poppyshake

I find this often happens with Dickens .. there is so much to take in during the first few chapters and his character casts are enormous. If you could get past that first disc then you'd probably be fine. I really struggled with Bleak House when I first listened to it .. but then it eventually took hold. When you're walking though his books are among the worst for not holding the attention .. because of the detail etc. I've had to re-start his stories lots Just finished Heading Out to Wonderful by Robery Goolrick and started The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena which lovely Claire has lent me I'm also listening to The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp by Eva Rice .. it was going well but I'm not quite enjoying it as much as I was .. still only halfway through though .. it's a bit of a monster (about 600 pages in real money I think )

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the book but I very much enjoyed your review of it I've read The American Boy and quite liked it and had pencilled in Bleeding Heart Square as one I might possibly like to try. I might still give it a go .. perhaps he's got worse or maybe I'm his audience I quite like it when books just plod along .. excitement is probably wasted on me The characters sound dull though and that never does though I am intrigued by 'tetchy' Mrs Arabella .. we may be kindred spirits Oh .. never mind Steve .. you were probably due a dud

Up to date now or at least with the main programme. Loved biscuit week .. especially the showstoppers .. how brilliant were they? Thought in the end the right person went home but sad also as I liked Enwezor. His showstopper didn't look as good as anybody else's and it didn't taste good either .. also the shop bought fondant was never going to go down well with Mary and Paul. Actually .. though Jordan's looked a bit of a mess .. I did like the concept .. it was fun and a bit different to what we normally see. I absolutely loved Iain's though .. I know Richard's and Luis's (which I loved also) were probably technically streets ahead but Iain's is the one I want to make Nearly every one did brilliantly in that challenge. Surprised that most of them didn't know what a Florentine looked like .. hardly anyone got the zig zag pattern right. Martha did but unfortunately hers didn't quite have the right consistency. Diana just slathered on the chocolate .. tbh those are the ones I'd like to have tasted Nancy still looks extremely competent, Chetna also .. Martha, Richard and Luis too. Kate seems to make small mistakes but is pretty good all the same and I like Diana. Still think Iain and Jordan won't last the distance but very happy for them both that they got some praise at last. Not sure about Norman .. perhaps a bit stuck in his ways and keeping things too simple sometimes compared with the others but seems nice and can bake well.

Haven't caught up with last night's programme yet but loved last week. I think I like everyone so far .. I'm even giving Jordan the benefit of the doubt I think it was a close call between Claire and Jordan as to who went home but Claire made more of a mess of her showstopper .. and it was over baked .. plus they didn't like her swiss roll. I didn't like the first few mins of An Extra Slice and couldn't go on with it but then I took a deep breath and watched it a few days later and it improved as it went along and I liked the fact that they give the losing baker a chance to redeem themselves and do the showstopper again (Claire was a lot of fun and took it all so well plus her showstopper looked amazing.) Nancy is stand out (I loved the look and the sound of those mini jaffa orange cakes) and she seems pretty unflappable but there looks to be lots of really competent bakers. Not sure how much further Jordan or Iain can go but then Ruby had a dreadful first episode last year and improved dramatically afterwards so you can never tell. Will watch episode 2 soon. It's making me hungry though.

Awww .. sorry to hear that you're feeling poorly .. just what you don't need! Hope you feel much, much,better soon Life has been so hectic for you and I guess will continue to be for a while until you're settled .. perhaps you need to make sure you take extra vitamins or up your intake of fruit and veg and all that sort of thing. Possibly get a can of spinach .. Popeye swears by it Looking forward to hearing about your flat mate .. if you give her the green light. She can't be all that bad if she's a reader can she? I wonder how you can find out if she's a snorer in advance? Be exciting to spend some time in .. what's to be .. your new apartment Wish you were feeling a little better but perhaps that's all the tonic you need. Bound to make you feel good. Yes .. take a few books with you because immediately then it will feel like home xxxx Wishing you all the very best my lovely xx New chapter and all that

Such a talent. I really loved him in Good Will Hunting, Dead Poet's Society and Aladdin but like a lot of other people he'll always be Mork to me .. he was just amazing. A truly lovely person too by all accounts. It is such a sad, sad time .. and absolutely tragic for his family.

Lovely pics The little ones are just adorable .. and so are the big ones

I will be hopeful too then Kate

I saw it too on Facebook .. isn't it wonderful So much work in it .. must have taken forever. I wouldn't want to cut it

We absolutely would bobbly

Yes .. we're all a bit head in the sand or sometimes .. with regards to the planet .. we think that whatever we do won't make much difference .. especially when we look at China etc with all their pollution and environmental issues etc. But if we actually understood that we personally are probably responsible for doing serious harm to wildlife etc then I think we would start thinking more seriously about it.

One Of Our Thursday's Is Missing by Jasper Fforde Amazon's Synopsis: It is a time of unrest in the BookWorld. Only the diplomatic skills of ace literary detective Thursday Next can avert a devastating genre war. But a week before the peace talks, Thursday vanishes. Has she simply returned home to the RealWorld or is this something more sinister? All is not yet lost. Living at the quiet end of speculative fiction is the written Thursday Next, eager to prove herself worthy of her illustrious namesake. The fictional Thursday is soon hot on the trail of her factual alter-ego, and quickly stumbles upon a plot so fiendish that it threatens the very BookWorld itself. Review: I'm quite impressed with myself actually for tackling this while my mojo was still in the recovery position. I usually have to hang on tight but this time had to put on rubber gloves for extra grip. I know from the outset though that I'm not going to get everything .. bits of it will whizz over my head but these books are for life .. not just for Christmas .. they will benefit from many re-reads and there's immense pleasure to be had in studying them. A smile is never far off and sentences are continually re-read .. not only for understanding but for pure enjoyment ... you can't help marvelling at the wordplay. Simple sentences just give me the chuckles .. like when Thursday (the written Thursday that is .. as per the blurb) is talking about her housekeeper Mrs Malaprop who has immense difficulty in making herself understood .. she says ... 'It was painfully difficult for her, and if Sheridan had known the misery that using acyrologia in a comedic situation would bring, he would possibly have thought butter of it'. There's always fun to be poked at literary characters too and amongst others here we have three Dostoyevskivites who turn up at Thursday's on their way home from a 'redemption-through-suffering training course' Thursday recognises Raskolnikov (from Crime and Punishment) straight away .. 'Welcome to my home, Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov' 'Oh!' said Raskolnikov, impressed that I knew who he was. 'How did you know it was me? Could it have been the subtle way in which I project the dubious moral notion that murder might somehow be rationalised, or the way in which I move from denying any guilt to eventually coming to terms with an absolute sense of justice and submitting myself to the rule of law?' 'Neither,' I said. 'It's because you're holding an axe covered in blood and human hair.' I wasn't sure actually where I'd last left Thursday .. it had been a while .. so I had to go read the synopsis of the last book again to familiarize myself with her situation. This proved to be unnecessary in a way as we don't spend any time with her in this book. She is actually .. as the title suggests .. missing and it's left to the written Thursday to find out where she is. Or is it the written Thursday? Perhaps she is the actual Thursday but unaware of it .. maybe she's suffering from 'Bobby Ewing' syndrome She'd like to find out that she is the real Thursday because then she could partake of some truly authentic canoodling with her own husband Landen Parke-Laine in the RealWorld. She's only ever participated in written passion which is a million miles away from the actuality of it .. or so she's been told. Landen thinks she could be the real Thursday too which gives her hope and encouragement but her task as it stands is to find out what happened to the real Thursday and this means taking on the sinister 'men in plaid'. The book does have a different tone because we're in the company of the written Thursday (if she is? .. oh sorry .. I'm boggling your head now ) She is like a toned down version though it does all get madcap towards the end and there's a car chase and the usual mayhem and lots of delicious book talk (and she has a fabulous sidekick .. Sprockett .. a mechanical butler). I missed the real Thursday and her real family/friends .. the written Pickwick is actually played here by the bespectacled know-it-all dodo in Alice .. very unlike the real Pickwick who is incredibly endearing and has always made me long for a pet dodo I wouldn't say it was my favourite of the series but it was still hugely enjoyable. I loved the BookWorld map at the front ... inspired. I feel bad actually as this was the signed copy I got from Jasper himself when it was published so I really should have put my mind to reading it before now. He did a whole talk about it so it would have been a good idea to crack on with it but I made it hard for myself instead. 4/5 Always a pleasure and a challenge to read Jasper (for me that is .. never make the mistake of comparing your own abilities with mine though )

I love the sound of this I don't read enough illustrated books though I love them. I'll look out for this one Love the sound of the short stories too. Oh Lord! ... this is going to be tough on my wishlist

Great book Claire and that is a brilliant opening sentence We did something like this a few years back but these categories look more interesting .. I can't wait to see what you put down for category 22 :D

This is exciting news Claire I bet they've done their homework and found that a bookaholic lives nearby Look forward to finding out more ... is there a cafe nearby? Perhaps Alan and I can come visit next time xx

Brilliant news Julie

It's definitely that Deborah Hope you enjoy xx Again .. hope you enjoy it Gaia xx I think someone has read it on here ... think that's where I heard about it Oh Lord! I should keep a note of these things. Glad you enjoy the reviews .. they're little more than scribbles really but at least I've managed to get something written down. I know .. I read the same sentence about five times and then give it up as a bad job I highly recommend ocean sounds Thanks Karen It was quite a scary read .. I was horribly fascinated I was wondering today if anything I've personally chucked away has ever been responsible for choking or poisoning a fish/bird etc Ear buds apparently do extensive damage .. the little blue sticks. Also those rings you get around beer cans. Maybe we'd all make changes if we could actually see the damage for ourselves .. like that table of shame they always show to people who need to lose weight .. full of cake and pie when they reckon they've only eaten salad all week I thought I was a responsible shopper/recycler etc but this has made me think again. It's hopeless isn't it? The longer you leave it the harder it gets Good luck bobbs and

I will write you into my toast book Yes .. that'd be good .. get your own copy to keep within the family .. for all the future Karjalainen's to see. Think I might get some abuse instead ... about cat poo .. though Molly always uses her own toilet .. there are some less scrupulous kitties in the neighbourhood and she gets the blame sometimes which is unfair as she hardly ventures further than our garden. If next door every decide to write a book then they might well kick off about the cat hairs on their picnic blanket They will leave it out all the time and Molly likes lying on it ... when I see her I try and coax her in but not even cheese sticks will get her to move .. it's mortifying. I think she thinks that they put it out for her. She is totally unadventurous but when she sees that blanket .. she makes a break for it That's nice ... it's a very secure feeling when you have family living nearby. When I was little I lived practically in the same road as my Nan and Granddad and also Aunt and Uncle and cousins. My other Nan and Granddad lived there too for a time so I know what you mean .. we always got together and my other cousins were always around. We're still close as a result but the next generation hardly know each other .. they all live far apart now. I can see you now sledding down that hill with your hair streaming behind you We did have a hill nearby but opportunities to sled were few and we weren't equipped .. Dad had to hastily put something (lethal ) together for us to be able to sled. I had a brilliant Wendy house though as Dad worked at Shepperton film studios and he made me a little house and painted bricks on it and everything .. I had a director's chair with 'Yul Bryner' written on it =) When we moved though we couldn't take the wendy house with us and my cousin got it My first home was taken away from me Good plan .. Tessu might have had more adventures =) Oh I see it =D You can just about make out the sign as it's in shade. Lovely looking houses .. his in particular =) Oh phew .. that's alright then. Skirts!!!??!! Blimey! Look out world! =) Wouldn't that be the best .. we would probably still wet ourselves but this time with excitement =D I'm sure I would have adored seeing them. Oh well .. something to aim for =D

You lucky girl .. what a great looking apartment! Sauna and crosstrainer and everything (will you get time to read now? ) I'm so happy for you .. it's brilliant. Hope the job works out too ... my oh my ... what a lot of changes to cope with! A new city too to find your way around .. very exciting. A new chapter for you lovely I'm glad that there will be someone you know nearby ... he can give you the lowdown on the area etc. First thing to find out .. where's the nearest chippy store

Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes Amazon's Synopsis: Berlin, Summer 2011. Adolf Hitler wakes up on a patch of open ground, alive and well. Things have changed - no Eva Braun, no Nazi party, no war. Hitler barely recognises his beloved Fatherland, filled with immigrants and run by a woman. People certainly recognise him, albeit as a flawless impersonator who refuses to break character. The unthinkable, the inevitable happens, and the ranting Hitler goes viral, becomes a YouTube star, gets his own T.V. show, and people begin to listen. But the Führer has another programme with even greater ambition - to set the country he finds a shambles back to rights. Look Who's Back stunned and then thrilled 1.5 million German readers with its fearless approach to the most taboo of subjects. Naive yet insightful, repellent yet strangely sympathetic, the revived Hitler unquestionably has a spring in his step. Review: Very clever and very funny although also quite disturbing. The narrative is with Hitler so there is a fair bit of totally OTT ranting (mostly about the state of the world today and you are in constant danger of agreeing with him .. which is alarming ) but most of it so ridiculous as to be comical and the reader laughs AT him not with him or at least for most of the time. It did make me feel uncomfortable at times but then it is satire and as such there are or should be no taboos. This is just one more resurrected monster but in any case, you will know what you're comfortable with. There was a very poignant part actually when his Goth secretary .. a character I came to like immensely even though she peppers her sentences liberally with OMG's and LOL's.. had a heart to heart with her Jewish gran and found out all about the atrocities carried out by the Nazi's .. she is absolutely heartbroken (not that she believes this is the real Hitler .. nobody but himself believes that .. but so far she has seen his 'act' as just harmless entertainment) but Hitler's own reaction to this and subsequent reassurances enforces what we already know to be true, he could be a very charismatic and persuasive man. He's on a mission to rebuild the Fatherland but it's going to take some time and he is starting from scratch. Obviously you have to suspend disbelief quite a bit for it to work which is not something I'm good at in general but there was just enough interest in the writing for me to do that .. though there were also lulls and a few 'wandering off' points I'm not sure it quite delivers on it's early promise .. I was wanting a definite conclusion which didn't come (to be honest I was wishing some kind of dreadful judgement on him.) It was quite disturbing though and perhaps more sobering than the content had been up to that point. It does leave you feeling uncomfortable. One thing I did learn was that German daytime TV is every bit as awful .. if not worse .. than British daytime TV .. that's a comfort anyway 4/5

The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker Amazon's Synopsis: Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master, the husband who commissioned her, dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York in 1899. Ahmad is a djinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free – an unbreakable band of iron binds him to the physical world. The Golem & The Djinni is their magical, unforgettable story; unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures – until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful threat will soon bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Review: Great, great storytelling. I'm not always entirely at home in fantasy but this is the kind I love. Most of you will know that I'm not that happy or comfortable in other worlds but for the most part this story takes place in New York so that made it more enjoyable for me because there's something extra intriguing about a golem and a djinni .. let loose in New York. I do love a bit of magical realism Whenever I put the book down I couldn't wait to pick it up again and I wasn't sure where it was going to take me which I liked as it's always a disappointment when you can second guess the outcome. It's quite a large book and a sprawling story but that was never a problem .. I was engrossed. Chava and Ahmad are obviously unusual but, after their initial introduction, you get so involved with their story lines that you almost forget that these beings aren't human. That is you know they're not .. there are plenty of incidents to remind you but you connect with them emotionally. Chava especially is a brilliant character .. I loved her. What a terrific concept to have her brought to life on the ship taking her to New York .. her owner was told not to do this but he couldn't help himself and then of course (for the purposes of the story for which I'm very grateful to him ) he dies leaving her without a master. Ahmad has taken the long .. thousands of years .. route to New York encased in his flask. This was the one thing that was obvious from the outset .. you know they are on a collision course .. there's a great sense of anticipation about it. A bonus to the story was the setting .. turn of the century New York which was very vibrantly bought to life with all its sights and smells. Being as how Chava is new to the world and Ahmad is free although trapped and out of his time .. they question the world they now find themselves in so the story gets quite philosophical, also, of course, it's imperative that no-one knows their true identities .. though this proves difficult. If anyone finds out how to control Chava for instance .. the results could well be catastrophic for her and the city at large. Extremely enjoyable. Hope the author keeps up the standard. 5/5

Will try to get some other thoughts down about books read Bear with though Long time since I've read them and all that

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman Book Blurb: How would the world change if human beings vanished from the earth right now, for good? What would the planet be like in a day, a week, a month .. a millennium? Just how long will our greatest achievements and our biggest mistakes last after we are gone? Review: I've just finished reading this for July's RC (more thoughts here .. beware of polluting spoilers ) It wouldn't usually be my thing but it's nice to challenge yourself once in a while and frighten yourself into the bargain. Anyone who has owned their own home or had the responsibility of maintaining one will know that nature is always trying to reclaim it. If you don't keep on top of things like painting woodwork, fixing roof tiles and trimming back climbers then it's only a matter of time before you've got serious problems. So it was no surprise to learn that .. if for any reason we are wiped out by a deadly virus or hit by an asteroid or raptured or whatever .. it wouldn't be long before most of our houses start tumbling. Nature would have no respect for that lovely rolltop bath I've installed or my Laura Ashley wallpaper ... it also couldn't care less about spotty teapots .. nope .. once my roof tiles have gone (and .. they're pretty iffy as it stands .. the aerial man did damage ) and rain comes in .. it's all downhill. To be honest not many of our inventions or achievements would last long to tell the tale of our existence to any future visitors to planet Earth. Except that is for a couple of notable exceptions .. the first of which is plastic 'except for a small amount that's been incinerated .. every bit of plastic manufactured in the world for the last fifty years or so still remains. It's somewhere in the environment' Oh! .. well done us! We've invented something that can't break down .. no matter what nature throws at it .. and which almost always invariably ends up in the ocean polluting the waters and poisoning the fish!! It's a pretty sobering thought that most of the irreversible damage we've inflicted on the world has been done during the last 100 years less than that actually The other thing we can pat ourselves on the back for is the discovery of nuclear energy. The book is full of astounding statistics about the amount of radio-active waste that is dumped and stored all over the world. You can't get rid of it of course .. it'll be here to tell the tale zillions of years from now. A lot of former nuclear sites have been turned into wildlife sanctuaries .. this to me is sickening .. it may seem to the world that this is recompense but unlike humans the animals flock to these places unaware of the dangers and the result is sick and ailing animals and mutant strains .. some divers have reported seeing angel fish around the Johnston Atoll with their usual beautiful chevron stripes on one side and a cubist nightmare on the other Toxic waste has also been linked to the increase of hermaphroditism in polar bears Also we're doing untold damage to the bird population with pylons, glass plate buildings, communications towers and power cables. But ultimately animals are resilient .. they will find a way of dealing with these problems and also .. for the most part .. be happy without us. Some will die out but many will thrive and some might even return from extinction. Anyway, suffice to say there is lots of food for thought here .. theories on what will happen to our rivers and seas and underground subways etc .. and how long it would take for the world to recover from the impact of man. Very interesting but at times confusing .. for me anyway (as I am hopeless when it comes to nuclear physics .. just the words alone make my head form knots ) and like a lot of detailed, factual books it can drag in places. 3/5

Rain would probably have that effect on me .. or a waterfall but the tidal noise is more mixed and you do get that nice hissing sound of the waves retreating which I was hoping for. I did try and watch TV recently and read because I desperately wanted to read but I also desperately wanted to watch the Commonwealth Games. It was no good though .. the commentators would just keep bleating on It's just constant chatter (mind you .. it would be a bit boring for everyone else if the events took place in virtual silence ) I can't read at my Mum and Dad's either because Mum is always talking .. the TV is on full blast as well cos Dad is a bit deaf plus the radio is on fairly loudly in the kitchen When I get to bed I'm too whacked out with all the talking/TV noise to read I've stopped taking my book when I visit them .. or it goes along just for a change of scenery

It is one of those books that wouldn't suffer at all from being abridged. However, I didn't mind the pages and pages of minute detail .. I was quite happy hearing about every plank and screw etc. Not sure why .. it captured me I suppose