thing At Me) so it'll be interesting to see what I make of it. I love the cover, the title and the fact that it says it's like P.G. Wodehouse on the front .. but Claire said not to get my hopes up

I never think of that or the frustration it might cause me in the short term .. anyway .. it was intriguing and I think it'll be another good one .. hopefully

Hope you like it bobbs .. I'm finding it really good so far

I love your new mug .. gorgeous Good luck tomorrow lovely Janet xx

Happy reading this year tunn Glad you're enjoying The Book Thief

Three quarters of the way through the second book .. and not a sniff of one yet

Yes .. Happy Australia Day!

I hadn't thought about this but .. I think you're right Marie

I suppose as they get older they will be a bit more daring after lights out .. I mean that must be where the midnight feasts come in .. I felt sure one would have turned up by now but the regularity of them was only in my imagination Oh I was a total dud at sports .. in fact not sure I was good at anything much Bit of a clown but not in Alicia's/Betty's league and anyway would never have had the confidence. I hadn't noticed that about Betty .. well observed Alex

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters Synopsis: It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers. For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the 'clerk class', the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be. Review: This wasn't the book I thought it was going to be although, as it's Sarah Waters, I should have been expecting twists and turns. I imagined that Frances and her mother were going to take in a number of lodgers .. turn their home into some sort of guest house .. but in fact they only take in one couple .. Lilian and Leonard. At first it's all a bit mortifying, sharing their home with other people. Their lives are not quite their own now .. consideration has to be given to others and it's awkward but then Frances starts to enjoy having people around .. especially Lilian. I don't want to say much more about the plot as it's key really that the reader be kept in the dark. All I'll say is that I was blushingly surprised by the first plot twist (not really a twist but a change or an inciting incident I guess you'd call it ) and then astounded by the next. The story contains some real heart stopping moments but it does start off at a bit of a plod. I was listening and though it was read by the inestimable Juliet Stevenson .. I kept wandering off and having to retrace my steps. This was a bit annoying but it works well as all of a sudden .. BANG .. you're listening. From then on it really is quite tense but I did start to have a feeling that I knew how it would end .. there was an inevitability about it. Still .. great story telling as usual .. sticky start but after that .. thrilling. Liked it!

Thanks Gaia It's always lovely meeting up with Claire

I would be giving in to that temptation .. frequently

Co-incidentally .. I am at Malory Towers and have also downloaded The Mangle Street Murders (to listen to) I wish my other book was The Rosie Project but alas I've already read it and the jar wouldn't have been that kind anyway Finished listening to The Paying Guests .. pretty good though not fantastic. Halfway through A Strange Eventful History so feel I'm on the home straight even if that home straight does contain 280 pages. It's okay .. bit long winded .. could have been said in half the time but parts of it are gripping.

That's interesting that you give a book 100 pages before you consider abandoning Brian .. this was something I was wondering .. how long to give a book to catch fire (as I'm new to this abandoning lark .. I haven't really done it yet ) I wouldn't want to be hasty. Gone Girl is one of my jar books .. not sure if I'll be pleased to see it come out now or not but I'll try and give it a bit longer than the 100 pages if I find I'm not getting on with it.

Hope you enjoy it Janet I remember it being good .. but it was a long time ago

I've never thought about it .. just heard it and used it (though I've never actually sent anyone there myself .. not unless they sent me first and then that's not the same because of course .. they wouldn't notice ) I thought the incident where the girls were talking about sending Darrell to Coventry was funny. It was because she'd cheeked Katherine!! What noble little things they were Thought they were all extremely mean to Mary-Lou .. all this 'it's for her own good' stuff doesn't wash with me. Calling her a coward and all. She has a right to be scared of water and spiders if she wants to (even though ... incredibly brave to throw herself in .. what a hero Mary-Lou!! ) These girls scare me .. if you were even slightly off your game they'd be down on you like a ton of bricks. I think I would've had a nervous breakdown if I had to share a dorm with them Off go the lights .. and they're all asleep within five secs. What would I have done with my raging insomnia? .. be told to get a grip you ninny I expect 'Is that old Popps whimpering again'? .. 'Yes .. silly little idiot .. what should we do?' .. 'I say we put a pillow case over her head .. and if that doesn't work we'll go to matron and tell her she's keeping us awake and making us ill' .. 'good idea .. shall I write to her mother as well?' .. 'yes .. might as well .. perhaps that'll shame her into having a backbone' .. 'do it now and maybe her father will be straight down to fetch her .. it's Shorty's birthday tomorrow and there'll be cake .. Popps will be miserable if she misses that' .. 'serves her right .. the goose!'

Yes .. I've been meaning to do that. There was an interesting piece at the back of the book about it but much better idea to actually listen to the music. Thanks for the link So glad you enjoyed it Claire xx Great review! Did you read the extract from his next book? .. I did and want to get it now (well .. when it's out) but then I would've wanted to get it anyway after such a great read

So glad you enjoyed The Dynamite Room Janet ... yay!! I thought you would. I lent it to Claire and she loved it too .. wow .. success!! Hope Mum likes it xx I loved the look of The Guest Cat as soon as I saw it .. but was unselfish and bought it for Kylie I quickly wrapped it up as well so I couldn't peek (or it was the smallest of peeks if I did ) but then every time I went back to Waterstone's there it was with its little green eyes looking at me. I so very nearly bought it recently when I went in there but Alan said he needed ideas for my birthday etc. He hasn't got any stuff yet though so it was marvellous to get it from Claire. I think you have a sixth sense because you almost got two of the books I got for Christmas .. but instead got me another book which I loved. Clever Janet xx Was the book The Family From One End Street? (just been to your blog.) Funnily enough I talked to Claire about that when we met .. it was on a table in Waterstone's and I said I remembered reading it and loving it as a child I definitely think we are all tuning in to one another at the moment Hope you like it Janet .. what a gorgeous vintage copy and 10p!!!! What can you get for 10p these days? Brilliant!

Yes .. we're in the swing now

Oops .. I went straight on I thought perhaps because some of the others have them in one volume .. that they would plough on so I did Happy to stop though or discuss first one. It is lovely to be with them all again and it's all so familiar like you say Claire. I read them goodness knows how many times too .. I don't remember if I had to wait for the next installment or not. They were all published by then but I don't think I had them all at the same time.

The trouble with January .. for us Northern Hemisphereans .. is that it's freezing and ideally you want to stay indoors and nibble at things The body actually WANTS to put on weight too .. as insulation. It definitely doesn't want to lose any anyway. Mine is very annoyed with me every time it has to face salad

Look forward to chatting Susanne Hope all goes well xx I've now got to the second form (and have ordered the third ) .. and thoroughly enjoying it Such a different time though. Claire and I were talking about it yesterday .. how boys don't seem to feature .. unless they are brothers or cousins .. and the girls aren't talking about popular singers or pop bands. Very different from thirteen year old girls these days. I'm writing down the sentences/expressions that amuse me .. will have a list by the end No toast quote yet though .. I'm surprised .. hopefully one will turn up soon No midnight feast yet either ... I thought one turned up in every book