Been rubbish at posting recently and great apologies. Of course I'm not sure who I am apologising to, but I apologise anyway.
To catch you up, I finished Great Expectations and Stardust. Great Expectations I liked, Stardust I loved!
Great Expectations was a wonderful book, and the ending surprised me but also left me a little disappointed. However, I was relived that Pip finally got over all his nonsense and stopped being so horrid to Joe and I did like Miss Havishams dramatic finale.
Stardust was fantastic. I saw the film when it came out all that time ago and loved it then so when I found the book in Waterstones I snagged it off the shelf. I really enjoyed it. Gaiman creates a deep and exciting world and I loved every word. It is a short book, but action packed and full of battles, witchcraft, lust, love, talking trees and magic stones.
A great read!
I have now moved on to A Game of Thrones which has placed me under its spell. There are some very disturbing and tantalising scenes and it is not a book for the faint hearted or people who are new to the fantasy genre.
I hope to provide more frequent updates soon and stop being so useless :P Well, happy reading!
About Me
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Starting out with Great Expectations and Bookmarks
I (try to) uphold a book before film rule. It doesn't always work out that way. I saw almost all the Jane Austen movies before reading the books and I think I saw the version of Wuthering Heights with Ralph Fiennes before I read the book. In fact I can actually think of many times my book before film rule hasn't worked out, but I digress.
Recently, I saw that a new version of Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, was made starring Helena Bonham Carter. I had wanted to read Great Expectations for some time and there is no time like the present. Unfortunately, that particular present, was clouded by the stress of exams, so getting into the book was quiet difficult....very difficult....ok near impossible.
However, this morning, on the first day in a while I haven't had to revise, I picked up my slightly worn edition and I managed to get into it.
Great Expectations, follows the tale of ambitious Pip, apprenticed to his brother in law, Joe Gargey and raised by his decidedly callous sister. One day Pip is called to the house of the rich and eccentric Miss Havisham and begins to fall for her proud ward Estella. Pip also receives unexpected wealth by an anonymous benefactor...
So far I have enjoyed myself. Miss Havisham is an eccentric and disconcerting character that has completely captivated my imagination. Estella, Miss Havishams proud and beautiful ward, is intriguing and I feel like at the moment I want to know more about her.
I found Pip very hard to like at the beginning, but perhaps that was because I was working and had my mind on other things, but I am noticing that there are (obviously) great changes within his character as the story progresses.
Another way that I have been spending my time recently is making bookmarks. This was my latest creation:
Very easy to make, great birthday present idea!! Love bookmarks!
Recently, I saw that a new version of Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, was made starring Helena Bonham Carter. I had wanted to read Great Expectations for some time and there is no time like the present. Unfortunately, that particular present, was clouded by the stress of exams, so getting into the book was quiet difficult....very difficult....ok near impossible.
However, this morning, on the first day in a while I haven't had to revise, I picked up my slightly worn edition and I managed to get into it.
Great Expectations, follows the tale of ambitious Pip, apprenticed to his brother in law, Joe Gargey and raised by his decidedly callous sister. One day Pip is called to the house of the rich and eccentric Miss Havisham and begins to fall for her proud ward Estella. Pip also receives unexpected wealth by an anonymous benefactor...
So far I have enjoyed myself. Miss Havisham is an eccentric and disconcerting character that has completely captivated my imagination. Estella, Miss Havishams proud and beautiful ward, is intriguing and I feel like at the moment I want to know more about her.
I found Pip very hard to like at the beginning, but perhaps that was because I was working and had my mind on other things, but I am noticing that there are (obviously) great changes within his character as the story progresses.
Another way that I have been spending my time recently is making bookmarks. This was my latest creation:
Very easy to make, great birthday present idea!! Love bookmarks!
Saturday, 12 January 2013
New Books
As many of you will know, it most towns and cities, there is a magical place known as Waterstones.
In this magical place there are ebony coloured shelves stretching up to the ceiling, so tall that you have to stretch through from your toes to your finger tips to reach the top (or ask a tall guy to help you).
There are also tables, stacked with with scores of books that are a labyrinth of hard backs and dust-paper jackets.There are plains of biographies, swamps of thrillers, meadows full of romances, seas of classics and forests of fantasy.
Now that I am finished turning Waterstones into the new Narnia, I will explain why. Last Saturday I took a break from the mess of homoeostasis and mitosis that was my Biology revision (although I didn't need the book to get those terms so I must be doing something right) and finally spent the gift cards I got for Christmas in Waterstones.
Buying books always makes me happy, the smell of new paper and an uncreased cover. A little box full of an undiscovered world. Call me sentimental, but that's how I think about it. I have travelled to India, America, Germany, Italy,19th century England, Middle-Earth and Shangri-La,to name a few,without leaving my bedroom.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying books supplement real life, I have actually been to a few of these places and more.
But still my view stands.
I bought Les Miserables in an attempt to uphold my book before film rule and also A Game of Thrones, which I was told by a good friend that I had to read! Expect to see these titles vet soon!
In this magical place there are ebony coloured shelves stretching up to the ceiling, so tall that you have to stretch through from your toes to your finger tips to reach the top (or ask a tall guy to help you).
There are also tables, stacked with with scores of books that are a labyrinth of hard backs and dust-paper jackets.There are plains of biographies, swamps of thrillers, meadows full of romances, seas of classics and forests of fantasy.
Now that I am finished turning Waterstones into the new Narnia, I will explain why. Last Saturday I took a break from the mess of homoeostasis and mitosis that was my Biology revision (although I didn't need the book to get those terms so I must be doing something right) and finally spent the gift cards I got for Christmas in Waterstones.
Buying books always makes me happy, the smell of new paper and an uncreased cover. A little box full of an undiscovered world. Call me sentimental, but that's how I think about it. I have travelled to India, America, Germany, Italy,19th century England, Middle-Earth and Shangri-La,to name a few,without leaving my bedroom.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying books supplement real life, I have actually been to a few of these places and more.
But still my view stands.
I bought Les Miserables in an attempt to uphold my book before film rule and also A Game of Thrones, which I was told by a good friend that I had to read! Expect to see these titles vet soon!
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
January Poem
My January Poem is, 'A Death Scene' by Emily Brontë.
I have always been a fan of Emily Brontë and all her works. I read Wuthering Heights for the first time when I was thirteen and it was my first Brontë. I was deeply saddened that Emily Brontë had not had the chance to write any more novels in her brief but accomplished life.
However I was delighted to learn that she had two other sisters and that they were both writers. Since reading their works I have felt a close connection with the Brontë's in particular Emily.
'A Death Scene', is a poem taken from the set that were originally written for the fictional kingdom of Gondal, that Emily and her sister Anne, frequently wrote and talked about in their spare time. Gondal was a land of mystery, politics, battles, scandal and romance, that was often drawn into war with the Charlotte and Branwell Brontë's world Angria. All that survives of Emily and Anne's creation are the poems found in Emily Brontë's notebook.
This particular poem is written from the point of view of Augusta di Segovia to her husband Lord Elbë. It is supposed to be a letter from Augusta to her husband, who she directly addresses as 'Edward'.
The poem describes Augusta grieving over her dying husband and desperately begging for a single hour longer with him. Emily Brontë paints the love between Augusta and Edward as true love.
In stanza seven we see that Augusta is driven to such desperation that she tries to convince herself that Edward is not dying.
In the final stanza Augusta comes to term with his death and checks his breathing.
I love the passion that fills everyone of Emily Brontë's poems. Every time I read her works I wonder how she couldn't have seen how good she was and how she cowered at the thought of anyone reading her poetry.
I have always been a fan of Emily Brontë and all her works. I read Wuthering Heights for the first time when I was thirteen and it was my first Brontë. I was deeply saddened that Emily Brontë had not had the chance to write any more novels in her brief but accomplished life.
However I was delighted to learn that she had two other sisters and that they were both writers. Since reading their works I have felt a close connection with the Brontë's in particular Emily.
'A Death Scene', is a poem taken from the set that were originally written for the fictional kingdom of Gondal, that Emily and her sister Anne, frequently wrote and talked about in their spare time. Gondal was a land of mystery, politics, battles, scandal and romance, that was often drawn into war with the Charlotte and Branwell Brontë's world Angria. All that survives of Emily and Anne's creation are the poems found in Emily Brontë's notebook.
This particular poem is written from the point of view of Augusta di Segovia to her husband Lord Elbë. It is supposed to be a letter from Augusta to her husband, who she directly addresses as 'Edward'.
The poem describes Augusta grieving over her dying husband and desperately begging for a single hour longer with him. Emily Brontë paints the love between Augusta and Edward as true love.
In stanza seven we see that Augusta is driven to such desperation that she tries to convince herself that Edward is not dying.
In the final stanza Augusta comes to term with his death and checks his breathing.
I love the passion that fills everyone of Emily Brontë's poems. Every time I read her works I wonder how she couldn't have seen how good she was and how she cowered at the thought of anyone reading her poetry.
Emily Brontë's works will never cease to move and inspire me and I only wish that more than a few poems were left, to paint a picture of the world of Gondal.
Friday, 28 December 2012
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
This was a book that I had wanted to read for a long time. My Mum and I had been loaned the film starring Emily Blunt and Maria Bello quite a few years back and I (being a Jane Austen lover) had thought it was great.
I hunted high and low for the novel but never seemed to be able to find it for one reason or another, so on Christmas day when I pulled off the gold wrapping paper and found that my wonderful parents had bought it for me I was very pleased.
On the cover Alice Sebold writes 'If I could eat this novel, I would.". I agree. I would eat this novel, with side of Mansfield Park and a tall drink of Sense and Sensibility. I absolutely tore through it, finishing today.
The novel is written from the perspective of a story teller that isn't identified and always refers to the book club as 'We'. 'We in the book club....'
My three favourite characters must be Jocelyn (which surprised me because she likes dogs and I like cats), Grigg (which didn't surprise me as we share both a love of fantasy novels and Jane Austen) and Allegra (which surprised me because the only thing we seem to share in common is a love of creativity).
I feel that Jocelyn is perhaps the most easy to like as I feel we find out the most about her. Readers of this review and readers of the book may completely disagree and wonder if I need a brain transplant, but that was my opinion.
I'm not entirely sure why I liked Allegra so much and so I can't give you an answer and must leave you to make your own opinion about her.
Grigg, is just a nice guy. He is just likable. We find out lots about him and he bears being in closed in space ,with a lot of women who are very hard on him, very well. Plus he was in charge of Northanger Abbey and that's my favourite Austen : D
The characters themselves embody Austen's own characters in a way. I don't want to spoil who mirrors who, but everyone is tailored to an aspect of Austen.
I hunted high and low for the novel but never seemed to be able to find it for one reason or another, so on Christmas day when I pulled off the gold wrapping paper and found that my wonderful parents had bought it for me I was very pleased.
On the cover Alice Sebold writes 'If I could eat this novel, I would.". I agree. I would eat this novel, with side of Mansfield Park and a tall drink of Sense and Sensibility. I absolutely tore through it, finishing today.
The novel is written from the perspective of a story teller that isn't identified and always refers to the book club as 'We'. 'We in the book club....'
My three favourite characters must be Jocelyn (which surprised me because she likes dogs and I like cats), Grigg (which didn't surprise me as we share both a love of fantasy novels and Jane Austen) and Allegra (which surprised me because the only thing we seem to share in common is a love of creativity).
I feel that Jocelyn is perhaps the most easy to like as I feel we find out the most about her. Readers of this review and readers of the book may completely disagree and wonder if I need a brain transplant, but that was my opinion.
I'm not entirely sure why I liked Allegra so much and so I can't give you an answer and must leave you to make your own opinion about her.
Grigg, is just a nice guy. He is just likable. We find out lots about him and he bears being in closed in space ,with a lot of women who are very hard on him, very well. Plus he was in charge of Northanger Abbey and that's my favourite Austen : D
The characters themselves embody Austen's own characters in a way. I don't want to spoil who mirrors who, but everyone is tailored to an aspect of Austen.
Read the book, watch the film. They are very different to one another, but a good use of your time.
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas dear reader. I must apologise for lack of posting in the past month but my life has been made difficult by the fact that I have had no Internet until last Friday, which has obviously caused great stress and agony.
One would think this would lead to more reading but I have to confess I have been rubbish and am in the middle of four books simultaneously.
Now to catch up on one rather important post I missed so do forgive me.
Journey back in time. It is now the nineteenth of December again.
R.I.P Emily Bronte
Today is the anniversery of Emily Bronte's death. Emily Bronte was a fantastic and passionate writer and I though that my blog post today should honour her life and her work.
First of all an apology for the lack of posts.
Now onto Emily Bronte. Yesterday was my birthday and one of my presents was a the Complete Poems of Emily Bronte, which I was very very pleased with. Emily's poems were 'stumbled' across by her sister Charlotte who encouraged her to put them together with her and Anne's poems and publish them. This sparked off a fiery argument between the two sisters which raged on for days
Eventually Emily folded and the poems were published and thus began on of the greatest writing careers ever known.
Now we may journey back to present day
(Get it? 'Present day'?...sorry couldn't resist)
Sorry but I just had to talk about that. I felt as though she needed some recognition :).
Now It is Christmas, at last! I feel like I have been making shortbread and watching endless ( but by no means unappreciated) renditions of a Christmas Carol for ages but I didn't expect it to arrive.
Personally if I hear Slade go above The Pougues on more time in the Christmas Chart, I am writing to Santa in protest. I mean it.
Anyway, I hope you all have youself a Merry Little Christmas, enjoy your presents and 'honour Christmas and keep it in your heart all the year'
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
One would think this would lead to more reading but I have to confess I have been rubbish and am in the middle of four books simultaneously.
Now to catch up on one rather important post I missed so do forgive me.
Journey back in time. It is now the nineteenth of December again.
R.I.P Emily Bronte
Today is the anniversery of Emily Bronte's death. Emily Bronte was a fantastic and passionate writer and I though that my blog post today should honour her life and her work.
First of all an apology for the lack of posts.
Now onto Emily Bronte. Yesterday was my birthday and one of my presents was a the Complete Poems of Emily Bronte, which I was very very pleased with. Emily's poems were 'stumbled' across by her sister Charlotte who encouraged her to put them together with her and Anne's poems and publish them. This sparked off a fiery argument between the two sisters which raged on for days
Eventually Emily folded and the poems were published and thus began on of the greatest writing careers ever known.
Now we may journey back to present day
(Get it? 'Present day'?...sorry couldn't resist)
Sorry but I just had to talk about that. I felt as though she needed some recognition :).
Now It is Christmas, at last! I feel like I have been making shortbread and watching endless ( but by no means unappreciated) renditions of a Christmas Carol for ages but I didn't expect it to arrive.
Personally if I hear Slade go above The Pougues on more time in the Christmas Chart, I am writing to Santa in protest. I mean it.
Anyway, I hope you all have youself a Merry Little Christmas, enjoy your presents and 'honour Christmas and keep it in your heart all the year'
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
First Day of Advent
The First Day of Advent, is one of my own poems. It's about just a few things I love about December and Christmas!!!
I love December. My Birthday is in December, Christmas is in December, some of my favourite stories, films and poems are reserved for December, December food, December drinks, December weather, December songs December, December, December!!!
My family celebrate Christmas in style and by style I don't mean woolly hats and lumpy jumpers (though we do have those as well) I mean a real Christmas tree, I mean the best pescetarian Christmas dinner in the world and a healthy dose of Doris Day and the Pouges.
Ah but I digress :P.
The First Day of Advent is actually based on the way a local wood looks like in snowfall and how walking through it makes me feel. Every year it snows or gets frosty and every year me and my family drive down and ooh and aah over the spindly patters the frost makes over the leaves or the thin sheath of snow coating the tree branches.
I hope that you like my poem and that you all enjoy opening advent calenders or lighting advent candles and what not. Happy Beginning of December!
I love December. My Birthday is in December, Christmas is in December, some of my favourite stories, films and poems are reserved for December, December food, December drinks, December weather, December songs December, December, December!!!
My family celebrate Christmas in style and by style I don't mean woolly hats and lumpy jumpers (though we do have those as well) I mean a real Christmas tree, I mean the best pescetarian Christmas dinner in the world and a healthy dose of Doris Day and the Pouges.
Ah but I digress :P.
The First Day of Advent is actually based on the way a local wood looks like in snowfall and how walking through it makes me feel. Every year it snows or gets frosty and every year me and my family drive down and ooh and aah over the spindly patters the frost makes over the leaves or the thin sheath of snow coating the tree branches.
I hope that you like my poem and that you all enjoy opening advent calenders or lighting advent candles and what not. Happy Beginning of December!
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