vodkafan
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Posts posted by vodkafan
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An Irish comedy horror film called Grabbers. Hilarious and good cgi too
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I'm obsessed with zombies at the minute as well. (I say at the minute, but i really mean years.) Have you watched Zombieland? (Its amazing!)
Hey JK have you seen a Dutch film called Kill Zombie? It is pretty funny. I also have Gangsters, Guns And Zombies but haven't watched it yet
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Hi Abby nice to see you back
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How was Warm Bodies? It looks funny and I admit I would like to see it
Not a lot of plot but nothing to really dislike about it either, a mild teenage take on the zombie genre. Your daughter will probably like it.
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Happy Birthday Steve! Can't believe you are 47 mate you look 10 years younger
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I watched Warm Bodies yesterday at the cinema and Looper today on dvd
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A lot of people have been defending Oscar Pistorius but personally I don't think he has a leg to stand on...
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Our Dancing Days by Lucy English
Quirky and rather interesting novel set in the 1970s. It tells the story of a group of friends who meet in the 60s in the time of hippies, free love and lots of smoking dope. One of them (Don) is left a crumbling and ramshackle manor house (St Johns) in rural East Anglia. Obviously they start a commune (that was what one did in those days) so they could grow their own food. Initially there is Don, Dee-Dee and Tessa (who tells the story in flashback). They are joined by Jack, who is charismatic and knows it all. A rhythm builds based on the seasons with plenty in the summer and cold and scarcity in the winter.
Into this mix comes Helen and her 5 year old daughter Beauty. Helen doesn't have a clue and Beauty is completely out of control. There follows a cycle of seasons, gardening, fairs and the ups and downs of communal life.
Twenty years later Tessa is an artist and she is commissioned to make some drawings of country houses in East Anglia; one of them being St Johns, now updated, modern and comfortable; owned by a discontented well to do couple. As she sketches she recalls the dissolution of the commune; the intrusion of the practicalities of real life, human frailty, a terrible tragedy and most of all betrayal.
I did enjoy this; it was well written and all of the characters were believeable, not one dimensional. It is a fable telling of loss of innocence and the ending of a dream of community and its replacement with a cynical individualism.
7 and a half out of 10
Starting Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Sounds really interesting Books Do.
Will put this one on my wishlist.
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I finally finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë last night. It took me three weeks! It was very good!
I need to read The Woman in Black for the RC - I'm very behind!
I also need to read The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings for my 'real life' book club - the trouble is, I'm not in the mood for either of them at the moment! 
Is that an actual social group of people that you go and discuss books with Janet? What is that like?
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The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
I did like it at the start, but actually stopped reading it for a couple of days at one point, and when I restarted, I realised I hadn't missed it at all. I almost stopped reading it, but decided to keep going, and I'm glad I finished it, but have to say that was a week ago, and since then I've thought less and less fondly of it, which has resulted in this very negative review. I think if I'd reviewed it immediately, I might have been a bit more generous, but as I'm writing this and remembering it, I'm liking it less and less. Still, at 20p for the Kindle version, I'm not going to worry too much about it, and you have to find books you don't enjoy in order to appreciate the ones you do better!
I will have to read this one next now Claire to see if I agree with you!
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I searched Longbourn but couldn't find anything, but have you seen this, Claire?
Hey this is great news I am really excited about this. I am very into servants at the moment by coincidence, I have been reading lots of memoirs.
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I don't know. I have been busy last few sundays and have missed all since the first two episodes.
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I would pay postage and costs for a second hand H frame Bree!
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I've seen similar worn-out ones here James!
Not in a shop though.
Wouldn't the frames get you a bit stiff-backed on long hikes?
It's all about getting the proper fit. You can get long and short back H frames. No they can be very comfortable. But any rucksack that doesn't fit you properly can hurt you. It is about loading your spine after all.
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They look rugged - lovely ones!
I think I'm beginning to understand why you like them so much
I guess I like them the way women like handbags. I can't help it.
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Later on in the 60's and 70's the "H" frame became all the rage. This was derived from the loads carried by the Ghurkas ! carried very high on the back . This is my favourite type, very comfy
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Here are pictures of an external frame ruck. They were popular in the 1930s-50s. But the design goes back much further, I have seen a Norwegian one dating from 1890's .This is an "A" frame as the frame looks like an A .
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Here is my everyday comfy German rucksack. It has no frame at all. The pockets are useful size.
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Ah the Kestrel is an internal frame very modern. Contoured back. Was it comfy?
I found this for North Face. Did your old ruck look anything like this? Which did you prefer?
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Thanks for explaining vodkafan - I don't know much about the technical words - but I do love looking at different backpack designs.
I had a faithful Northface which I finally retired - and recently got a gorgeous green Osprey Kestrel.
It's perfect for short-travels and for hiking.
Not sure what frame that is though!
I will look them up try find some pictures!
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The word is almost the same in Norwegian and Swedish too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpack
To answer your question Bree I have a changing collection of rucksacks. I like to try different ones but I never have more than 2 or 3 at any one time.
At the moment I have the one I just bought to give to my daughter;
then a 1970's shortback "H" external frame rucksack;
my "soft" comfy everyday rucksack based on a wartime german design
and a Swedish ex-army surplus military backpack, which is crap.
The ones I am looking out for are old longback H frame and A frame rucksacks, I used to have them years ago but now they are very rare, nobody makes them any more.
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I read the book many years ago and loved it. Watched the film for the first time only last year and a lot of the plot details had slipped my mind. But I enjoyed the film too. I think it did the spirit of the book justice even if not 100% accurate. Both highly original.
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Perfume - Patrick Suskind
I read this late last year, was certainly different to the movie! When I think back I think I enjoyed the movie more than the book, not to say the book wasn't bad. Look forward to reading your thoughts when you get around to reading it.
This is actually a re-read for me! I got it because 2 of my kids were fascinated by the film and thought they might want to read it.
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Alone in Berlin is a fantastic book in my opinion and you got a real bargain picking it up for what you paid.
Ditto what Brian says, it's a brilliant book.
I had never heard of it. But the blurb on the back cover sounded interesting . It sort of ties in with the world of The Book Thief, which I have not long read, so it seemed destiny that it should fall into my hand.
When the Film was better than the Book
in General Book Discussions
Posted
About A Boy ! I thought the book was a bit of a mess but the film made more sense to me