books

5 Reasons Women Should Love Game of Thrones

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** WARNING: Contains spoilers **

Recently there has been controversy over the Game of Thrones TV series. It’s been written about in the Guardian, and even Woman’s Hour has picked up on it. This all stems from one particular episode that included a rape scene between Jaime and Cersei Lannister, which was definitely consensual in the book – if anything Cersei was pushing for sex, while Jaime held back. I was not happy with this change because it isn’t consistent with Jaime’s character, which is becoming far more sympathetic.

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Adaptations – Jamaica Inn

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When I heard that the BBC were adapting my favourite Daphne du Maurier book, my first instinct was to be horrified. I felt sure that they would ruin it – there’s so much that could go wrong! After watching the trailer and reading all of the tweets, curiosity overcame me and I sought out Jamaica Inn on the iPlayer.

** WARNING: This post contains spoilers! **

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The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien

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Fellowship

Sitting down to read The Lord of the Rings feels like catching up with an old friend. I have read it several times since I first fell in love with Middle Earth as a teenager, and I love it just as much every time.

The characters, settings and plot are so familiar to me, but on each re-read, I discover new things, or appreciate things in a slightly different way. There’s so much going on in the series, and so much backstory, that’s it’s easy to miss things first, second or even third time round!

The opening chapters are comforting, especially for those that have read The Hobbit. We’re back in Hobbiton, and enjoying the excitement at Bag End as hobbits Bilbo and his heir Frodo prepare for a Long-Expected Party to celebrate their joint birthdays. Continue reading →

Story of O – Pauline Réage

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Story of OStory of O – the highly praised erotic classic – I was so very intrigued when I picked it up. Having not read any erotic fiction, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I had certainly expected (and hoped) to be shocked by the language and content, but instead I only found the book emotionally draining.

I’d read that Story of O was a ‘…pornographic book well written and without a trace of obscenity’ (and who doesn’t trust Graham Greene?)

But I was still pleasantly surprised with the writing. And it’s true, there’s no obscene language and definitely no embarrassing moments to giggle at. Continue reading →

Who Needs Furniture When There’s Books?!

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I might soon be moving to London! Well, my boyfriend is moving to London for work and I plan to join him as soon as I’ve found a job that I’ll be happy with. (So please feel free to link any interesting jobs in the comments section below!)

It’s all very exciting, but I have a problem – a book problem. Moving to London means moving to a much smaller place. I don’t have that many books, but I can’t bear the idea of getting rid of any of them. So I’ve been desperately searching the Internet for some inventive ways to store books, and got a bit distracted…

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Owl Bookshop – London

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My uncle and auntie live very close to Kentish Town. Not only are they lucky enough to have Hampstead Heath almost on their doorstep, but they also have a lovely local bookshop. It’s great having an independent bookshop nearby, especially this one.

photo 3The Owl Bookshop is wonderfully orderly, with well thought out displays and very clear sections – it’s an easy shop to navigate for readers in search of a particular subject. Continue reading →

It’s Been Three Years!

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Wow! Today is my third blog-birthday (or blogoversary), and I hadn’t even noticed until this evening! But I’m always up for a celebration and would love you to join me. I’ve read some fantastic books since my second blog-birthday and have decided to spread the joy of reading by choosing three of my favourites to send to three lucky winners!

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Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris

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Me Talk Pretty

It was the Meet David Sedaris programme on Radio 4 that first brought this funny man to my attention. I like to listen to it when I’m cooking and often annoy my boyfriend with my constant laughing.

David Sedaris on the radio is hilarious. It’s not just what he says, it’s how he says it. He pauses in the right places and emphasises words to create maximum hilarity. His delivery is flawless.

Reading Me Talk Pretty One Day was a completely different experience to listening to Sedaris. He’s still humorous, but I’m sure it helps that in my mind I can imagine him speaking his essays word for word. His distinct, girlish voice is the perfect way to imagine his observations.  Continue reading →

Moondial – Helen Cresswell

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Moondial

I loved Helen Cresswell’s writing when I was younger. She writes in a non-patronising, matter-of-fact way and understands what children want. Her thrilling stories are so full of suspense and her characters are so refreshingly realistic. The protagonist in the Moondial is no exception.

Minty is staying with her aunt Mary for the summer. While she is there, her mother is in an accident, leaving her in intensive care. Minty struggles to come to terms with her mother’s condition and buries herself in the mysteries of the haunted Belton House opposite her aunt’s cottage.

The setting is based on the real Belton House in Lincolnshire. Minty, who has always had a sixth sense for ghosts, immediately begins to feel the prickle of something mysterious in the air surrounding the house. This feeling is especially apparent in the gardens, where she finds a sundial.  Continue reading →

Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin

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Tales of the City

My mum has been telling me for years to read Tales of the City. When I finally got round to it last year, I loved it just as much as she had promised!

The ‘city’ in Maupin’s tales is San Francisco, where we dip into the lives of a number of characters, starting with the naive Mary Ann Singleton. Her eight day holiday turns into her new life when she quits her job in Cleveland and finds herself an apartment at 28 Barbary Lane. It sounds like a dream come true, but as is often the case, this new and exciting life in the vibrant city is not all it’s cracked up to be.

The book was originally serialised for a local newspaper, so the short ‘chapters’ are often only a couple of pages or less. It’s extremely readable – you can read it in small chunks little and often or, like me, accidentally race through it without realising!

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