poppyshake Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Miss Poppy I have all the cards I got from our wedding shower 35 plus years ago, a dish towel that all my co-workers signed for me at my wedding shower from work . I have a babydoll quilt (totally worn out ) that my mom's friend made me when I was 5 . I have an old boyfriend's picture he wrote me in senior year , my old girl scout sash with all my badges still attached and my old nurse's hat that everyone signed when we graduated school . So I'm a sentimental old person myself about certain items . I'm not a hoarder and hate clutter,but I keep all this in a big tupperware tub in the closet. It'll be passed along to my grandson when I go DOWNSTAIRS to my final resting place. How lovely, I'm very envious of your babydoll quilt .. I wish I had mine. Mum made it out of her bridesmaids dress but I guess she probably chucked it out when it got too tatty. I have my bear of course (very embarrassingly called Bimbo ) but he isn't in the trunk .. he's in the wardrobe. He lost his growl when I left him out in the rain for a whole day and night and he hasn't got a full compliment of eyes, ears and limbs etc but he's still very handsome in my eyes. I try not to clutter the place up but I am a hoarder, I find it hard to chuck even simple things away. When we moved here though (very small house) we had a blitz and went through everything. Things had to pass a rigorous test in order to be able to stay .. that was the plan anyway but a lot of cheating went on I have a large case of sentimental things too! The first ever National Lottery draw took place the Saturday after my son was born (he was 6 weeks early!) and my Uncle had bought a ticket. It wasn't a winner, but I kept it anyway in my treasure box - some people might say that was a bit mad! Hope you're okay. I'm ok thanks Janet .. a bit 'Eeyorish' but much better than I was I don't think you're mad at all, that's definitely treasure. I remember that first lottery draw, amongst other things I had a castle on my shopping list ETA: I see you share a birthday with my late Dad. What a great day to be born on! I am very honoured And we share it with a Beatle too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I have my bear of course (very embarrassingly called Bimbo ) but he isn't in the trunk .. he's in the wardrobe. He lost his growl when I left him out in the rain for a whole day and night and he hasn't got a full compliment of eyes, ears and limbs etc but he's still very handsome in my eyes. Poppy I read your post about your teddy bear to my husband and he said to tell you I left HIM out in the rain one night and he has also lost his growl . He is such a CARD . ( and a little bit of a smartmouth,but he learned that from ME . He used to be such a well-mannered fellow. I forgot about my teddy bear,that my dad got me on my first birthday, almost 53 years ago. My bear is missing an eyeball, his tongue is half yanked out and he has no more MUSCLES in his neck,so his head just kinda rolls from side to side . He's in my tub with my other treasures . Funny, I never thought how many MALFUNCTIONS me and my bear have in common. This old age isn't good for bears OR their ownders . NOTE : I still have muscles in my neck, though . Which Beatle has a birthday coming up ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Poppy I read your post about your teddy bear to my husband and he said to tell you I left HIM out in the rain one night and he has also lost his growl. :giggle2: lol .. silly old bear! Tell him, it's the only way to deal with a growler I bet he's nice and manageable now I forgot about my teddy bear,that my dad got me on my first birthday, almost 53 years ago. My bear is missing an eyeball, his tongue is half yanked out and he has no more MUSCLES in his neck,so his head just kinda rolls from side to side . He's in my tub with my other treasures . Funny, I never thought how many MALFUNCTIONS me and my bear have in common. This old age isn't good for bears OR their ownders . NOTE : I still have muscles in my neck, though . Gracious! I didn't think about that!! Hopefully I've fared a little better than Bimbo .. he is a bit bald and has no nose to speak of .. it was loved off some time ago Alan has got off lightly compared Which Beatle has a birthday coming up ??? Sadly one that's no longer with us .. lovely George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) :giggle2: lol .. silly old bear! Tell him, it's the only way to deal with a growler I bet he's nice and manageable now Gracious! I didn't think about that!! Hopefully I've fared a little better than Bimbo .. he is a bit bald and has no nose to speak of .. it was loved off some time ago Alan has got off lightly compared Sadly one that's no longer with us .. lovely George Poppy You are SO funny ! Doggone. I wish you lived down the street. I'd come to your house every day just so you'd make me laugh . My husband is a good guy ,he never growls. Maybe once in a great while he makes a little bit of a low grumble ,but I am used to it . He MAY remember his trip out in the rain ,then he settles back down quickly . I probably do that a lot more than he does . I can sometimes be a CRANKY old bear . I bet you don't look anything like your good old Bimbo bear. That name reminds me a of brand of BREAD they sell here :Bimbo Bread ,AND it has a bear on the plastic wrap ! Maybe your Bimbo has hit it big in the advertising world and you didnt even know it . I think ALL the Beatles were lovely ! I was 5 when they first were here on the Ed Sullivan show and remember watching all the teen girls screaming their lungs out . Edited January 17, 2012 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 The Bloody Chamber & Other Stories - Angela Carter Synopsis: From familiar fairy tales and legends - "Red Riding Hood", "Bluebeard", "Puss in Boots", "Beauty and the Beast", vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories. Review: I read this as part of the January Reading Circle and will post the link to our discussions later. Angela's someone that I've read and enjoyed before but she's someone whose style you will either love or loathe. She can be gory and sexually provocative .. often using puberty and sexual awakening as her themes ... so the content is pretty adult. She writes very poetically and descriptively which I loved but some people hated, thinking it too flowery and pretentious. This collection of stories are based on familiar fairy tales that we all know and love, but she takes the bare bones of them and creates stories which are dark, gothic, disturbing and sensual with occasional flashes of humour. I enjoyed them immensely and was totally transported but beware .. they are unsettling and at times sexually explicit. 9/10 More detailed reviews and wildly differing opinions can be read here (but obviously spoilers abound) January 2012 Reading Circle - The Bloody Chamber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt Waterstones Synopsis: Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. Across 1000 miles of Oregon desert his assassins, the notorious Eli and Charlies Sisters, ride - fighting, shooting, and drinking their way to Sacramento. But their prey isn't an easy mark, the road is long and bloody, and somewhere along the path Eli begins to question what he does for a living - and whom he does it for. The Sisters Brothers pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable ribald tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life-and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence and love. Review: I was so happy to read this book and even more happy to love it. Probably the first adult books I ever read were westerns, they were practically the only grown up fiction books on our shelves and I started dipping into them in between bouts of Enid. My Dad always wanted to be a cowboy but it wasn't really a viable lifestyle choice in Brentford Instead he watched films about cowboys, read books about cowboys, listened to country & western music, ate sausage and beans, dressed up in all the gear and had the replica weapons. In all his spare time he WAS a cowboy. It's such a pity that the line dancing craze hadn't hit when he was young because he would have loved it. If I had been a boy my name was set to be Cody. In a household like that you either end up detesting it or loving it .. I loved it and though I don't dress up in the gear (though there are embarrassing photo's ) I still have a soft spot for all things western. I have such great memories of us listening to Marty Robbins on the eight track and watching episodes of the High Chaparral. It seems to me that the western genre has been a bit neglected of late .. amongst mainstream literature anyway. As far as films are concerned, there have been some good ones recently, some of them have been more miss than hit with Dad .. he didn't really appreciate Brokeback Mountain , was ambivalent about the recent True Grit but thankfully loved the remake of the 3.10 to Yuma (I haven't dared mention Cowboy & Aliens yet.) So I approached this book with some trepidation (despite it's gorgeous cover) because my benchmark is always 'will Dad love it?' .. the answer to that is most definitely and happily yes, I know he will because it has all the right ingredients. The two main characters in the story are Eli and Charlie Sisters and the story is written from Eli's viewpoint and told in a rather deadpan but intriguing and often comedic way. It's 1851, the time of the Californian Goldrush, and Eli and Charlie are hired gunmen on a quest to track down and kill a certain Hermann Kermit Warm (their employer is a rather mysterious man they call the Commodore.) They have a deadly and fearsome reputation, everyone has heard of the infamous Sisters brothers. Eli is the most, let's say, rational of the two. Charlie is your unpredictable hothead (or psychopath might be a better word) who is too often brandy sick. As Eli says 'our blood is the same, we just use it differently'. The two of them bicker like old women. Eli is someone who you can't help but like, he has a conscience and thinks a lot about finding love and settling down but somehow he's always drawn back in and when threatened can be every bit as ruthless as Charlie. He constantly analyses his predicament, trying to make sense of it all. These brothers are not nice characters, they're as nasty as hell but somehow you are drawn to them, you root for them when things get tense, Eli especially. What sets the story apart (and the only thing that worries me about Dad liking it) is that it has a thread of magical realism flowing through it, but it doesn't jar, it's just adds to the mystery and intrigue. As you would expect there is plenty of violence, some of it shocking. The animals not faring much better than the humans. There's some comedic moments too, some of it bordering on farce which offsets the tension perfectly. It's dark and brooding like all good westerns and gets progressively tenser as you near the end. I found it literally unputdownable. Dad can't read anymore but he does listen and for his birthday this year I'm definitely going to get him the unabridged audio. They're bound to make a film too, it's just too good not to. 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Beautiful review Poppy ! I loved it too . The picture you added was priceless . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Books I'd like to lick .. I mean own Fiction Aaronovitch, Ben - Rivers of London Aaronovitch, Ben - Whispers Under Ground These started ringing bells. I dare guess it's willoyd who's gotten you interested in them? I just discussed them a few days ago with him and I added the first book on the series on my wishlist I can tell you already Sally that I LOVED it with a capital L. It's everything I would want from a biography, and I'm saying this even though she did rather spring on me the fact that she was going to skip over 25 years of her life (the middle years .. which she doesn't think she'll ever write about.) The book is mainly concerned with her childhood and the formidable Mrs Winterson. Anyone who has ever read Oranges are Not the Only Fruit (and I haven't .. but I did catch bits of the drama) will know something about Jeanette's upbringing although that is fiction and as such only loosely based on her real childhood. She relays it all with humour, you can't really talk any other way about a mother who kept a gun in her duster drawer and the bullets in a tin of Pledge. I expected to be entertained but I didn't expect to be as moved as I was. Jeanette was adopted and it's her search to find her birth mother, along with her bouts of mental illness and her struggle to love and be loved that I just found incredibly touching. She writes with such honesty (and this is something I love about her) she is brutally candid, saying things and painting a picture of herself that is not altogether flattering. She writes somewhere in the book that there are people who say that they could never commit murder .. but she's not one of them ... and she feels it's a good thing to have figured this out in advance. She's very vivid too and her enthusiasm for literature is infectious (I thought this after seeing her last year on 'My Life in Books' .. she was my favourite guest by far), there's a fair bit here about being a writer and being a female writer in particular that is of enormous interest. Strangely, there is also a link to the above book (Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs) in that Jeanette is friends with Sylvia Whitman, whose father George opened a bookstore in Paris and named it after Sylvia Beach's renowned bookshop (and named his daughter after the owner). Jeanette has spent time there sleeping amongst the books to aid recovery from a breakdown. Poppyshake, you remember my thoughts on Jeanette Winterson, do you? Well, I was going to quote this and say something nasty about her but instead I actually read what you wrote and now you've gone and done it: you've made me want to try and read her books again. Bloody hell! He has got both brothers and friends (though I wouldn't call them like minded) but trust me frankie .. you wouldn't be interested. In any case I thought you were going to hook up with Mr David Mitchell Well, it's only I think David Mitchell would never give me a second glance. He's way too smart and handsome and everything Well, if they are not like-minded, Kylie can have them. I'll try and find some other suitable beau. Oh how I'd like to be beaued again! I know, it's a poor start but the thing is (and this was the case last year) most of my book acquisitions happen in the first part of the year (and in that I'm including the last part of the year before) because I get a lot of books for Christmas and my birthday (Feb) and I spend both Christmas and birthday money on getting more .. so the list will probably get longer but after February I doubt I'll buy many more .. just the odd one or two. I'm thinking that it's a good time to hit the charity shops because it's possible that people will dump unwanted book presents there (the ungrateful swines) and I might start seeing some of the newer books filtering through. After reading this and giving it a lot of thought, the jury that is me, frankie, finds the defendant, poppyshake, not guilty of any charges laid by the … um... jury, frankie In all seriousness, it makes sense. And I think it's clever that you've realised that there might be great items for great book hauls in the secondhand bookshops after Xmas because some people do not appreciate books as they should (or maybe they are quick readers and do not spend all their time hanging in here on the forum. Silly people!) Thank you, bless you you too. I will be hanging about your thread so often you will think me a stalker You are always welcome to stalk me! Reading Goals for January 2012 Read at least one book from your TBR list (Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs/Boy: A Tale of Childhood - Roald Dahl) Participate in the Jan Reading Circle (The Bloody Chamber and other Stories - Angela Carter) Something from the 1001 (Dracula - Bram Stoker/The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald) Sci-fi (oh lord! .. I've settled on The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham .. thanks for the suggestion Janet ) Ooh, impressive and ambitious goals, I *like* My Christmas books have been delivered .. happy days! The Bloody Chamber & Other Stories Dracula How to be a Woman Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children Mistress Masham's Repose Night Virginia Woolf Selected Letters The Wolves of Willoughby Chase An excellent haul! Dracula is exceptional, and I'm jealous of the Virginia Woolf Selected Letters, for sure. Some other great titles as well, Night is good, and the Feb RC book... And I've heard many great things about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. (Sorry that I've butchered so many of your posts, but you know how there's a limit to the emoticons we can use on posts, I swear I don't do any editing, like, putting words in your mouth. Like jokingly quote you and edit your words to 'I love MB! Best book ever! Lickety lick!') Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) Thanks Kidsmum Hope you enjoy itThis is the only book I've read of Jeanette's so far. I definitely want to read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and I've also got Sexing the Cherry but I think picking your way through her work can be a bit of a minefield. Having said that Sexing the Cherry is one of the ones that divides opinion so probably not a good one to begin my foray into Jeanette's fiction. I think I'll read Oranges first (though frankie I know hated it .. which worries me ) Hehe, this confirmed that you do remember what I've said about Winterson But like I said in my previous post, I'm willing to give her another try. I might just as well be that I was not in the right mind to read her Oranges at the time. I think I've asked this before too. Get in line, girl! Oh don't worry Kylie, as you can see in my previous post I already decided you can have them all. I'm going for David Mitchell, and if he won't have me, then perhaps, oh I don't know. Some fantastically fabulous Brit. Boy: A Tale of Childhood - Roald Dahl I've never really understood why Roald Dahl is so bloody popular. I've read Charlie Chocolatey what's his name and it was good, but I don't much care for the illustrations. I know, I must sound like the Wicked Witch from the West or someone. But I can't help it! Then I watched Matilda this weekend and I was mesmerized. She was so adorable. I really need to read the book. And reading your review on Boy: A Tale of Childhood, well, let's just say it's going straight to my wishlist Thanks poppyshake! Never mind that Poppyshake, do you have a sister? Haha. Poor Poppyshake and her family. She's probably worrying that a whole lot of us are going to turn up on her doorstep one day demanding that she match-make us with her family members. Hahaha Poor poppyshake! I've done that countless times and boy do I get annoyed. So many of the shops put unpeelable stickers on their books. Do you mean the sort that doesn't come out no matter how many nails you destroy trying to scratch them off? Or the ones that are printed on the cover? If the former, Kylie can be of assistance! Or well, I can be, too, but I got the advice from Kylie originally Aww bless you for noticing The problem was, my font was corrupting everyone elses which was probably more to do with my computer than anything. It's been playing up for a while now and does all sorts of weird things when I post on forums. I figured that if I wrote in black then it would be marginally less annoying than turning everyone else's font blue (in their replies) Also the blue, my favourite blue, disappeared during the makeover .. it was sort of like this one but brighter only not quite as bright as this one. I have some posts in blue here ... I look better in colour Aww poppyshake! But didn't we discuss this before and agree that you could write in whatever color you liked in your own reading log, at least? Oh boy, I feel responsible, I remember I brought the subject up back then It was a real tearjerker reading about your Daddies, poppyshake and Janet, and your Mum, poppyshake I can't imagine what that's like. ~loads of huggles~ Alan proves yet again to be a real gentleman and a sweetheart, playing chess with your Dad and thinking the world of him I had to go to the library today to take books back and was looking for something to fit the mood I was in and came home with Louis de Bernieres Red Dog which is a fictionalised account of a legendary Australian dog who had a bronze statue erected to him ... I suppose I wanted a sentimental animal story. It will probably make me howl but it's what I need and I liked the fact that in the foreward Louis apologises to his cat for writing it Oh, I had no idea it was a book! Did you know that the movie came out at the end of last year? I'm so going to watch it. There was even this funny bit with the dog. Oh goodness I'll have to search it for you, hang on!! it is. There's Koko, a kelpie, auditioning for the role of the Red Dog. I'm still so very sorry about Oscar. Take care poppyshake! Edited January 23, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I've never really understood why Roald Dahl is so bloody popular. I've read Charlie Chocolatey what's his name and it was good, but I don't much care for the illustrations. I know, I must sound like the Wicked Witch from the West or someone. But I can't help it! Heresy!! Quentin Blake's illustrations are iconic, Frankie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I've just seen mention of Jeanette Winterson here and caught up with your review of Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal, which sounds a very interesting read. I absolutely loved Lighthousekeeping and would be very interested to hear what anyone else thought of it. Started reading Sexing the Cherry but found it just a little too surreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Heresy!! Quentin Blake's illustrations are iconic, Frankie! Definite heresy! I've been know to buy a book just because of the Quentin Blake illustrations! I bought a gift pack of stamps recently as his Dahl drawings were featured! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Definite heresy! I've been know to buy a book just because of the Quentin Blake illustrations! I bought a gift pack of stamps recently as his Dahl drawings were featured! I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of Roald Dahl either, and I would go so far as to say that I am not a fan of books with illustrations at all, I find them distracting unless they are in a non fiction book and may be useful. I read them to my children and they liked a few of them but didn't go mad on them like other children seem to... Sorry!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Heresy!! Quentin Blake's illustrations are iconic, Frankie! Definite heresy! I've been know to buy a book just because of the Quentin Blake illustrations! I bought a gift pack of stamps recently as his Dahl drawings were featured! I concur. Well I never...Frankie the Heretic. Maybe you'll get more used to them if you look at more of them. You should definitely read more Roald Dahl books. Matilda is great, as is The BFG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Heresy!! Quentin Blake's illustrations are iconic, Frankie! Definite heresy! I've been know to buy a book just because of the Quentin Blake illustrations! I bought a gift pack of stamps recently as his Dahl drawings were featured! I knew I'd be rubbing some (if not all!) people the wrong way with my views on the illustrations But in my defence, I've never been a fan of any kind of illustrations on books, words mean way more to me. I've never been a visual person. It hasn't been til recently when I read the graphic novel Watchmen that I've started to appreciate pics and illustrations more. Poppyshake at least can vouch for me, I'm slowly rehabilitating myself. I loved Tales of Terror and the illustrations on that, and poppyshake has kindly presented me with a copy of The Christmas Truce, written by Carol Ann Duffy, illustrated by David Roberts (the one who did ToT). However, I will stand behind my words, and I will take the bullet standing. I appreciate your opinions and I hope we can still remain friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of Roald Dahl either, and I would go so far as to say that I am not a fan of books with illustrations at all, I find them distracting unless they are in a non fiction book and may be useful. I read them to my children and they liked a few of them but didn't go mad on them like other children seem to... Sorry!! Chaliepud, you will find us in the most smallest of minorities, but I truly welcome your existence, my sister heretic It feels good to know that I'm not alone! I concur. Well I never...Frankie the Heretic. Maybe you'll get more used to them if you look at more of them. You should definitely read more Roald Dahl books. Matilda is great, as is The BFG. Yes, I've already decided, well, not even decided, but I do want to read more Roald Dahl books. I think all the hype's been a negative factor for me. But I do want to read Matilda, I just watched the movie this weekend and absolutely adored it. I won't promise anything, but like you said, I might grow more accustomed to illustrations the more I see them hanging about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I'm sorry but I'm not a fan of Roald Dahl either, and I would go so far as to say that I am not a fan of books with illustrations at all, I find them distracting unless they are in a non fiction book and may be useful. I read them to my children and they liked a few of them but didn't go mad on them like other children seem to... Sorry!! I've never read Roald Dahl, although I have a couple of them on my 'to read' pile (actually, I don't think they're on my 'to read' list in my blog...) - it's Quentin Blake who I love! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Ooh, I turn my back for five mins and you've started a Quentin Blake war I love his illustrations but can sort of understand why some people don't .. they're not conventionally attractive .. they're quite scrawly and hectic. As for reading his books, I haven't read any but I heard The Twits being read on radio and laughed lots. I still have the sense of humour of an eight year old plus I've always watched and enjoyed Charlie & the Chocolate Factory/Matilda/James & the Giant Peach & The BFG. I do love illustrations in books, I've never grown out of it. In fact I saw a beautiful pop-up book at the weekend and had this whole debate (with myself) about how old is too old to buy a pop-up book. I didn't buy it but Susan Hill mentions a collection of lovely pop-up books she has in Howards End is on the Landing and so really I shouldn't have worried about it. Also I saw a gorgeous edition of The War Horse which has illustrations on nearly every page (your idea of a nightmare chalie ) and was very tempted by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Ooh, I turn my back for five mins and you've started a Quentin Blake war Shows you you shouldn't leave us in our own company for more than a minute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Ooh, I turn my back for five mins and you've started a Quentin Blake war . OMG the casualties could be horrendous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 These started ringing bells. I dare guess it's willoyd who's gotten you interested in them? I just discussed them a few days ago with him and I added the first book on the series on my wishlist. Well I bought Moon Over Soho in a charity shop.. and willoyd kindly pointed out that it was part of a series .. doh! I'm glad I know, I can get them and read them in the right order now Poppyshake, you remember my thoughts on Jeanette Winterson, do you? Well, I was going to quote this and say something nasty about her but instead I actually read what you wrote and now you've gone and done it: you've made me want to try and read her books again. Bloody hell! heehee .. result Well, it's only I think David Mitchell would never give me a second glance. He's way too smart and handsome and everything. Absolute rubbish!! he'd be very fortunate to get you Oh how I'd like to be beaued again! Awww ... I hope and believe you will be beaued soon After reading this and giving it a lot of thought, the jury that is me, frankie, finds the defendant, poppyshake, not guilty of any charges laid by the … um... jury, frankie. In all seriousness, it makes sense. And I think it's clever that you've realised that there might be great items for great book hauls in the secondhand bookshops after Xmas because some people do not appreciate books as they should (or maybe they are quick readers and do not spend all their time hanging in here on the forum. Silly people!) Thank you m'lud case closed I think I have been finding a few bargains in the secondhand shops but also sadly seeing some that I spent the full monty on at Christmas .. ah well that's the way the cookie crumbles. You are always welcome to stalk me! You really don't want to dish out encouragement like that An excellent haul! Dracula is exceptional, and I'm jealous of the Virginia Woolf Selected Letters, for sure. Some other great titles as well, Night is good, and the Feb RC book... And I've heard many great things about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. (Sorry that I've butchered so many of your posts, but you know how there's a limit to the emoticons we can use on posts, I swear I don't do any editing, like, putting words in your mouth. Like jokingly quote you and edit your words to 'I love MB! Best book ever! Lickety lick!') Haha .. I need to be vigilant when I read my replies. I would never lick Madame Bovary ... the very thought revolts me, I would knock her bonnet off though The books waiting for me on my shelf are amazing but they know they're up against it cos in Feb I will get some more and then they will be the new shiny one's. Although perhaps I will buy other things with my birthday money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hehe, this confirmed that you do remember what I've said about Winterson But like I said in my previous post, I'm willing to give her another try. I might just as well be that I was not in the right mind to read her Oranges at the time. I read Oranges and enjoyed it but not as much as her biog. Mrs W was much stranger and funnier in real life than in fiction (not as in funny haha but as in funny peculiar, glad she's not my mother haha ) I think you'd like the biog frankie because she talks a lot about her mental health issues and depression and being a female writer and I know all those things interest you. Oh don't worry Kylie, as you can see in my previous post I already decided you can have them all. I'm going for David Mitchell, and if he won't have me, then perhaps, oh I don't know. Some fantastically fabulous Brit. Are there any I've never really understood why Roald Dahl is so bloody popular. I've read Charlie Chocolatey what's his name and it was good, but I don't much care for the illustrations. I know, I must sound like the Wicked Witch from the West or someone. But I can't help it! Then I watched Matilda this weekend and I was mesmerized. She was so adorable. I really need to read the book. And reading your review on Boy: A Tale of Childhood, well, let's just say it's going straight to my wishlist Thanks poppyshake! I haven't read any yet, except for the biog, but I know they'll be fun. I still find blowing up an aunt funny. I wouldn't do it of course but it's fun imagining it (in a Tom & Jerry she'll still come out of it unscathed type of way of course.) Do you mean the sort that doesn't come out no matter how many nails you destroy trying to scratch them off? Or the ones that are printed on the cover? If the former, Kylie can be of assistance! Or well, I can be, too, but I got the advice from Kylie originally I mean the former, I'll have to ask the mistress .. unless you are at liberty to divulge the secret. It would mean one less headache this month. Aww poppyshake! But didn't we discuss this before and agree that you could write in whatever color you liked in your own reading log, at least? Oh boy, I feel responsible, I remember I brought the subject up back then Now, none of that because you DIDN'T bring the subject up .. I did and you just agreed with me. It was driving me bonkers and I need to take as many bonkers driving things out of my life as possible or I wouldn't be just be being driven there .. I'd be there It was a real tearjerker reading about your Daddies, poppyshake and Janet, and your Mum, poppyshake I can't imagine what that's like. ~loads of huggles~ Alan proves yet again to be a real gentleman and a sweetheart, playing chess with your Dad and thinking the world of him Ah thanks frankie and I can't tell you what it means to me for Alan to love my mum and dad as much as he does and them him. Except for sometimes it crosses a line whereby they prefer .. or at least they take the word of .. each other over me Oh, I had no idea it was a book! Did you know that the movie came out at the end of last year? I'm so going to watch it. There was even this funny bit with the dog. Oh goodness I'll have to search it for you, hang on!! it is. There's Koko, a kelpie, auditioning for the role of the Red Dog. How cute is that I'm also hung up over the little dog (Uggie is it?) that features in the new silent film The Artist .. he's just adorable I'm still so very sorry about Oscar. Take care poppyshake! Thank you frankie you too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I do love illustrations in books, I've never grown out of it. In fact I saw a beautiful pop-up book at the weekend and had this whole debate (with myself) about how old is too old to buy a pop-up book. I didn't buy it but Susan Hill mentions a collection of lovely pop-up books she has in Howards End is on the Landing and so really I shouldn't have worried about it. Also I saw a gorgeous edition of The War Horse which has illustrations on nearly every page (your idea of a nightmare chalie) and was very tempted by it. If you really love something, you will never grow too old to love it Even Susan Hill knows this! Well I bought Moon Over Soho in a charity shop.. and willoyd kindly pointed out that it was part of a series .. doh! I'm glad I know, I can get them and read them in the right order now Oops, my mistake! I suppose you'd already had time to add the first book on the wishlist after you'd bought Moon Over Soho. It's just that willoyd wrote in his reading blog that ”I also enjoyed Ben Aaronavitch's quirky crime thrillers with a magic twist - not quite as off the wall as Jasper Fforde, but a really enjoyable slant on the crime story with a strong sense of setting” and it occurred to me that you might've picked it up from there. Knowing you do like Jasper Fforde, at least a tiny bit heehee .. result I hope I won't regret this! Absolute rubbish!! he'd be very fortunate to get you Aww, that is so sweet of you to say You really don't want to dish out encouragement like that Shhhh! I was hoping David Mitchell likes to google his own name and he'll come up with this thread and he'll only see 'David Mitchell' and 'You are always welcome to stalk me!'. I hope it'll put some ideas in his handsome head Haha .. I need to be vigilant when I read my replies. I would never lick Madame Bovary ... the very thought revolts me, I would knock her bonnet off though Oh, it was totally worth it, that made me giggle rather seriously! The books waiting for me on my shelf are amazing but they know they're up against it cos in Feb I will get some more and then they will be the new shiny one's. Although perhaps I will buy other things with my birthday money Buy other things, with your birthday money...? Like, what things? I'm so confused. I read Oranges and enjoyed it but not as much as her biog. Mrs W was much stranger and funnier in real life than in fiction (not as in funny haha but as in funny peculiar, glad she's not my mother haha) I think you'd like the biog frankie because she talks a lot about her mental health issues and depression and being a female writer and I know all those things interest you. You know me well! Oh heck now I want to go straight to the library and borrow her books. A total 180. I knew 2012 was going to be something, but I never knew it would be something like this. Are there any You don't seem to have a very high opinion of the British men do you I'm also referring to one troll comment on a certain PM That made me LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) I haven't read any yet, except for the biog, but I know they'll be fun. I still find blowing up an aunt funny. I wouldn't do it of course but it's fun imagining it (in a Tom & Jerry she'll still come out of it unscathed type of way of course.) Oh, I was sure pretty much everyone has read all that Roald Dahl has written, except for me. Haha, I don't know why, but when I first read that you find blowing up an aunt funny, I had such a different visual to what you really meant. I mean I know what blowing up someone means, but for some reason my brain wasn't fully functioning, and I had it in my head that you were going to fill an aunt with gas and make her balloon up, and not just any gas, but gas = fart. I mean the former, I'll have to ask the mistress .. unless you are at liberty to divulge the secret. It would mean one less headache this month. Seeing as Mistress hasn't bothered to respond, I will let you in on the 'secret' When I was in Australia and was trying to get rid of some nasty stickers that wouldn't budge, Kylie got out a bottle of Bosisto's Eucalyptus Oil, opened it and pored some on a piece of cloth and then rubbed the sticker area with the cloth. And I tell you, it worked!! It's amazing. And it's smells nice But it won't leave your book all nasty and greasy and the smell doesn't last forever. I suppose any kind of eucalyptus oil you can find in the shops works. I love it Now, none of that because you DIDN'T bring the subject up .. I did and you just agreed with me. It was driving me bonkers and I need to take as many bonkers driving things out of my life as possible or I wouldn't be just be being driven there .. I'd be there Well okay, as long as you're fine with it! But remember, there's a really easy trick us others could really easily use when replying to your blog, and it would mean you could use whichever font + color you liked! I just learnt the trick the other day from Janet, it's the rubber kind of thingy on top left corner of the reply box, upper half in red, bottom half in white. When one's selected the whole text, one can press that and all the formatting will be whooshed away! That would solve it all Ah thanks frankie and I can't tell you what it means to me for Alan to love my mum and dad as much as he does and them him. Except for sometimes it crosses a line whereby they prefer .. or at least they take the word of .. each other over me I'm getting teary-eyed just reading that. You don't have to tell anyone, it just shows how much you love and appreciate Alan and all the things he does and is. It shines right through! How cute is that I'm also hung up over the little dog (Uggie is it?) that features in the new silent film The Artist .. he's just adorable I'll have to google The Artist, I've no idea what that is! Edit: I've just tried the 'Remove Format' thingy and it's amazing! Makes my life much easier, and I don't mean when I'm replying in your thread but in general when one's copy+pastying from here and there and all things go bonkers! Edit: Just so that we're on the same page, what was the name of the biog by Winterson you thought I might enjoy reading? I'm now all confused by all the different titles, I'm afraid! Edited January 25, 2012 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Buy other things, with your birthday money...? Like, what things? I'm so confused. I've thought about it .. there are no other options who needs knickers? You don't seem to have a very high opinion of the British men do you I'm also referring to one troll comment on a certain PM That made me LOL! I do really .. I love British men .. but I just wanted you to be aware .. some of them are trolls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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