Janet Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Maybe you sniff them and use them as spices! Now, there's a plan...! I don't think I dare ask Probably best not to - I'm not about to Google them again! Hm... How about 'growing balls'? LOL! The thing is that I feel that 'man up' or 'grow a pair' suggests that being male is better/stronger (etc) than being female - and whilst I think men are physically stronger, I'm not sure they're mentally stronger! I guess that's a bit silly of me - it's just something about that expression! Well worry not: the book is on the 1001 Books list, so I can divide the blame between you and the 1001 challenge 50-50. Would that make you more comfortable? Oooh, I hadn't realised it was on the 1001 list - I'm NEVER going to finish the list, but I do enjoy ticking it off! Yay - the multi-quoting one thread thing worked - thanks. The weird thing is that if I try to delete the first line of a post, the quote box disappears. I've taken to leaving one character than then colouring it in so that it doesn't show up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I like the sound of both The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and The Third Miss Symons Thanks for your excellent reviews - I shall add them to the wishlist - given their age I suspect they will soon transfer onto the 'downloaded' list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Yup, they're both free on Kindle! Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Goodbye, Mr Chips by James Hilton The ‘blurb’ Full of enthusiasm, young English schoolmaster Mr. Chipping came to teach at Brookfield in 1870. It was a time when dignity and a generosity of spirit still existed, and the dedicated new schoolmaster expressed these beliefs to his rowdy students. Nicknamed Mr. Chips, this gentle and caring man helped shape the lives of generation after generation of boys. He became a legend at Brookfield, as enduring as the institution itself. And sad but grateful faces told the story when the time came for the students at Brookfield to bid their final goodbye to Mr. Chips. Goodbye, Mr Chips tells the tale of the gentle schoolteacher Mr Chipping – loved by his pupils and a legend in public school Brookfield, which was thought to be based on the public school that Hilton attended in Cambridgeshire. During his tenure at the school, ‘Chips’ proves himself to be a hugely popular teacher and this short novel covers the period of his school life from 1870 until the 1930s. The 2002 ITV dramatisation with Martin Clunes is one of my favourite DVDs - it's one of my regular 'ironing' films and I don't think I'll ever tire of it! I came across a free Kindle download for it so though it was about time I gave the book a go to see how it compares. Well, compare isn't the right word! The ITV version has the same elements, of course - most of the same characters appear but the ITV version is very embellished - the time frame, for example is very different - some of the events which take place are pretty insignificant in the book but have been made major points of the dramatisation. Did it stop me enjoying the book? No - it's a charming tale and I enjoyed it - I liked Hilton's style of writing. In this case, I did prefer the TV version - had I read the book first I might have felt differently! I will continue to watch, and love, the DVD - they just need to be treated as slightly different things! The paperback is 144 pages long and is published by Coronet. It was first published in 1934. [Read on Kindle] 3½/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Yay, I'm happy you got the better of the new quoting system! N Probably best not to - I'm not about to Google them again! What, do you mean to say you didn't bookmark them? LOL! The thing is that I feel that 'man up' or 'grow a pair' suggests that being male is better/stronger (etc) than being female - and whilst I think men are physically stronger, I'm not sure they're mentally stronger! I guess that's a bit silly of me - it's just something about that expression! Oh don't worry, I know exactly what you mean and I agree with your logic. I just like the phrases because a) I can remember them, b) 'man up' sounds funny (I'm a linguist, after all!) (I mean if you don't think about the feminist connotations) and c) 'grow a pair' is really, really funny Yes, I'm all about toilet humour and body part humour! And besides, women have a pair, too, they are just further up the system and are well hidden and all safe. We are not stupid enough to leave our balls hanging. They might get hurt, you know! (In case it's unclear, I'm referring to eggs and egg factories and what nots. Can't remember the proper English terms at the mo) (Edit: I think this makes more sense and is more fun in Finnish, because 'balls' can be called 'eggs' in Finnish.) Oooh, I hadn't realised it was on the 1001 list - I'm NEVER going to finish the list, but I do enjoy ticking it off! Yay, a surprise tick-off, always pleasant Yay - the multi-quoting one thread thing worked - thanks. The weird thing is that if I try to delete the first line of a post, the quote box disappears. I've taken to leaving one character than then colouring it in so that it doesn't show up! I know, that happens to me, too, and for a while I was at a loss with that! I don't remember when and how, but I can delete the one character, too, at some point, but I don't remember how that happens and how it's possible. Maybe I'll pay closer attention next time and see if there's a pattern, one I could come and share with you. Oh, this sounds really nice! There's something about the British (and American) educational system and the teachers and pupils (I said pupils instead of students!) that I find utterly compelling. Especially the boarding schools. This is going on my wishlist. It's a pity it's such a short book, though. I'm also going to keep my eyes open for the Martin Clunes adaptation, too, you made it sound really appealing! But I won't promise I'll start ironing, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 Yay, I'm happy you got the better of the new quoting system! What, do you mean to say you didn't bookmark them? No, but I expect I can find them in my history! Oh don't worry, I know exactly what you mean and I agree with your logic. I just like the phrases because a) I can remember them, b) 'man up' sounds funny (I'm a linguist, after all!) (I mean if you don't think about the feminist connotations) and c) 'grow a pair' is really, really funny Yes, I'm all about toilet humour and body part humour! And besides, women have a pair, too, they are just further up the system and are well hidden and all safe. We are not stupid enough to leave our balls hanging. They might get hurt, you know! (In case it's unclear, I'm referring to eggs and egg factories and what nots. Can't remember the proper English terms at the mo) (Edit: I think this makes more sense and is more fun in Finnish, because 'balls' can be called 'eggs' in Finnish.) Oh haha, that went right over my head - I assumed you were talking about breasts! I thought it a bit odd! Yay, a surprise tick-off, always pleasant It's quite depressing - I need to read at least 3 titles each month to stand a chance of getting to the end of the combined lists! I know, that happens to me, too, and for a while I was at a loss with that! I don't remember when and how, but I can delete the one character, too, at some point, but I don't remember how that happens and how it's possible. Maybe I'll pay closer attention next time and see if there's a pattern, one I could come and share with you. Thanks! I'm scared to get rid of all the extra blank lines too - I did that in another thread and managed to get rid of the quote box and had to start from scratch - I wasn't best pleased! Oh, this sounds really nice! There's something about the British (and American) educational system and the teachers and pupils (I said pupils instead of students!) that I find utterly compelling. Especially the boarding schools. This is going on my wishlist. It's a pity it's such a short book, though. I'm also going to keep my eyes open for the Martin Clunes adaptation, too, you made it sound really appealing! But I won't promise I'll start ironing, too It's rather dated, of course, but it's a good little story - I hope you enjoy it when you get round to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Oh haha, that went right over my head - I assumed you were talking about breasts! I thought it a bit odd! LOL! I'm glad I added the 'footnotes' as an afterthought. I did think that maybe you wouldn't think of the ovaries, and then you'd wonder what us women have a pair of, and I was worried you would come to the conclusion that I am, in fact, talking about breasts You know, it's just us Crazy Finns! It's quite depressing - I need to read at least 3 titles each month to stand a chance of getting to the end of the combined lists! Oh boy Well, maybe you could take a few months off other reading, you know, recreational reading, and read one book off the list per day. Easy-peasy, right? Thanks! I'm scared to get rid of all the extra blank lines too - I did that in another thread and managed to get rid of the quote box and had to start from scratch - I wasn't best pleased! Hey, I tried something just now and it worked. I highlighted everything from the first line except for the first character and clicked backspace, thus leaving the first character and nothing else. Then I clicked backspace on that one, and it was deleted and I still had the box. Make sense? Go ahead and try it, see if it works. Also, if you manage to get rid of the quote box entirely, don't stress, because you don't have to start from scratch. Just click on the 'arrow to the left' -looking icon on the upper row, the one that says 'undo'. It'll literally undo what've done, one thing at a time. It'll give you the quote box back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 LOL! I'm glad I added the 'footnotes' as an afterthought. I did think that maybe you wouldn't think of the ovaries, and then you'd wonder what us women have a pair of, and I was worried you would come to the conclusion that I am, in fact, talking about breasts You know, it's just us Crazy Finns! Well, I know one crazy Finn! Oh boy Well, maybe you could take a few months off other reading, you know, recreational reading, and read one book off the list per day. Easy-peasy, right? Hehe - maybe! Joking aside, even if I was only 11 and started the challenge (giving me 70 years to complete it) there are books on there that I would have no intention of reading - they'd be left to the end and therefore become my nemesis! Hey, I tried something just now and it worked. I highlighted everything from the first line except for the first character and clicked backspace, thus leaving the first character and nothing else. Then I clicked backspace on that one, and it was deleted and I still had the box. Make sense? Go ahead and try it, see if it works. Also, if you manage to get rid of the quote box entirely, don't stress, because you don't have to start from scratch. Just click on the 'arrow to the left' -looking icon on the upper row, the one that says 'undo'. It'll literally undo what've done, one thing at a time. It'll give you the quote box back Ah, I didn't know about the arrow. I usually right-click to undo stuff on here, but that doesn't work in this situation. I'll have a go next time I quote something - thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 I bought some Jane Austen stamps today. These photos don't do the set justice, but they're very prettyful. FrontBack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Lovely!!! The Sense & Sensibility one is my favourite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 That's really nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Today I received two new books in the post - and I ordered another one yesterday. Oh boy - when will I learn?! I finished The Girl from the Fiction Department: A Portrait of Sonia Orwell by Hilary Spurling this morning. Not sure what I'm going to read next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 I, Coriander by Sally Gardner The ‘blurb’ I am Coriander Hobie. I was born in the year of Our Lord 1643, the only child of Thomas and Eleanor Hobie, in our great house on the River Thames in London. Of my early years I remember only happiness. That was before I knew this world had such evil in it, and that my fate was to be locked up in a chest and left to die. This is my story. This is my life. “I have often wondered what would have happened if I had done as I was told and left the silver shoes alone. Would everything then have been all right?” This young adult novel is set in the period following the English Civil War and Charles I’s beheading. Coriander lives with her father, a wealthy merchant and her mother in a house backing on to the River Thames. Life changes suddenly for Coriander the day she tries on a pair of silver slippers against her mother’s wishes and starts a chain of magical events that will have a huge impact on her family. After her mother dies suddenly her father, a Royalist, is urged to marry a Puritan woman in order to appease the Parliamentarians. Maud, Coriander’s new stepmother is a cruel and unpleasant woman and things go from bad to worse after her father is forced to flee and Maud moves in a preacher, Arise Fall. It is only when Coriander is shut in a chest and left to die that her adventure really begins. Sally Gardner’s story cleverly integrates the fairy world with the mortal one in this Cinderella-style tale. The ending was a bit corny, perhaps, but nevertheless I enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 The Girl from the Fiction Department: A Portrait of Sonia Orwell by Hilary Spurling The ‘blurb’ George Orwell's second wife was portrayed by many of her husband's biographers as a manipulative gold-digger who would stop at nothing to keep control of his legacy. But the truth about Sonia Orwell -- the model for Julia in Nineteen Eighty-Four was altogether different. Beautiful, intelligent and fiercely idealistic, she lived at the heart of London's literary and artistic scene before her marriage to Orwell changed her life for ever. Burdened with the almost impossible task of protecting Orwell's estate, Sonia's loyalty to her late husband brought her nothing but poverty and despair. (I am referring to Sonia Orwell as Brownell (her maiden name) – or just Sonia - in my review, to distinguish her from George Orwell). Being a massive George Orwell fan, I picked this up on a whim when I spotted it for £1. I didn’t really know much about Sonia Brownell, although I had read that she was a gold-digger who married Orwell for his money. Hilary Spurling, a friend of Sonia’s, determined to set the record straight in this biography of Sonia’s life. The earlier parts of the biography are interesting, detailing Sonia’s early life in India and the UK, and her entry into literary and artistic circles in London and Paris. Originally though of as a ‘hanger-on’, she showed her true abilities after getting a job editing Cyril Connolly's literary magazine Horizon’ in the 1940s. After a number of failed affairs, she married Orwell, who immortalised Sonia as Julia in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and, after his death, she was fiercely protective of his works and estate – although she died penniless due to a number of bad decisions. It is Brownell who was responsible for Orwell’s essays and letters being published. Orwell stipulated in his will that no biography was to be written. Eventually Brownell did commission one, but only because an unauthorised version was due to be published and she wanted a more reliable version of Orwell’s life to balance things. After Orwell’s death, Brownell had other relationships and eventually married Michael Pitt-Rivers but he was gay so naturally their marriage didn’t last. Brownell continued to be fiercely loyal to her friends until the end of her life but to my mind never achieved real happiness and died virtually penniless. Obviously Spurling portrays Brownell in a favourable light. Some people will still think of her as an opportunist who married Orwell for her own gain, but Spurling’s side of things shows her as someone who enriched what little life Orwell had left, and it seems she really did love him. I’m not sure to whom this biography would appeal, but as an Orwell fan I found it very interesting, if a little dry in places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 I finished The Seance by John Harwood today. The lovely Noll bought it for me for Christmas and it's my favourite read of the year so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Oh I loved The Seance. It's beautifully written, gripping, haunting and chilling. JH is such a good writer. I'm looking forward to his third novel, Asylum, coming out this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 The Seance sounds interesting .I might have to give that one a shot sometime . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I looked it up on Amazon & ended up adding that & a couple of Elizabeth Braddon books to my wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 The Seance is definitely my favourite book so far this year. I hope you enjoy it when you get round to it, Julie and Kidsmum. I finished Wonder by R J Palacio this afternoon. Very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Are you now reading your books in your comfy corner Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 Sometimes, yes. I'm not feeling at all well today though so I've done most of my reading today in bed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I hope you feel better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Get Well Soon, Janet -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 What better cure than a good book. Hope your feeling better soon Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Thanks, guys. I feel so bad,. It's just a cold really, but it's a stinker and has gone to my head, sinuses and chest all at the same time. I got up for breakfast (which I couldn't taste!) and then went back to bed. I've been reading and dozing on and off all day, but I've got up for a bit of lunch (which I also couldn't taste!) and thought I ought to try to stay awake so that I sleep later. It's lucky that a) my husband is working away this week so I'm not keeping him awake at night (although I miss his warmth), and b) I'm not working again until Saturday when hopefully I'll be over the worst of it. I got a couple of 'ping pings' for the kids (microwave meals!) when I knew the cold was coming, just in case, so they can fend for themselves (although both can cook proper food if they feel like it!). I have managed to read 88 pages of The Ruins of Time by Ben Woolfenden between sleeps, so it's not all bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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