* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?
Amor Towles – Rules of Civility (for review)
Another review request to the BCF reviews team, this time from the publisher. I’ve only just started this one so I can’t really comment on it so far, apart from to say that the writing is wonderful. I can only hope the plot and characters live up to that promise…

SJ Parris – Heresy (e-book)
I love historical fiction. I also love murder myseries. What better way to entertain myself than to combine the two? I’ve read about a quarter of this and so far I love it! I can hardly wait to see where the story goes in this novel set during the reign of Elizabeth I. Already I think the rest of the series may be swiftly downloaded to my Kindle!

What did you recently finish reading?
Anne Frasier – Hush (e-book)
This is so good it’s hard to believe it’s a debut, so polished it the end result! It’s a taut crime thriller with precision plotting – I even fell for one or two of the red herrings (which, I’m proud to say, is a rare thing) – and I was kept literally on the edge of my seat for the entire thrilling journey.

The characters are endearingly, humanly flawed, the plot is gripping, and the writing is perfectly suited to the genre. I will certainly be trying more by this author because if this introduction to her works is indicative of her style, it will be a thrilling ride!

Jackson Pearce – Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings 1)
Not so much a modern retelling of a fairytale, but a modern paranormal urban adventure with fairytale overtones, Sisters Red gathers together elements of the Red Riding Hood story with Snow White and Rose Red, and sets in firmly in modern-day Atlanta, GA with the wolves being supernatural creatures, and the sisters themselves being anything but victims.

Jackson Pearce has twisted the tale and skewed it in such a way that the feisty heroines are a force to be reckoned with – woe betide the wolf that tries to prey on them! The scarred and battle-weary Scarlet is such a wonderful character that it would be easy to overlook her quieter younger sister, Rosie, were she not so brilliantly realised herself. As for Silas, well a good friend is always an asset and although these girls can stand firmly on their own two feet, an extra pair of hands always comes in handy in the fight against evil.

I’ll not say I didn’t see the big twist coming, because I did spot it quite early on, but I didn’t care because I still wanted to read on and find out where the story would go and what ,exactly, would become of our intrepid trio.

If you like your fairytale heroines practical, with no need to wait for rescue from a handsome prince, then the Sisters Red are the girls for you. Long may the new breed of folk legends and twisted tales continue!

Tony Levy – A Turnkey Or Not? (e-book)
A Turnkey Or Not?is a humorous and frank autobiography by an ex-prison officer. As my Dad has been a prison officer in the Scottish Prison Service for 25 years, I thought I might find it interesting… and I was right! It’s an insightful, often surprising look at life on the outside of the bars, but inside the prison system and I loved it!

Levy’s professional life has been filled with quirky characters (and I actually feel he is one of them!) and his anecdotes are, more often than not, touched with a fondness for those featuring in this story of his work, and where friendly feelings have not been evident, he has been respectful and mindful of how others might take his revelations, giving nicknames and pseudonyms at every point.

Reading this book, I almost felt like I was meeting all his colleagues in person and I found I could picture them, hear their voices and join in their camaraderie as each chapter unfolded, and I progressed with them all, moving from one prison and position in the hierarchy to the next. Really, I almost felt like I was sitting having a coffee with an old friend who was recounting the more interesting episodes he had experienced and seeing the twinkle in Levy’s eye as he jests, then the more serious expressions as the tide turns.

Whether or not you know anyone who has ever been a prison officer, I think this has a broad appeal that should leave most readers feeling satisfied and entertained. It’s definitely well worth picking up.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Jenn Ashworth – Cold Light (for review)
Yes, another review request. I’ve not started this one and all I know is bascially from the blurb. Suffice to say, that blurb sounded interesting enough to make me say “Yes,” to taking a look at it! I’ll be starting it as soon as I’ve finished the other two…

Catherine Cooper – The Golden Acorn (e-book)
This is the choice for February in the Kindle Klub group. We only choose e-books that are available for FREE download, so there’s no expense to take part if you have a Kindle. If you fancy joining us, please feel free. Just click on the link HERE. I’m certainly looking forward to reading and discussing it…

MD Keating – Sunburnt (for review)
I received this one from Goodreads for review yesterday morning, so it’s been bumped up to my “must read as soon as possible” pile.

Synopsis:
At a Los Angeles hospital in the 1920s, Alexandria is a child recovering from a broken arm. She befriends Roy Walker, a movie stunt man with legs paralyzed after a fall. At her request, Roy tells her an elaborate story about six men of widely varied backgrounds who are on a quest to kill a corrupt provincial governor. Between chapters of the story, Roy inveigles Alexandria to scout the hospital’s pharmacy for morphine. As Roy’s fantastic tale nears its end, Death seems close at hand.

What I thought of it:
This is one of those odd movies where I’m quite certain I liked it, but I’m completely unsure why. To be perfectly frank, it’s completely bizarre; like a cross between The Arabian Nights and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). Visually it is absolutely stunning, with vibrant colours and rich textures everywhere you turn. It’s also incredibly clever at blurring the lines between reality and fantasy – pointing firmly towards the booming movie industry of the 20s which offered escapism to the masses (as it does to this day) – populating the fairytale with people in and around the hospital, sometimes heavily in disguise. Underneath it all is the burgeoning friendship between an injured girl and a broken man which poignantly unfolds on both sides of reality.

I really did like it. It was a bit long at almost two hours, and it almost assaults the senses whilst making your emotions run the gauntlet – it’s almost a sensory overload, but it held its own to the end.

For me, though, it was then six-year-old Catinca Untaru, playing Alexandria, who really made the film. She was nothing short of wonderful and really tugged the heart strings – even the most callous child-hater would be hard pushed not to be moved by her performance. Lee Pace could almost have been interchangeable with John Cusack, both for looks and presentation, which is no bad thing in my book, and he was a strong foil for Catinca.

Overall, it’s a rather whimsical look at how an unexpected friendship can change your whole outlook on life, and it’s breathtakingly beautiful to look at, even if the story itself doesn’t appeal.

Rating:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser:

That’s how quickly New York City comes about – like a weather vane – or the head of a cobra. Time tells which.

- page 161, Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Synopsis:
In a jazz bar on the last night of 1937, watching a quartet because she couldn’t afford to see the whole ensemble, there were certain things Katey Kontent knew: the location of every old church in Manhattan; how to sneak into the cinema; how to type eighty words a minute, five thousand an hour, and nine million a year; and that if you can still lose yourself in a Dickens novel then everything is going to be fine.

By the end of the year she’d learned: how to live like a redhead and insist upon the very best; that riches can turn to rags in the trip of a heartbeat; chance encounters can be fated; and the word ‘yes’ can be a poison.

What I think of it so far:
Another review request to the BCF reviews team, this time from the publisher. I’ve only just started this one so I can’t really comment on it so far, apart from to say that the writing is wonderful. I can only hope the plot and characters live up to that promise…

Top Ten Tuesday
Books That Would Make Great Book Club Picks

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted at Broke and Bookish.

My top ten books that would make great book club picks are:

1. Vikas Swarup – Q&A
   I loved this one – the sight and sounds of India are all wrapped up in the intrigue of a fascinating life and the excitement of a televised big-money quiz show. This is way better than the film (Slumdog Millionaire).
2. Lionel Shriver – We Need To Talk About Kevin
   I hated this one, but it certainly got discussion going in our group. I think it’s one of those Marmite books – you either love it or hate it.
3. Patrick Süskind – Perfume
   This is a beautifully written account with an almost sympathetic view of a serial killer that really gets your heart and mind racing.
4. John Boyne – The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas
   Incredibly poignant – this one moved us all to tears but was absolutely wonderful for it.
5. Bret Easton Ellis – American Psycho
   A darkly satirical urban thriller. I think most people do not expect there to be such humour in a novel about a serial killer, but its here in spades.
   
6. Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale
   A harsh look at how the sexuality of women is taken to extremes in society, even without such harsh restraints.
7. Kazuo Ishirugo – Never Let Me Go
   Hauntingly beautiful and sad, this makes us question the ethics of where modern medicine may be headed.
8. Natsuo Kirino – Out
   It’s not often that women are the killers, but in this novel, life goes askew for a small group of women who find that when it comes to the crunch, they can do pretty much anything they set their mind to it.
9. Jed Rubenfeld – The Interpretation of Murder
   An interesting look at how the mind of a murderer works, from the point of view of the pioneering psych-analysts Freud, Jung et al.
10. John Wyndham – Day Of the Triffids
    A great look at how society adapts to overcome astronomical odds when disaster strikes.

You’ll notice I’ve not included any classics. That’s because it goes without saying that the likes of Austen, Dickens, the Brontë sisters et al are automatically great picks and it’s inevitable that a handful of those will get chosen and discussed at some point, but these more modern ones were all novels I’ve enjoyed discussing with other members of various books groups and they have a broad appeal, so anyone can get into them and find something discussion-worthy between the covers.

You’ll also see that murder plays a heavy role in my choices, but I only noticed this after compiling my list. I suspect it’s because I find the inner workings of the psychotic mind fascinating – they’ve certainly always got everyone talking at book group meetings I’ve attended!

Click to view slideshow.

So, which books have I finished this month…?

BOOKS FINISHED IN JANUARY

1. Joss Stirling – Stealing Phoenix (e-book)
I picked this one up from Amazon Kindle free of charge and was pleased to find it was rather good. Having seen fellow bloggers raving about it, I tried not to get too hyped up, but I did enjoy it. The characters of Phoenix and Yves are easy to identify with, and the not-so-nice characters, although not really fleshed out as much as I would like (and with really dumb names – honestly, Dragon and Unicorn? Really?), they were suitably villainous and offered a pretty decent threat.

I’m not sure I enjoyed it enough to warrant going back and reading Finding Sky, but it was certainly an enjoyable enough way to pass a few hours.

2. Anna Katharine Green – X Y Z A Detective Story (e-book)
I downloaded this free from Amazon as it fit the A-Z challenge nicely for that ever-so-tricky “X” entry. I read a lot of crime fiction, both modern and classic, so I suppose that directly affected my enjoyment of this. It was plodding and predictable, and had it been any longer, I may well have not bothered finishing it. The idea is sound enough, but the execution is pedestrian and nothing special. As it is such a short story, the characters were not fleshed out much at all, leaving them barely two-dimensional, and the plot was thin at best. Rather disappointing, but at least it served its purpose and completed that hard-to-fill spot on my challenge.

3. Cody Young – The Lady and the Locksmith (e-book)
Cody Young has a lightness of touch which makes for very easy reading. Her characters are all very human (even if they are romanticised), the plotting is perfectly paced and the settings sumptuous. This romance is all the sweeter for its short length, as all the passion of the gentle yet swift love affair is swept along at a breathtaking pace, taking the reader along for the ride. I’m not usually a fan of romances, but I do make an exception for this author, as I love her style so much.

4. Cody Young – Johnny Doesn’t Drink Champagne (e-book)
This has the singular distinction of being the only cross-genre novel I’ve come across which features vampires and time travel. Under normal circumstances, a vampire novel wouldn’t warrant a time travel element because vampires live, like, forever, but in this instance having that time slip makes it that little bit different and it really works.

Once again, we have Cody Young’s light touch and expert story telling, this time weaving the threads of historical and modern romance together, whilst tackling a 500 year old mystery that still confounds historians to this day, giving a plausible answer to one of the questions left unanswered since the War of the Roses. This has a universal appeal – really, anyone who likes anything to do with vampires, historical fiction and a little romance would do well to try this.

5. John H Carroll – The Emo Bunny That Should: A Story For Demented Children (e-book)
A fun little tale of a depressed rabbit that inadvertently saves the day. It’s very short and should appeal to those who have a slightly dark or demented sense of humour. Which I do. Obviously.

6. Anne Brontë – Agnes Grey (e-book)
Anne Bronte has become my favourite Bronte sister. Both her novels, but especially this, have a quiet kind of passion, and Agnes Grey displays a very reserved longing for love without showing any expectation of it.

Based on Anne’s personal experiences of being a governess, I wonder how much of this novel is based on fact and how much is fabrication, but either way, Anne’s deft handling of the characters and situation, in my opinion, outshines the ability of both her sisters, giving a much more natural and realistic impression of life and love at that time.

7. Patrick deWitt – The Sisters Brothers
I’m not exactly sure what it is about this novel that I liked so much – I only know that I enjoyed it immensely. Perhaps it’s the simple eloquence of Eli Sisters’ narration that belies the complexities of character in both him and his brother. Perhaps it’s his dispassionate approach to killing juxtaposed by his wish to finally settle down and find a chance at love and redemption. Or perhaps it’s just that it’s a great story with great characters and the writing is superb.

Whatever it is, this has awakened in me a desire to try more westerns when, before this, I had no interest in them at all.

8. Philippa Gregory – The Women of the Cousins’ War
This non-fiction study of the three women (Jaquetta of Luxembourg, Elizabeth Woodville, and Margaret Beaufort) portrayed in the Cousins’ War series is absolutely fascinating! I was aware that women have been marginalised throughout history, but I never stopped to think how those who did make it to the pages of the history books might have been so horrendously misrepresented.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, especially of the period of unrest known as the War of the Roses, irrespective of whether you are a fan of Gregory’s novels, I think you’ll find this interesting.

9. Marissa Meyer – Cinder
A cyborg Cinderella? Count me in! This is one of the most innovative twists on the Cinderella story I’ve encountered so far. I was intrigued by the cover when I saw it on a blog and reading the reviews confirmed it as something that would most likely appeal to me – it certainly lived up to its promise!

I absolutely loved the character of Cinder – her mix of cool machine and emotional person made for a great combination and she was both believable and sympathetic.

The setting could have been anywhere, if I’m brutally honest, as there was very little in the way of actual description or mention of traditions in New Beijing that might link it to old Beijing, but I get the feeling it’s a set up for the rest of the series, so I’m more than willing to let that slide ni the hopes that it’s developed further in the subsequent novels. I’ll certainly be looking out for the next book when it’s published.

10. Caroline Hanson – Bewitching the Werewolf (e-book)
A fun, slightly sexy little paranormal romance short story. It could have done with being a little sexier, and even though it’s very short, I would have liked a little more character and romantic development. That said, for the short length, it’s entertaining enough and fills a half hour or so nicely.

11. Frances Hodgson Burnett – Little Lord Fauntleroy (e-book)
Although I enjoyed the writing in this novel every bit as much as I did with The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, this story was a little more “goody-goody” than either of those. I think if I had actually known Little Lord Fauntleroy personally, he would have annoyed me intensely as he is just TOO good to be true. The story is also rather predictable so there were no actual surprises for me.

However, the writing is really excellent and it’s worth reading it just for the beautiful, flowing style as much as the sweet story. So, not quite as much of a favourite as the other two I’ve read, but still rather good.

12. Susan Hill – Howards End is on the Landing
I’d heard so many wonderful things about this book that I think I fell victim to the hype and wanted to like it so much more than I did. That’s not to say it’s not good – it IS good, just not as good as I’d hoped.

Howards End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home is less a love letter to the books Susan Hill loves, and more a recounting of the many anecdotes she has of meeting and working with other writers, and their books which have subsequently helped shape her life, both personally and professionally.

It’s a little dry in places and, I confess, it did not actually inspire me to search for any of the books mentioned that I had not already read, but I did enjoy some of the little stories that were triggered by Hill wandering round her book-filled home and choosing to read only books she already owns for a year.

If we were all to follow her example, I’m sure everyone’s “Final Forty” would look very different. Certainly, there are not many books on which she settles that I would include in my own list, and there are many others I would insist upon that are omitted, but, as I’ve already intimated, everyone’s tastes are different.

This is an interesting read for anyone who loves books and, who knows, may lead to others discovering the joys of those tomes Hill pulled down from her own shelves.

13. Jonathon Pinnock – Mrs. Darcy Versus the Aliens
Not quite as clever as Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, nor quite as funny as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but still a fun read. Pinnock pits our beloved Elizabeth against invaders from another planet and, on the whole, it does well, but some of the pop-culture in-jokes will probably not age quite as well as the ones based on more classic areas. This really is a major mash-up, not just between Austen and aliens, but also time, as the Regency meets the Victorian age too.

If you’re a fan of mash-ups, especially of Austen-based ones, you’ll probably enjoy this. If not, then you’re probably best to steer clear, as you simply won’t get it.

14. Anne Frasier – Hush (e-book)
This is so good it’s hard to believe it’s a debut, so polished it the end result! It’s a taut crime thriller with precision plotting – I even fell for one or two of the red herrings (which, I’m proud to say, is a rare thing) – and I was kept literally on the edge of my seat for the entire thrilling journey.

The characters are endearingly, humanly flawed, the plot is gripping, and the writing is perfectly suited to the genre. I will certainly be trying more by this author because if this introduction to her works is indicative of her style, it will be a thrilling ride!

15. Jackson Pearce – Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings 1)
Not so much a modern retelling of a fairytale, but a modern paranormal urban adventure with fairytale overtones, Sisters Red gathers together elements of the Red Riding Hood story with Snow White and Rose Red, and sets in firmly in modern-day Atlanta, GA with the wolves being supernatural creatures, and the sisters themselves being anything but victims.

Jackson Pearce has twisted the tale and skewed it in such a way that the feisty heroines are a force to be reckoned with – woe betide the wolf that tries to prey on them! The scarred and battle-weary Scarlet is such a wonderful character that it would be easy to overlook her quieter younger sister, Rosie, were she not so brilliantly realised herself. As for Silas, well a good friend is always an asset and although these girls can stand firmly on their own two feet, an extra pair of hands always comes in handy in the fight against evil.

I’ll not say I didn’t see the big twist coming, because I did spot it quite early on, but I didn’t care because I still wanted to read on and find out where the story would go and what ,exactly, would become of our intrepid trio.

If you like your fairytale heroines practical, with no need to wait for rescue from a handsome prince, then the Sisters Red are the girls for you. Long may the new breed of folk legends and twisted tales continue!

16. Tony Levy – A Turnkey Or Not? (e-book)
A Turnkey Or Not? is a humorous and frank autobiography by an ex-prison officer. As my Dad has been a prison officer in the Scottish Prison Service for 25 years, I thought I might find it interesting… and I was right! It’s an insightful, often surprising look at life on the outside of the bars, but inside the prison system and I loved it!

Levy’s professional life has been filled with quirky characters (and I actually feel he is one of them!) and his anecdotes are, more often than not, touched with a fondness for those featuring in this story of his work, and where friendly feelings have not been evident, he has been respectful and mindful of how others might take his revelations, giving nicknames and pseudonyms at every point.

Reading this book, I almost felt like I was meeting all his colleagues in person and I found I could picture them, hear their voices and join in their camaraderie as each chapter unfolded, and I progressed with them all, moving from one prison and position in the hierarchy to the next. Really, I almost felt like I was sitting having a coffee with an old friend who was recounting the more interesting episodes he had experienced and seeing the twinkle in Levy’s eye as he jests, then the more serious expressions as the tide turns.

Whether or not you know anyone who has ever been a prison officer, I think this has a broad appeal that should leave most readers feeling satisfied and entertained. It’s definitely well worth picking up.

BOOKS STARTED, BUT CARRYING OVER TO FEBRUARY:
Amor Towles – Rules of Civility
Another review request to the BCF reviews team, this time from the publisher. I’ve only just started this one so I can’t really comment on it so far, apart from to say that the writing is wonderful. I can only hope the plot and characters live up to that promise…

SJ Parris – Heresy (e-book)
I love historical fiction. I also love murder myseries. What better way to entertain myself than to combine the two? I’ve read about a quarter of this and so far I love it! I can hardly wait to see where the story goes in this novel set during the reign of Elizabeth I. Already I think the rest of the series may be swiftly downloaded to my Kindle!

PRIORITY FOR FEBRUARY
Jenn Ashworth – Cold Light
Yes, another review request. I’ve not started this one and all I know is bascially from the blurb. Suffice to say, that blurb sounded interesting enough to make me say “Yes,” to taking a look at it! I’ll be starting it as soon as I’ve finished the other two…

Catherine Cooper – The Golden Acorn (e-book)
This is the choice for February in the Kindle Klub group. We only choose e-books that are available for FREE download, so there’s no expense to take part if you have a Kindle. If you fancy joining us, please feel free. Just click on the link HERE.

Hosted by Sheila at One Person’s Journey through a World of Books.

KEY:
E– E-book Challenge
G – 2012 Genre Challenge
BFF – Bookie Friends’ Favourites Challenge
BL – Bucket List Challenge
S – Off The Shelf Challenge
AZ – A-Z Challenge
C – Classics Challenge

Tony Levy – A Turnkey Or Not? (e-book)
The Book Club Forum reviews team was contacted by the author with a request to review this autobiography by an ex-prison officer. As my Dad has been a prison officer in the Scottish Prison Service for 25 years, I thought I might find it interesting… and I was right! It’s an insightful, often humourous look at life on the in front of the bars, but inside the prison system and so far I love it!

Amor Towles – Rules of Civility
Another review request to the BCF reviews team, this time from the publisher. I’ve only just started this one so I can’t really comment on it so far, apart from to say that the writing is wonderful. I can only hope the plot and characters live up to that promise…

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Cover Crazy

Hosted by The Book Worms

What I love:
Actually, what I love most is the style of illustration! The cover art by Lori Koefoed is just so stunning, and I adore the composition of the figure in the mirror, the ornate frame, and the natural simplicity of the creeping ivy leaves and creatures. It smacks of fairytale adventures, but also speaks of a style that might mirror *ahem* Pratchett (take a look at the Discworld covers by Paul Kidby and you’ll see what I mean).

Synopsis:

Two sisters. One a witch and a queen. The other transformed by her sister’s touch into a mirror–a mirror with voice and memory and magic, but no power to transform herself back to the girl she once was. And then, mysteriously, the queen disappears and another girl finds the mirror. This girl has troubles of her own, but she is also a means to escape and soon the girl and the mirror are on their way to find the magic that will bring both pain and hope to both of them. Mette Harrison’s mesmerizing voice spins a breathtaking tale of love, lies, and redemption.

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Musing Mondays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

How far along are you in your current read before you start thinking about what you’ll read next?

As I take part in WWW Wednesdays each week, I usually have a pretty fair idea of what I’ll be reading next and tend to stick to that unless something comes up, such as a book arriving for review, which then takes precedence over my original choice. The original choice still gets read, just a little later than expected. I don’t think there’s ever been a specific point in my current reading where I start thinking about the next book, but I usually think a couple of books ahead as I have such a HUGE load of unread books on my shelf!

Each Saturday, I will feature either something I’m currently stitching, something I’ve just finished stitching, or something I’ve just designed. I hope you’ll all join me in displaying some of your own work and leaving a link to your post in the comments below.

Out now:
Design: Who Am I Kidding?
Size: 93w x 67h
A cute little subversive sampler proclaiming “I will not be naughty!” We all know that just can’t be done, right? Stitch all in a single colour, or choose half a dozen soft shades to tone with your decor.

Out 30th January
Design: Night Circus Diagonal Bookmark
Size: 70w x 70w (this design is stitched diagonally on the fabric)
This was inspired by the novel The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and designed as a gift for my Mam to go with a hardback copy of the book. Charted for a single colour, but as you can see, you can stitch different areas in whatever colours you choose for a different effect.

For Valentine’s Day (coming in the next few weeks)
Design: Love Me Do
Size: 66w x 44h
Are you a fan of The Beatles? Or are you just a romantic? Stitch this simple little phrase for your loved one in whatever colour will best appeal.

Design: All You Need Is Love
Size: 68w x 58h
Second in the song titles trio, and another Beatles track.

Design: Love Me Tender
Size: 74w x 44h
If Elvis is more your style, then the third in my song titles trio is the one for you!

Design: Assisi Valentine Heart
Size: 39w x 34h
Did you forget it’s almost Valentine’s Day? Then this last-minute quick stitch will fit the bill for a card or gift you can make the night before and still make your loved one feel special.

Click to view slideshow.

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if you would like a birth or wedding sampler (or for any special occasion, really) designed to stitch yourself, drop me a line with details and preferences:

kincavel_krosses@yahoo.co.uk

prices are very reasonable and will not break the bank!

All designs delivered via email in PDF format, so no delivery charges and you don’t have to wait an age to get them.

All payments by Paypal.

For examples of previous commissions, click here.

By following links to blogs taking part in various memes, I’ve heard about so many great books it would be impossible to list them all. I’m also a regular visitor to our local library and am always eagerly awaiting newly published books by my favourite authors. However, here are the ones that really stood out for me this week and for which I’ll be looking out on future book acquisition expeditions:

• Theodora Goss – The Thorn and the Blossom
• Adam Christopher – Empire State
• Nancy Bilyeau – The Crown
• Mette Ivie Hrrison – Mira, Mirror
• Barry Unsworth – The Quality of Mercy
• Paula Brackston – The Witch’s Daughter

They’ve all gone onto my wish list!

Click to view slideshow.

I take part in a handful of book-related memes and part of the fun in that is visiting the other participating blogs, reading what is there, and leaving a friendly comment behind me. Unfortunately, of late, I’ve found I have a problem with many of the blogs hosted on Blogger.

The problem occurs when I try to leave a comment and am asked to enter a Captcha code. I enter the combination of letters and numbers as shown, but no matter how careful and precise I am, it tells me I have entered them incorrectly and then offers me a different combination. I then try again and get the same result. This means I cannot leave comments on these blogs, which saddens me because on many occasions these have been the blog posts on which I’ve most wanted to comment.

I have no idea why this problem has suddenly cropped up. It never used to happen – it’s only been over the course of the last week or so – but as approximately half the blogs that take part in these memes are Blogger blogs, and approximately two-thirds of these ask me for a Captcha code which then tells me I’m incorrectly entering the information, it means there are quite a lot of posts where I’ve been unable to comment.

So this is my open apology to the owners of these blogs – I desperately wanted to leave a comment on your excellent blog post, but I was unable.

I shall continue trying to find a solution to this problem, but at present I do not know what it is.

Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know the solution? If so, I’d love it if you would divulge the answer in the comments below!

ETA: I use OpenID when leaving comments on Blogger blogs, as I do not have a Google address. I mention this because several of the suggestions made in the comments are regarding using that…

It’s also happening on some Blogger blogs that DON’T use Captcha codes. I use the drop down menu provided on the “Comment as” bit and then hit “post” but it doesn’t do anything, even on blogs where I have regularly commented in the past. Sunny, yours is one of the blogs where this happens, so please don’t think I’m ignoring your blog – I’m not, I just can’t comment.

What’s more important: Good writing? Or a good story?
(Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…)

Of course, a really good book has both, but if I had to sacrifice one for the other, I’d take average writing with an exciting and absorbing plot over an exquisitely written slice of dullsville.

I’ve enjoyed many competently written books where the riveting story has rattled along and kept me on the edge of my seat, but no matter how beautiful the writing is, if there is little to know plot, or if there’s a good plot but drawn out in such a way as to make it drag, then I’m afraid I’m not going to finish it, and it becomes a waste of my time and money.

Of course I’d prefer a winning combination of both elements, what reader in their right mind wouldn’t? But given the choise of only one, that’s my answer.

Synopsis:
As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them.

What I thought of it:
Based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, this film retains everything that made the book so hauntingly poignant, so infused with sadness, and so incredibly real. The performances by the three leads are all superb. Having never been a fan of Keira Knightly, I can honestly say I hope she chooses to work on more films of this ilk and explore characters with more depth than she previously has with such fare as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as her strengths lie here. However, the real shining stars here are Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man, no less!) who run the gauntlet of emotions throughout, portraying the characters of Cathy and Tommy with such natural ability that it is hard to believe one is watching a film rather than their real lives unfolding.

If you watch this film, you will cry. Your heart will break for the children of Hailsham and the young adults they become who do not have a real chance to live, but it is worth it, I swear it is worth watching and aching for them. In the end, it is a beautiful piece of film-making that makes the very best of its stars and the source material, and it should have won many more awards than it did. It is incredibly thought provoking and will stay with you long after the final credits have finished rolling.

Rating: