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.

~***~

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:

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

What are you currently reading?
Anne Frasier – Hush (Kindle e-book)
This Kindle e-book caught my eye and I thought I’d give it a try. I’m so glad I did! I’m now half way through and it’s so exciting! The writing is excellent and the plotting is tight. I’d never even heard of this author before, but now I’ll be looking out for more of her work to snap up!

Jackson Pearce – Sisters Red (S)
This is one of the books I bought with some of my Xmas money and I’ve been dying to get to it. The cover first grabbed my attention and positive reviews from fellow bloggers have made this a must-read. I’ve only just started this, so no comment yet. I just hope my expectations aren’t unrealistically high!

What did you recently finish reading?
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.

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.

Jonathan 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.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Stuart MacBride – Birthdays for the Dead
Not set in Aberdeen and not about Logan McRae or any of this colleagues, but it’s by Stuart Macbride and that’s more than good enough for me! I love his books! I have this in hardback (to add to my permanent collection along with the rest of MacBride’s books) and it will be my bedside table book for now.

Charles Dickens – Great Expectations (Kindle e-book)
This one features on several of my reading challenges, so I thought I’d make a start. The only Dickens I’ve ever read before now is A Christmas Carol. I don’t know why I’ve put off reading more of his work for so long, but I hope to remedy that over the course of this year.

Film: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Released: 2011
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Joely Richardson, Steven Berkoff, Julian Sands

Synopsis:
This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch’s niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.

What I thought of it:
For once, I actually found the remake better than the original! (For the record, I watch and enjoy foreign language films on a semi-regular basis, so it wasn’t because it was a foreign film I disliked the original). This is far more cohesive and easier to follow, dwelling on things long enough so that their significance is established without overstaying their welcome and dragging things out. From the opening sequence (which is very Bond-esque in style, with women covered in dripping ink) this is a polished production which is more intense and watchable than its predecessor. The only problem I had was with the performance of the lead, Daniel Craig – every other cast member had a Swedish accent throughout, but he didn’t bother even trying, which I thought was a poor show and indicative of his limited ability. However, that’s my only quibble and I hope they will remake the other two films in the Millennium trilogy as I will certainly watch them.

My hubby’s review HERE.

Rating:

Film: The Ghost Writer
Released: 2010
Director: Roman Polanski
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Catrall

Synopsis:
An unremarkable ghost-writer has landed a lucrative contract to redact the memoirs of Adam Lang, the former UK Prime Minister. After dominating British politics for years, Lang has retired with his wife to the USA. He lives on an island, in luxurious, isolated premises complete with a security detail and a secretarial staff. Soon, Adam Lang gets embroiled in a major scandal with international ramifications that reveals how far he was ready to go in order to nurture UK’s “special relationship” with the USA. But before this controversy has started, before even he has closed the deal with the publisher, the ghost-writer gets unmistakable signs that the turgid draft he is tasked to put into shape inexplicably constitutes highly sensitive material.

What I thought of it:
I saw the trailer to this some time ago and thought it looked a fairly decent political thriller, despite my not being a fan of Ewan McGregor (I find him very average at best). What we actually got was a fairly predictable, if slightly garbled, pseudo-political thriller with a thin plot and sub-par performances. In fact, the best performance came from Kim Catrall, who we are so used to hearing with an American drawl that it was a surprise to find her upper class English accent was far better than Ewan McGregor’s average-Joe English (she was actually born in Liverpool and spent several years in her youth in the UK). Brosnan just seemed bored and appeared to be going through the motions for the paycheck, and Olivia Williams, playing the wife of the ex-prime minister, was blandly cold. We were also left with an unsatisfactorily unfinished end that felt like the production team simply ran out of time before they could wrap everything up neatly.

My hubby’s review HERE.

Rating:

Film: Immortals
Released: 2011
Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff

Synopsis:
Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares. Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king’s hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man’s conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion…until a peasant named Theseus (Henry Cavill) comes forth as their only hope. Secretly chosen by Zeus, Theseus must save his people from Hyperion and his hordes. Rallying a band of fellow outsiders-including visionary priestess Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and cunning slave Stavros (Stephen Dorff)-one hero will lead the uprising, or watch his homeland fall into ruin and his Gods vanish into legend.

What I thought of it:
The best way I can think to sum this up is that it’s like a cross between 300 and Troy, unfortunately there’s not much there to hold interest while watching. Yes, we have the class act that is John Hurt to add gravitas, newly lauded Rourke to kick butt, and Cavill’s rather lovely bared chest to act as eye candy (so sue me – he’s gorgeous and I liked him from the first moment I saw him in The Tudors), all wrapped up in Greek mythology. It should have been great. It should have been better than great – it should have been freakin’ awesome, and that’s what the trailers all seemed to promise. Unfortunately, the film itself fails to live up to that promise on an epic scale. A wafer-thin plot and minimal writing cannot be overcome even by the greatest acting, superb action sequences, or Henry Cavill’s particularly ogle-worthy chest.

My hubby’s review HERE.

Rating:

Film: Anonymous
Released: 2011
Director: Roland Emmerich
Stars: Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Vaness Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Derek Jacobi

Synopsis:
A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare’s plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.

What I thought of it:
I loved that the younger Elizabeth was played by Redgrave’s daughter, Joely Richardson, making the transition between the two very plausible. Spall is also a pretty decent match for the busts and woodcuts we see of The Bard, and his annoying character, although he got on my nerves, fit with the concept that he was a bumbling, illiterate fool incapable of writing the most famous and oft-performed plays in the English language. For me, Rhys Ifans was the undoubted star of the show, closely followed by the superb Thewlis (it was wonderful seeing them perform together in this film!). All the younger versions of characters, where not played by the same actor in the “older” parts, were credible matches and performed well, and of course, Jacobi adds a touch of class to any project.

However, it was a little too long and not as exciting as the trailer would have you believe. It IS beautifully presented and has an all-star cast that gives brilliant performances, but it just falls a little short of hitting the mark.

My hubby’s review HERE.

Rating: