Poppyshake's Reading Year 2013

[poppyshake]

   Here is a link to my review for The Bell Jar .. which I read *whispers* last November    

[Athena]

I was wondering why it was in your 2012 topic . Isn't it difficult to write a review when it's been a while since you've read the book? Personally I find it the easiest to either take notes or to write the review soon after I've finished the book (or both).

[poppyshake]

It was mostly already written .. I found it in an email draft  ... there are a couple of others there too which I missed from last year. I'll see if I can shape them up into anything tolerable

I'm the same too .. unless the book is standout .. and sometimes even then ... I can't remember a thing about it a month or two later. This is I think (and big pats on the back all round  ) because we read so many stories and, just like my book organisation, I file them all haphazardly in my brain.

[willoyd]

Congratulations on finishing LesMis. I've been listening to Don Quixote on and off for about a year now, and I know how much energy it can take - more than I've certainly had till now! Loved the review - I've been meaning to read it for some time, but haven't quite got round to it, but that's certainly encouraged me big time.

 

But be careful.....

but I do still want to go (but the next time she starts .. I'll say .. 'yes .. but have you read the book? .. no? .. well the book is better than all of them so .. take that and party!!'     [/font]

.

'cos she may come back and say you haven't read it either (!). (You know how people can split hairs when put in that position!).

Edited September 27, 2013 by willoyd

[poppyshake]

Congratulations on finishing LesMis. I've been listening to Don Quixote on and off for about a year now, and I know how much energy it can take - more than I've certainly had till now! Loved the review - I've been meaning to read it for some time, but haven't quite got round to it, but that's certainly encouraged me big time.

Thanks Will .. I think you'll enjoy it .. hope so anyway.

But be careful......

'cos she may come back and say you haven't read it either (!). (You know how people can split hairs when put in that position!).

She won't know .. I won't elaborate    anyway I reckon I took far more in than I would have done if I had tried to read it myself .. those French verses for instance .. I almost understood them

[willoyd]

[anyway I reckon I took far more in than I would have done if I had tried to read it myself [/font]

Yes, I find that sometimes. I think that it's partly because you can't skim over sections: you are effectively reading every word (as long as you keep listening!). I have also found that a good reader can make a difficult book so much more understandable sometimes. A bit like going to see a good Shakespeare performance - it suddenly all makes sense!

[poppyshake]

Yes, I find that sometimes. I think that it's partly because you can't skim over sections: you are effectively reading every word (as long as you keep listening!). I have also found that a good reader can make a difficult book so much more understandable sometimes. A bit like going to see a good Shakespeare performance - it suddenly all makes sense!

I definitely need to see a good performance .. I've only ever seen Shakespeare performed by am-drams.

[poppyshake]

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Amazon Synopsis: Ever since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, The Sound and the Fury has been considered one of the key novels of this century. Depicting the gradual disintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narratives, The Sound and the Fury explores intense, passionate family relationships where there is no love, only self-centredness. At its heart this is a novel about lovelessness - 'only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would forget it. What else is there in this world sharp enough to stick to your guts?'

Review: I am nothing if not tenacious However much I wanted to give up I still managed to grit my teeth and plough on (for two reasons really .. one was that it's on the 1001  and the other was that I had luggged it home from the library and I hate doing that for no reason.) The synopsis above makes it sound brilliant .. it's the 'four fractured narratives' however that were my biggest headache .. two of them in particular. If I hadn't gone back to read the intro (about midway through the first narrative .. after all hope had left ) I think I would have abandoned but the intro gave me a few pointers that were of help. The first one being that the narrative I was reading was the stream of consciousness babble of Benjy .. the Compson's imbecile son (in hindsight I'm not entirely convinced by this but that's neither here nor there). It mentioned that the fog would clear a little when the narrative was taken over by another son, Quentin, after about sixty pages. The fog didn't clear though or not as much as I was hoping .. it was almost as incoherent .. but of course the incentive that it would pushed me on for a further hundred pages. The last two narratives were easier .. and more (normal ) clear but I couldn't shake off my feelings of disappointment that the story had been so a) hard work and b) dreary, plus one of the clearer narratives is written by such an odious human being that you almost wish you didn't understand every word. To add insult to injury there are at least two people who share a name with two others (and, to begin with, you don't know which is which) and punctuation has so clearly been thrown out of the window that even I noticed  As the story reaches its climax it does become almost thrilling (not sure now if this was just my excitement at finishing or genuine involvement in the story) but even that didn't amount to anything much .. it just sort of fizzled out.

I will write down a passage to give you a flavour (taken from Quentin's more accessible ramblings ) I won't put it in spoiler tabs because, to be honest, it doesn't spoil anything. If it's all as clear as day to you then it's quite possible you'll enjoy the rest (I promise that I have written it out exactly as it appears .. bet you start well and then get frazzled  )

 

'Because women so delicate so mysterious Father said. Delicate equilibrium of periodical filth between two moons balanced. Moons he said full and yellow as harvest moons her hips thighs. Outside outside of them always but. Yellow. Feet soles with walking like. Then know that some man that all those mysterious and imperious concealed. With all that inside of them shapes an outward suavity waiting for a touch to. Liquid putrefaction like drowned things floating like pale rubber flabbily filled getting the odour of honeysuckle all mixed up.'

I'm not saying that it's not innovative and daring .. especially for it's time. It's won all sorts of accolades and who am I to judge etc etc. I just didn't think the story ultimately rewarded me for wading through it and though nearly everyone says it benefits from a re-read .. I've got better things to read and more exciting things to do (like watching paint dry  ) It made me feel stupid and I don't need any encouragement as far as that's concerned. There's a quote on the front of the book from Arnold Bennett who says that Faulkner 'writes like an angel' (which is quite the opposite of what I was thinking actually ) and I was all for pooh-poohing Mr Bennett and declaring that, with such opinions, he doesn't deserve to have an omelette named after him, when I realised that it was not a quote in praise of this book but of William's others (plus further research revealed that the quote actually was 'he writes, generally, like an angel' .. so possibly Arnold had read this and was hedging his bets ) I might read another of his books .. just to be sure that he really isn't my cup of tea at all.

 

2/5 (the sound of my fury was very terrible indeed )

[julie]

Miss Poppy

 You get the award today for funniest review ! To say Faulkner is challenging would be like saying that the North Pole is a little bit nippy in the winter .

 I'll have to admit , I was never able to get past The Sound ... I reached the Fury after about 3 sentences . I suppose I shouldn't judge an author by this one book, but I never again screwed up the courage to try any of his others .

 I know the first chunk of the story is told by someone who is touched in the head , but I think the whole gang of them were from what I could gather .

If I would have finished the book ,I'd be as touched in the head as they were . This book would take someone in a Reading Slump and push them over the brink . They'd probably donate all their books to a church sale and take up another less dangerous  hobby like juggling chain saws or learning to walk the tightrope in a circus with no net .

[pontalba]

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

 

Amazon Synopsis: Ever since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, The Sound and the Fury has been considered one of the key novels of this century. Depicting the gradual disintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narratives, The Sound and the Fury explores intense, passionate family relationships where there is no love, only self-centredness. At its heart this is a novel about lovelessness - 'only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would forget it. What else is there in this world sharp enough to stick to your guts?'

 

Review: I am nothing if not tenacious However much I wanted to give up I still managed to grit my teeth and plough on (for two reasons really .. one was that it's on the 1001  and the other was that I had luggged it home from the library and I hate doing that for no reason.) The synopsis above makes it sound brilliant .. it's the 'four fractured narratives' however that were my biggest headache .. two of them in particular. If I hadn't gone back to read the intro (about midway through the first narrative .. after all hope had left ) I think I would have abandoned but the intro gave me a few pointers that were of help. The first one being that the narrative I was reading was the stream of consciousness babble of Benjy .. the Compson's imbecile son (in hindsight I'm not entirely convinced by this but that's neither here nor there). It mentioned that the fog would clear a little when the narrative was taken over by another son, Quentin, after about sixty pages. The fog didn't clear though or not as much as I was hoping .. it was almost as incoherent .. but of course the incentive that it would pushed me on for a further hundred pages. The last two narratives were easier .. and more (normal ) clear but I couldn't shake off my feelings of disappointment that the story had been so a) hard work and b) dreary, plus one of the clearer narratives is written by such an odious human being that you almost wish you didn't understand every word. To add insult to injury there are at least two people who share a name with two others (and, to begin with, you don't know which is which) and punctuation has so clearly been thrown out of the window that even I noticed  As the story reaches its climax it does become almost thrilling (not sure now if this was just my excitement at finishing or genuine involvement in the story) but even that didn't amount to anything much .. it just sort of fizzled out.

 

I will write down a passage to give you a flavour (taken from Quentin's more accessible ramblings ) I won't put it in spoiler tabs because, to be honest, it doesn't spoil anything. If it's all as clear as day to you then it's quite possible you'll enjoy the rest (I promise that I have written it out exactly as it appears .. bet you start well and then get frazzled  )

 

'Because women so delicate so mysterious Father said. Delicate equilibrium of periodical filth between two moons balanced. Moons he said full and yellow as harvest moons her hips thighs. Outside outside of them always but. Yellow. Feet soles with walking like. Then know that some man that all those mysterious and imperious concealed. With all that inside of them shapes an outward suavity waiting for a touch to. Liquid putrefaction like drowned things floating like pale rubber flabbily filled getting the odour of honeysuckle all mixed up.'

 

I'm not saying that it's not innovative and daring .. especially for it's time. It's won all sorts of accolades and who am I to judge etc etc. I just didn't think the story ultimately rewarded me for wading through it and though nearly everyone says it benefits from a re-read .. I've got better things to read and more exciting things to do (like watching paint dry  ) It made me feel stupid and I don't need any encouragement as far as that's concerned. There's a quote on the front of the book from Arnold Bennett who says that Faulkner 'writes like an angel' (which is quite the opposite of what I was thinking actually ) and I was all for pooh-poohing Mr Bennett and declaring that, with such opinions, he doesn't deserve to have an omelette named after him, when I realised that it was not a quote in praise of this book but of William's others (plus further research revealed that the quote actually was 'he writes, generally, like an angel' .. so possibly Arnold had read this and was hedging his bets ) I might read another of his books .. just to be sure that he really isn't my cup of tea at all.

 

2/5 (the sound of my fury was very terrible indeed )

 

Excellent review Kay, and brava! for finishing.

 

Miss Poppy

 You get the award today for funniest review ! To say Faulkner is challenging would be like saying that the North Pole is a little bit nippy in the winter .

 I'll have to admit , I was never able to get past The Sound ... I reached the Fury after about 3 sentences . I suppose I shouldn't judge an author by this one book, but I never again screwed up the courage to try any of his others .

 I know the first chunk of the story is told by someone who is touched in the head , but I think the whole gang of them were from what I could gather .

If I would have finished the book ,I'd be as touched in the head as they were . This book would take someone in a Reading Slump and push them over the brink . They'd probably donate all their books to a church sale and take up another less dangerous  hobby like juggling chain saws or learning to walk the tightrope in a circus with no net .

 

Why, darlin', don' you jes know thass the Suthern way?  /much giggling/

 

 

I have to take this opportunity (please don't mind, Kay!) to somewhat redeem Faulkner.  After all, he is one of my boys.

 

A quote, the first paragraph in fact, from Absalom, Absalom!, the only Faulkner I've so far read.

 

"From a little after two oclock until almost sundown of the long still hot weary dead September afternoon they sat in what Miss Coldfield still called the office because her father had called it that--a dim hot airless room with the blinds all closed and fastened for forty-three summers because when she was a girl someone had believed that light and moving air carried heat and that dark was always cooler, and which (as the sun shone fuller and fuller on that side of the house) became latticed with yellow slashes full of dust motes which Quentin thought of as being flecks of the dead old dried paint itself blown inward from the scaling blinds as wind might have blown them. There was a wisteria vine blooming for the second time that summer on a wooden trellis before one window, into which sparrows came now and then in random gusts, making a dry vivid dusty sound before going away: and opposite Quentin, Miss Coldfield in the eternal black which she had worn for forty-three years now, whether for sister, father, or not husband none knew, sitting so bold upright in the straight hard chair that was so tall for her that her legs hung  straight and rigid as if she had iron shinbones and ankles, clear of the floor with that air of impotent and static rage like children's feet, and talking in that grim haggard amazed voice until at last listening would renege and hearing-sense and self-confound and the long-dead object of her impotent yet indomitable frustration would appear, as though by outraged recapitulation evoked, quiet inattentive and harmless, out of the bidding and dreamy and victorious dust."

 

Well, maybe it redeems, or maybe not, but I like it.   Thing is, I know these people, they're my kin!

And English teachers talk about run on sentences!  Hah Hah!!  Take that Miss so and so!!

Edited October 1, 2013 by pontalba

[Athena]

Nice review, Kay ! I'm glad you managed to get through it. It doesn't sound like a book I'd like, way too confusing! I have to admit your paragraph confused me , so I'm proud of you that you read the whole book!

[poppyshake]

Miss Poppy

 You get the award today for funniest review ! To say Faulkner is challenging would be like saying that the North Pole is a little bit nippy in the winter .

 I'll have to admit , I was never able to get past The Sound ... I reached the Fury after about 3 sentences . I suppose I shouldn't judge an author by this one book, but I never again screwed up the courage to try any of his others .

 I know the first chunk of the story is told by someone who is touched in the head , but I think the whole gang of them were from what I could gather .

If I would have finished the book ,I'd be as touched in the head as they were . This book would take someone in a Reading Slump and push them over the brink . They'd probably donate all their books to a church sale and take up another less dangerous  hobby like juggling chain saws or learning to walk the tightrope in a circus with no net .

Thanks Julie Yes they were all a bunch of weirdoes .. not one sane one amongst them .. or if there was we didn't get to hear about them   

Excellent review Kay, and brava! for finishing.

Thanks Kate

I have to take this opportunity (please don't mind, Kay!) to somewhat redeem Faulkner.  After all, he is one of my boys.

 

A quote, the first paragraph in fact, from Absalom, Absalom!, the only Faulkner I've so far read.

 

"From a little after two oclock until almost sundown of the long still hot weary dead September afternoon they sat in what Miss Coldfield still called the office because her father had called it that--a dim hot airless room with the blinds all closed and fastened for forty-three summers because when she was a girl someone had believed that light and moving air carried heat and that dark was always cooler, and which (as the sun shone fuller and fuller on that side of the house) became latticed with yellow slashes full of dust motes which Quentin thought of as being flecks of the dead old dried paint itself blown inward from the scaling blinds as wind might have blown them. There was a wisteria vine blooming for the second time that summer on a wooden trellis before one window, into which sparrows came now and then in random gusts, making a dry vivid dusty sound before going away: and opposite Quentin, Miss Coldfield in the eternal black which she had worn for forty-three years now, whether for sister, father, or not husband none knew, sitting so bold upright in the straight hard chair that was so tall for her that her legs hung  straight and rigid as if she had iron shinbones and ankles, clear of the floor with that air of impotent and static rage like children's feet, and talking in that grim haggard amazed voice until at last listening would renege and hearing-sense and self-confound and the long-dead object of her impotent yet indomitable frustration would appear, as though by outraged recapitulation evoked, quiet inattentive and harmless, out of the bidding and dreamy and victorious dust."

Well I understood most of it .. but another Quentin!! .. Lord!! there were two of them plaguing me in TSATF

Well, maybe it redeems, or maybe not, but I like it.   Thing is, I know these people, they're my kin!

And English teachers talk about run on sentences!  Hah Hah!!  Take that Miss so and so!!

It definitely gives Virginia a run for her money  When I do pick up another Faulkner .. I'll make sure it's Absalom, Absalom!  

[poppyshake]

Nice review, Kay ! I'm glad you managed to get through it. It doesn't sound like a book I'd like, way too confusing! I have to admit your paragraph confused me , so I'm proud of you that you read the whole book!

Thanks Gaia .. some people like unravelling prose I guess .. I don't really want to work that hard in order to understand a plotline .. not in this instance anyway  

[gardengirl]

 The Sound And The Fury   -        It sounds the most awful rubbish to me.

[poppyshake]

The World According to Bob - James Bowen
 
Synopsis: James and his street cat Bob have been on a remarkable journey together. In the years since their story ended in the bestselling A STREET CAT NAMED BOB James, with Bob's help, has begun to find his way back to the real world. Almost every day, Bob provides moments of intelligence, bravery and humour, at the same time opening his human friend's eyes to important truths about friendship, loyalty, trust - and the meaning of happiness. In the continuing tale of their life together James shows the many ways in which Bob has been his protector and guardian angel through times of illness, hardship, even life-threatening danger.
As they high five together for their crowds of admirers, James knows that the tricks he's taught Bob are nothing compared to the lessons he's learnt from his street-wise cat.

 

Review: Well, if it's not an inappropriate thing to say, I woofed this down in no time I had already peeked into it a few weeks back when it appeared on my coffee table but then I laid it to one side to get on with more involved books. After last weeks struggle with old William this was just the ticket. I picked it up again and read the rest in one sitting. Now, just like with the last one (probably more so) it's only going to appeal to cat lovers and I did think that James was going over old ground a bit (possibly not his fault .. I bet the publishers were pushing like mad for a sequel) .. some of the tales I'd heard before but the story of how James came to write the story of him and Bob was new to me and so I enjoyed hearing about how that came about and the subsequent book signings etc. Bob is such a little star .. a very unique cat indeed and that's probably why his story has proved so popular. Their first book is still in The Sunday Times best sellers list (after a year) and is now in the top ten of the New York Times best sellers list. He can't put a paw wrong  

 

I think there is yet another sequel .. I don't think I'll read it unless James and Bob come to a local book signing .. in which case I'll be first in the queue

 

3/5

[poppyshake]

 The Sound And The Fury   -        It sounds the most awful rubbish to me.

They should have quoted that on the cover If you look up its Amazon reviews etc though they're mostly favourable so there's a lot of people that esteem it highly. It didn't really tick any of my boxes though (it put large red crosses in most of them )

[gardengirl]

They should have quoted that on the cover If you look up its Amazon reviews etc though they're mostly favourable so there's a lot of people that esteem it highly. It didn't really tick any of my boxes though (it put large red crosses in most of them )

 

Is it a case of The Emperor's New Clothes? Nobody understands it, so all say it's wonderful!  

[Kylie]

Oh dear. The Sound and the Fury sounds dreadful. But Absalom, Absalom! sounds much nicer. Pity I only have the former on my TBR pile. Is it written like that all the way through, Poppyshake? Or are there actually some passages I would be able to make sense of?

[poppyshake]

Is it a case of The Emperor's New Clothes? Nobody understands it, so all say it's wonderful!  

 It could be .. but I think these people have taken the trouble to study it and re-read etc and maybe it's rewarded them for their diligence. Very depressing tale though .. I think I would've been more depressed if I had understood all of it  

[poppyshake]

Oh dear. The Sound and the Fury sounds dreadful. But Absalom, Absalom! sounds much nicer. Pity I only have the former on my TBR pile. Is it written like that all the way through, Poppyshake? Or are there actually some passages I would be able to make sense of?

It's not written like that all the way through Kylie .. the last two narratives make perfect sense (though there are some strong dialects to decipher) and they do shed light on what came before but not enough for me to fully understand or gain any pleasure from it. The hard part is getting that far .. the first two narratives last for more than 150 pages .. over half the book .. so the will to abandon is strong. Parts of the second narrative are understandable .. I sort of drifted in and out of comprehension but the first one is a nightmare. As I said before the story's a depressing one so you don't even want to find out exactly what's going on (however convulted the text .. the one thing that's clear from the start is that it's a completely joyless tale).

You might like it though   

[pontalba]

Meant to add that the Quentin in Absalom, Absalom! is the same one as TSATF.

[poppyshake]

Meant to add that the Quentin in Absalom, Absalom! is the same one as TSATF.

Ah .. I'm presuming it's the female Quentin then because the male Quentin

committed suicide

.. unless we've gone back in time again  

[pontalba]

Ah .. I'm presuming it's the female Quentin then because the male Quentin

committed suicide

.. unless we've gone back in time again  

Nope, the male.  A,A! is prior to TSATF.

[frankie]

Coming back to reply and respond to a lot of posts... This might take a while Your humple servant is back, although not so humple this time...

Remember when I added 15 books to my wishlist the last time we had a good long natter on your thread? I was also interested in the Sarah Miles book but said I wouldn't add it to my wishlist because I don't know her or of her, and that might take away from enjoying the book. However, when you updated your personal 1001 list, I noticed that the book is on it, so of course now I have to add it to my wishlist so I can read it If it's good enough to get on your list, it must be worth a read!

You want bacon with your waffles & syrup? Where did that come from. Is it something everyone else has had, how did I not know of this! I have to say I'm not a friend of bacon. I believe it's the grease. Ex is a fan and would always buy loads and I would try and protest, but to no avail.. Well as long as he ate it himself and I didn't have to take part in it... Well, you will have your bacon, when you come and visit

Re: The Queen of Whale Cay by Kate Summerscale, which led to talk of her doll which led to talk of your very own Bimbo! Poor Bimbo, having lost his voice I'm sure you've made it all up with your constant attention and admiration ever since then. Would it be too much to ask to see a picture? I'm most curious (And I want to see a semi-bald orange koala )

 

Ahh that's the book we disagree on.. I must admit I did like Ukranian Tractors .. it made me laugh.

 

I have to say I've now come to doubt my own reading of it. Maybe I read it when I wasn't in the right mood for it. I wish to re-read it now, although with all the TBR books and wishlist books, it might be a while until I get to it...

I read you and Claire's talk on Carter Beats The Devil and Alan insisting on you to read the book, but I believe I've missed the beginning of this to-and-fro What's the deal? I'm very curious!

 

Awww ..  I wouldn't be in the least bit sorry. I'd chew your passport up so you couldn't go home .. or I'd get my dog to chew it up (and you're right .. I haven't got a dog but I would get one .. just for the chewing and also because it would make you want to stay )

 

A very cunning plan, I couldn't be very mad at you, if at all Just as long as the dog only wanted to chew passports, and not books or diaries or letters or anything precious and personal like that We could call him Chewy!

 

Yes .. some places are sacred frankie .. I haven't got a cave like he has It would be very odd if he did join .. I mean .. would I speak to him? .. on the forum. Why wouldn't I just yell out across the room? I'm sure lots of other people would speak to him but .. ooh .. what if he started to give me book recommendations  I mean .. it's been difficult enough keeping him and his 'you must read Carter Beats the Devil' at bay .. what if he had other recommendations  What if he wanted a say in how the bookshelves were arranged

 

Yes of course you would speak to him on the forum Because if you commented each other's stuff only in real life, by shouting across the room or to upstairs, how would we know what you were saying? How would I know that Alan might say something like 'frankie's clueless, have you read her latest review?' or 'Madame Bovary is brilliant, you two are completely whack for dissing the book so much'. Or you might tell him that you are actually re-reading MB, but that it's not to be spoken about on the forum!

[frankie]

I can't get the quote tags to work so I'm using Purple for poppyshake's quotes!

 

*

Bob is so cute .. indeed I hadn't intended to read any more of his adventures but this morning Alan came home with some book prezzies and one of them was The World According to Bob I just sat there flicking it and am now on chapter five  I think Alan was a bit limited as to choice as he had gone to the supermarket (he had only gone to get breakfast so I'm very lucky that he thought of treating me) and they only have the best sellers etc but he always likes to get me books that I  wouldn't necessarily get so it can be a trial Actually he wrapped them up and they made one very large house brick sized present and I said to him 'it's not the large print version of Carter Beats the Devil is it?' Anyway phew .. it wasn't .. it was actually four books .. though he gave me the Bob one separately as it was larger than the other three.

Such a great man! To go and get breakfast, (did he bring toast??) and then come back with books, too That is true love  yes:
*
 

The first one was Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements and I doubt I would have picked it up because it screams chick-lit at me but then chick-lit can be good and if there's one form of chick-lit I like it's food based chick-lit (my fave chick-lit book of all time is probably Maeve Binchy's Scarlet Feather which is about a couple of friends who start a catering business.)

I don't think I knew you've read and liked Maeve Binchy's books? I've only read two or three by her, but I have to say I first read Evening Class (or something... It was about a group of people taking up Italian lessons) and loved it, but the other books I read I really didn't enjoy that much I think one of them was Tara Road...

*

 

Bless him .. he did say I could take any of them back and change but I won't because it's only right he should have some say in what I read as he usually has to hear all about it (and you will know from this blog how wearying that can be )


That is so very good of you!

*

 

He bought me some croissants and sunflowers too and I was just beginning to get worried when he said he'd spotted the date on a newspaper and it was the date we got the keys to our first flat  .. awww .. we don't normally celebrate or commemorate the day at all (and indeed .. I can't say I did anything special for him except make his tea and a cheese and pickle roll for work ) so it was extra nice to get spoiled a bit.

And the story got better... I love croissants, and sunflowers are my favorite! He has good taste And to think he remembered the anniversary of the keys to your first flat... I dare say not many men (or women, for that matter!) would remember that. Bless him

*

 

I thought so .. though I'm a bit worried about the title of the challenge now  It's a good job I've still got ole Peter Boxall's list to trawl through

Oh … When you come to 1000/1001 of the Boxall book, just gimme a call and I'll change the title of my recommendations list to Frankie's xxx books you must read before you die

*

 

He's quite busy .. perhaps he won't notice

I'm sure your friend David Mitchell is never too busy to notice these things, but I'm sure he'll forgive you... I'm sure he'll make some funny, self-deprecating remark But it's taken a while now, where is he? He must be taking a nap... Tut tut!!

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I know .. he was still smarting about that original rejection and he didn't know that Anne would hear of it (but then that's almost worse ... to say it in a purely disinterested way). He soon saw he was mistaken and indeed Anne had another blooming which has always made me feel hopeful

But then again, do you think Captain Wentworth was clever enough to perhaps intentionally say something so nasty about her, because he knew that women are sometimes more eager to spread gossip that is of the more evil nature... I mean, if some woman who fancied Wentworth himself would hear him praising Anne, she wouldn't say a word, but if she heard him criticize her, she would drop everything at hand and run and run till she reached Anne to tell her about it... And this way Wentworth would think he was sure of hearing from Anne sooner rather than later... Little did he know Anne is not the sort of person to go K-Boom on his captain arse for something like that, she's a very dignified lady

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You've got years and years before you get to that exalted age .. it'll be around the time you start saying 'in my day ....'  Then you will blow the dust off of your old Wuthering Heights and see it you can't like it any better. I might even do that with Madame Bov .. a sure sign that I have eventually lost my marbles 

Well, who knows... I'm more inclined to give WH a chance than MB... And if I ever hear you are thnking about re-reading MB, I will send you a whole big box full or marbles
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I read the discussion re: ELs and I'm quite shocked by the doggy owners poppyshake's come across. The owners should keep their dogs on a leash, and not let the lead get too long for the dogs to be able to get to strangers I find it odd that someone who's dog's just jumped on a stranger would laugh and find it just endearing... If I had a dog and that happened, I'd be embarrassed and apologetic! Not everyone likes dogs, and owners are not to let their dogs disturb other people... So disrespectful!!

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Oh dear  It has come to my attention that .. despite saying the above books were my faves .. I don't actually own hard copies of them. This is a bit sad because I like to be surrounded by my fave books and when you think I've still got a copy of Madame Bov hanging around the place and I loathe it .. it's a bit of a shocker.

I went through the list and I'm sorry to say I can't help, I don't have any extra copies of those that I could pass on to you


Re: Mitchell and Webb. That's great news Wohoo, happy times! I hope you enjoy it I'm not a fan of the show, I never quite got it, I'm a Peep Show kinda gal

Edited October 6, 2013 by frankie