poppyshake

On the one hand but on the other hand I think I might look into it all the same though .. thanks for the suggestion Raven

My review written in 2011. I'll just add that, reading the book, won't put you in mind of the Isle of Wight ... but it will confirm any ideas you may have had (and I have plenty on the subject) that the Isle of Wight is the place to go to when all else fails .. a place of refuge. I have a great fondness for the place (we go every year .. sometimes twice .. whenever possible) and would love to live there one day so I'd happily hot foot it (well .. you can't actually .. you have to take the ferry ) across to the island at the first sign of trouble. Because I love the place, I'll also be looking at the other books associated with the county. Review: I'm not one for science fiction, anything written in code gives me the horrors, but I am liking the classic sci-fi books very much and this one was no exception. The plotline was familiar, I think it's probably given birth to hundreds of disaster movies/TV dramas since, but this is the original and one of the best. The concept of reducing the (almost) entire human race to little more than helpless, sightless, babies, staggering around and falling prey to a legion of carrion eating plants is a terrifying one, the real stuff of nightmares. Also terrifying was how quickly the people left acquired a 'dog eat dog' mentality, you can imagine that happening. My mind did have little niggling doubts (it's amazing how the mind can find the notion of walking plants perfectly rational but have trouble with the details.) I thought, for a start, the likelihood was that there would have been a lot more sighted people - more children for instance, unconscious people, rock stars who always manage to lose a week every month and the inhabitants of Swindon sleeping off a three day bender - also I didn't think that people would have become suicidal so quickly .. is it likely that a doctor would throw himself out of a window just because he had gone blind? Human nature fights for survival usually and it's not as if he didn't know that there were still sighted people left .. and why would they ever allow the triffids to establish?, ok at first they were a curiosity and in typical greedy style we found a way to profit by them but to let them start walking around ... that's unwise .. get the DDT out (I'm not advocating this in general .. I've very much with Joni on this point but desperate times call for desperate measures.) plus wouldn't they have been tripping over dead bodies eventually?, there was only ever a handful of people outside but then, science fiction always calls for a huge amount of suspended disbelief, and I can do that when the story is as good as this one. I liked the love story, it seemed convincing and natural in the circumstances. Though feisty, Josella wasn't the sort of of kick ass, kung fu type of heroine that sets my teeth on edge (the sort of woman.. not to be too indelicate .. that does cartwheels and climbs ladders in white trousers when Auntie Flo is visiting .. and doesn't sit in a corner hunched in a ball of misery with a knife clenched between her teeth like normal people.) She was a nice mix of capable and vulnerable. The ending was a surprise because it was ambiguous. I was expecting a clear cut ending and actually had something in mind which I thought was going to sort the little wretches out, possibly I got this from a film version or something. It didn't spoil it for me though, if anything I preferred it, I liked the uncertainty of it all. Of course it does make you eye everything in your garden with suspicion, and I'm definitely more wary of going out into it (bother .. why do I have to have hedges .. perfect camouflage for the blighters) ... the crash helmet is probably unnecessary but I can't afford to take chances. Highly enjoyable in a shivery, hide behind your pillow, sort of way (I must just add here that I am quite capable of being scared by my own shadow .. allowances have to be made for me being a bit of a custard .. I have never ever watched any of the Nightmare on Elm Street/Scream sort of films .... If I did sleep would be a thing of the past.) The Midwich Cuckoos and The Chrysalids are also on my TBR's and if there anything like as good as this I'm in for a treat. 9/10

I read this in 2012 and loved it, one of the best classics I've read and a surprising favourite as I didn't think it would be for me at all Review: Why didn't you tell me about this book before? Why did I wait so long to read it?.. and why didn't I read it before I compiled my bestest books list? .. it definitely deserves to be on it. As usual with books I love I'm probably going to ramble on for ages so the short bit is here .. It's fantastic .. I would lick it copiously if it wasn't for the fear that licking Dracula might be bad for me Apologies in advance for all the spoilers which make for a rather jumpy review but when I love a book it all just comes blabbing out. It's one of the drawbacks of loving a book, if it was Madame Bovary I could just say 'meh' and have done I don't know what I was expecting, something a bit hammy I think. I've never really seen the films, I don't watch or read horror although I do like vintage horror films because nine times out of ten they're really quite unintentionally funny .. The Fly for instance .. that cracks me up. But I think Dracula passed me by ... I have half remembered images of Christopher Lee thrashing about with Peter Cushing .. but it's all quite vague. Somehow it made me feel that the book wouldn't be worth reading .. or wouldn't be my cup of tea. But the title always appears on all the best lists and has a fearsome reputation so it's obvious that if you want to have at least a stab ( ) at reading the cream of literature then this book is a must. What struck me first was the beauty of the writing .. gorgeous atmospheric stuff, very gothic as you would expect but nicely balanced especially early on with the more everyday gossipy correspondence between Lucy and Mina. From the start I was terrified. Jonathan's journey to the castle along the Borgo Pass with all the villagers crossing themselves and flinging crucifixes about and then that image of the count exiting from a window and crawling down the building like a reptile just made my hair stand on end. I liked the way that the story was written from several viewpoints .. the narrative taken mostly from the journals and letters of those involved .. it gives a real insight into their individual characters. I also loved how the reader was one step ahead, at least for a time (a very unusual position for me to be in I can tell you.) It made me agitated but in a good way, in a 'look it's behind you' type way .. I wanted to rap loudly on their heads to make them see what was (literally) outside their own window. I mean puncture marks in the neck! ... and a big bat outside every time they looked! ... even I would have been hot footing it to the supermarket for garlic. Now the other thing I liked about it is that Stoker doesn't pull any punches with his villain. Not for him this wishy washy notion of vampires/werewolves that can temper their urges because they're in love .. Dracula doesn't have a social conscience. He would just as likely bite his own mother and nowhere is this better illustrated than with the sad decline of ... It's a quite terrifying image. As soon as the name Van Helsing was mentioned I knew he was the hero of the piece because even my dim brain had heard of him. He seemed a bit like Poirot, in that he had that same cool, calm and calculating way about him and spoke in a similarly broken English. I learnt very early on to trust him although I did occasionally have doubts .. .. I could see problems there. But then medical matters in fiction are always a minefield.. I've learnt to accept most things after seeing Daphne in Neighbours give birth without taking her tights off. Van Helsing was pretty Sherlockian in his deductions which is interesting because Stoker was good friends with Conan Doyle. He was a bit more collaborative though in his quest ... collecting around him a band of heroes (and heroines) all devoted to the cause and all equally determined to seek out and vanquish the demon Count. The one thing I swore I wouldn't do was read this at night .. but the story was just too gripping I had to read on. It gave me the chills like no other book but then as I said I rarely, if ever, read horror. When I read what had to be done to poor ... .. but all he could say was that he didn't know if the Co-op Funeralcare offered that service, perhaps a really potent vindaloo last supper might suffice I only have one slight criticism and that was that the ending didn't quite live up to my expectations after the build up. I expected there to be a bigger struggle, not from the Count necessarily but from .. It didn't make me think less of the book though, I think I was expecting too much or had let my ridiculous imagination run riot in a territory it never usually wanders in. I've made a lot of feeble jokes which is always a sign that the book I'm reviewing freaked me out somewhat. I have to make light of horror or I'm done for ... but really this was just a gloriously rich and spine chilling piece of literature. The language used in particular .. all the different dialects and styles .. was just fantastic. I'm enjoying the books I'm reading now but to be truthful they are paling in comparison somewhat. It turns out Bram Stoker is a hard act to follow. I must just say a word about this particular gorgeous edition .. the Penguin Classic Deluxe no less. It was such a pleasure to read from. Not only are the front and back covers beautifully illustrated in gorgeous colours but the pages are all uncut which makes it very tactile. 10/10

So I hardly dare ask .. but as you're speeding on with it, it looks encouraging so I will. How's it going?

I don't know if this will help but .. at that rate .. it'll take you two months

What a nice friend He sounds very confident that you'll like it .. so let's hope you do. The reviews for it look good Is this a writer you've read before Steve?

Love the Wonderground Underground map Claire .. thanks for posting the link

Finished my audio of Jennifer Saunders reading her biography Bonkers ... need to work out what to download next .. possibly will go with Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. Getting on well with On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin .. very evocative writing. Also listened to a play this afternoon called Spoonface Steinberg (by Lee Hall) ... absolutely astonishing performance by the narrator, eleven year old Becky Simpson. It's a story about a seven year old autistic girl who is terminally ill. I've not heard it before but it was first performed in 1997 and such was the audience reaction to it that BBC Radio 4 repeated it the following week. It's available on iPlayer for a while .. I'll put a link in .. well worth listening to if you have 60 mins to spare.

Very, very, pleased to hear that your re-visit was a happy one Great review Willoyd! I agree with you, I think this is one of the few Dicken's stories where he doesn't go overboard on the sentimentality and it's all the better for it. I have never really got on with his other Christmas stories though .. perhaps I ought to re-read them this year

It doesn't really reflect Devon at all but it's nice to see Agatha represented and in her hometown too I read it earlier last year and enjoyed it enormously Review: Fantastic! I enjoyed this even more than The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and particularly so because there was no Poirot or Miss Marple in the case. There’s an added excitement in knowing that the ten strangers have got to work out for themselves who amongst them is the killer (you'd imagine it was the last man/woman standing wouldn't you? .. hmmm .. well .. I'm not saying anything ). Is it really one of them or could it be someone else mysteriously hidden from view?. It's a real race against time as they’re getting picked off rather rapidly. Agatha loves to incorporate nursery rhymes into her plots and each of these (potential suspects/victims) have the 'Ten Little Soldiers' rhyme pinned above the fireplace in their bedrooms .. leaving them in no doubt as to the fate of the next in line (though the rhyme is suitably ambiguous .. it sent me up the garden path more than once ) Of course they are rather conveniently stranded on an island making escape impossible, even the weather has turned against them. Obviously tension is high but there's an added brooding suspense concerning the crimes that these ten were accused of by their unseen host. Originally they all brush off the allegations but it's not long before their consciences start to prick uncomfortably. Despite the rhyme, I didn’t have a clue, of course I didn’t .. I never do unless it’s obvious. It's all gloriously well crafted, how she got all the strands to come together I'll never know. I devoured it in an evening .. it was unputdownable. After investing all that concentration and bitten nails the one thing I was dreading was 'a disappointing ending' ... thankfully my fears were groundless. I believe the book has undergone several title (and therefore rhyme) changes as it’s original titles were deemed offensive .. that seems a shame in a way though I can understand the reasons for it. Hands down, it’s the best murder mystery I’ve read. 5/5

*drools*

Me either .. I'm glad I'm not contributing to the smartphone overspend

Oh I really like Samantha Bond .. many moons ago I saw an adaptation of Mansfield Park where she played Maria and have followed her ever since (not literally of course .. they have laws against that sort of thing nowadays ) Very exciting .. I saw the trailer and noticed Victoria Pendleton .. I wonder if she's better at baking than dancing? Just looked at the line up .. some interesting names. Jane Horrocks strikes me as being quite meticulous so she could be good .. ahh little Ginny Weasley is baking The one I'm not looking forward to (and will boo and hiss at) is Jason Gardiner .. I know people compare him with Craig but there is no comparison in my book I hope he makes a dog's dinner of it and incurs the wrath of Paul & Mary I don't know if I like the idea of other comedians hosting with Sue .. much prefer it to be Mel but it is all in a good cause so mustn't grumble .. if I can help it

I think with Jeffrey .. I'm not anti because of the scandal necessarily .. it's just I've never liked him so couldn't imagine I'd like anything he wrote. To a lesser extent I thought that about Gyles Brandreth too but his (fiction) books turned out to be very good reads so

That sounds good Claire I like an un-taxing and relaxing book .. there should be more of them Oxfam can be a bit pricey like you say but then I like the way they organise books etc and usually find little gems in our local one (because .. not that I'm being snobby or anything .. I always think that book lovers take their cast offs there .. I certainly do .. but then I only ever give them the ones I don't like ) and like you say £2.49 is still extremely reasonable and you're helping people too so big pats on the back all round

ooh .. recipe please

Yes .. brilliant movie. I always try to catch it when it's on

Yes .. brilliant characters. That bit about them changing underpants when they were at the cabin .. I thought I would die Thanks frankie

Lord I love these .. ate one box but have another which I'm trying to ignore until I can do my zip up

I don't much like the orange or strawberry creams or the out and out gooey caramelly ones without nuts

True No change there then

Finished Beyond the Great Indoors by Ingvar Ambjornsen and laughed so much at the last few chapters that it was impossible to sleep afterwards. Started On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin and that sobered me up as it is much more serious .. good story too

Yes ...thanks poppy 'tis my absolute favourite Toast talks to me in exactly the same way (well .. all except the canaries )

Yes, well ... let them look for us then We can achieve the same results but it'll be cheaper.

Well yes .. me too .. and I have no problem with them spending a lot of money .. it's just they spend squillions and yet we still can't solve simple problems like too much water/not enough water, too much food/not enough food. It's just .. some of the stuff they do .. seems like the stuff you'd only look into if everything on your planet was ok. For instance .. if I liken the scientists budget to my Sainsbury's shopping budget .. it should work something like this ... A fairly generous weekly shop Extra money for treats .. possibly some cupcakes, a scotch egg and the latest food magazine Some floating candles A book/CD/DVD ... now that's where it should stop (and I'm being generous cos I don't always get to have the treats) .. no shovelling in a bottle of limoncello (just to see what it's like) or trying out the new anti-wrinkle serum (or anything with the word serum in it) and definitely no microwave, set of matching crockery or dressing gown. I would stand there looking at the scientists receipt and ask 'do you really need this?' I'd have the budget sorted out it no time There'd be no limits on their budget for sorting out world/health related issues though. In effect they would be able to buy the limoncello and some blinis and caviar to go with Yes and this always will remain a fact .. they will never be changing their minds (though they will change their minds regularly over whether salt/sugar/fat/carbs/wine/women/song are good/bad for you )