review

Gigi and The Cat – Colette

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I can’t believe I had never heard of Colette until a couple of months ago! Of course I recognised the film posters for the musical of Gigi, but had never seen it and wasn’t even aware that it was based on a book. I feel as though I have been living on another planet!

As soon as I read this review of The Cat at Literary Relish, I knew I had to give Colette a go. This is the second book that I have read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge.

This book is made up of two short stories and is the perfect introduction to this brand spanking new (for me, anyway) author. In a short amount of pages, Colette manages to show off her power over the written word. She sets the scene, creates an atmosphere and then whisks you through bizarre situations with some witty dialogue to keep things interesting. Continue reading →

The Tiger’s Wife – Téa Obreht

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Apart from winning the Orange Prize for Fiction, I didn’t know much about this book. It was lent to me last year by Mr. and Mrs. S when I spied the attractive cover on their coffee table. It took me a few months to finally get around to reading it, and now that I have finally finished, I’m still not sure what to make of it.

It took me a while to get into The Tiger’s Wife – even after two weeks, I had hardly read two chapters. By this point I realised that I would have to make a conscious effort to carry on, or I would be stuck on one book all month! I did eventually start to enjoy the book, but the plot was patchy; at times intriguing and magical, at others I found it dull and long-winded. Continue reading →

A Clash of Kings – George R. R. Martin

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I do love discovering a new series, especially one that has me completely hooked and needing to read the next book. The A Song of Ice and Fire series is the first in a number of years to have captured my attention in this way. (NOTE: If you have not finished the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, you will find some spoilers in this post).

So we left the characters of A Game of Thrones in a variety of different states. The Starks of Winterfell are dispersed across the Seven Kingdoms, in shock and mourning the death of Eddard Stark. In King’s Landing, Eddard’s daughters are seperated; Ayra hiding from King Joffrey’s men and Sansa alone amongst the Lannisters. In the north, Bran and Rickon remain in Winterfell with their trusted Maester Luwin and their direwolves. Further north still, Jon Snow is growing into a man, about to leave the safety of the Wall and plunge into the unknown, icy lands beyond. And an exhausted and emotionally drained Cateyln Stark watches as her eldest son is hailed King of the North by his followers. Continue reading →

Camden Lock Books – London

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A while ago I heard rumour of a wonderful little gem of a bookshop in one of the tube stations in London. Because I was nowhere near London at the time, I promptly forgot all about it. When I was offered a work experience position at Slightly Foxed, ten minutes from Old Street Station, I heard it mentioned yet again and was told that I simply had to visit. It sounded brilliant, and so off I went one lunchtime to check it out.

Strangely, the bookshop is named Camden Lock Books, as that was where the owner, Jason Burley, opened his first bookshop in 1984. The name is a bit odd as it is located nowhere near Camden, but little quirks like this are always appreciated by a bookworm like me. Continue reading →

Adaptations – Birdsong

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I had mixed feelings about Birdsong when I first read it last year. I have always enjoyed reading Sebastian Faulks but I often find his melodramatic storylines put me off. So when I heard that there was a new two part drama out on the BBC, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found the love affair between Stephen Wraysford and Isabelle Azaire to be over the top and unrealistic in the book, but maybe this storyline would be interpreted better as a filmed drama? And could the BBC pull off the horrors of the First World War scenes in the same harrowing and detailed way that Faulks did? I was eager to find out.

In the end, it took me a few days to finally settle down to watch Birdsong, mostly because I wanted to be in the right frame of mind to sit through an hour or two of depressing war scenes. It wasn’t actually the war scenes that I should have worried about – it was everything else. I was pre-warned that there was a lot of ‘staring into space’, but this did not fully prepare me for the huge amount of blank faces… sorry, I mean ‘meaningful looks’. I also wasn’t prepared for the loud and dramatic music that was constantly building up and up and up to… another scene of the two lovers staring into each other’s eyes. Continue reading →

A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin

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I would never normally pick up a book like A Game of Thrones because I don’t get on well with medieval, fantasy settings. I adored fantasy books when I was younger, but that was because they were magical and fun, with strange and wonderful creatures and heroic characters. As an adult I have never read a fantasy book that I have enjoyed. It could be that I compare every one that I have attempted with The Lord of the Rings – which I love – or maybe fantasy is just not really my thing.

So when I sat down to watch the HBO TV series at the insistence of a couple of friends, I was very sceptical. To my great surprise, I soon found myself hooked by the gripping story-lines, intriguing characters and witty dialogue. By the end of the series, I was desperate to read the book, which has also exceeded my expectations. Continue reading →

Fragile Things – Neil Gaiman

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I’ve been hearing a lot about Neil Gaiman recently but haven’t been sure whether he writes the sort of thing that I would enjoy. This review of his book of ‘short fictions and wonders’ at Books Without Any Pictures had me wanting to know more and so I thought I would take the plunge and buy a copy. This is the first book that I have read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge.

The weird world of Neil Gaiman is not necessarily wonderful. It can be strange, creepy and amusing, but I can’t say that I found Fragile Things to be a wonderfully enjoyable read. The style is dark, whether the story is humorous and light hearted or more serious. I do like the idea of dark and magical stories, but couldn’t really settle down with this book.

There were two short stories I was particularly looking forward to reading, which both turned out to be completely different to how I had imagined them. Continue reading →

Poetry Pamphlets ‘Instead of a Card’ – Candlestick Press

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I am not normally the sort of person to think much about Valentine’s Day, but when I was given a beautifully designed pamphlet named Ten Poems about Love, I couldn’t help myself! I was given the pamphlet by Jenny Swann, a poetry lover and the woman behind Candlestick Press.

Candlestick Press, a small publishing company based in Nottingham, is doing a wonderful job of making poetry enjoyable and special. Instead of a card, ten or so poems are selected on a certain theme and published in a simple and tasteful pamphlet, with a bookmark and envelope included so that you can send it to a loved one on a special day. The pamphlets are more thoughtful than a card and yet only a little more expensive. At £4.95, I would much rather spend a bit extra and not have the last minute worry of finding the perfect card. Continue reading →

Adaptations – Pride and Prejudice 1995 vs 2005

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One thing about Advent with Austen that I was really looking forward to was watching the 1995 Pride and Prejudice TV series. I had never seen it and had heard some marvellous things… especially about Colin Firth as a certain Mr. Darcy. I also decided to re-watch the 2005 film with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

Within five minutes, I knew that I was going to love the 1995 version of this much loved book. It is immediately clear that the casting for the Bennet family was chosen brilliantly.  It is almost unbearable to watch the high-pitched, shrieking Alison Steadman, who plays the annoying Mrs. Bennet superbly. Benjamin Whitrow is also fantastic as her quiet and sarcastic husband, forever teasing and making fun of her. The irritating daughter, Lydia is played by Julia Sawalha who is excellent and almost, but not quite as irritating as her mother. Continue reading →

Fever Dreams – Yahia Lababidi

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I have to admit that I am not the world’s greatest fan of poetry. In fact, I haven’t opened a poetry book since I studied Philip Larkin seven years ago (a brilliant poet by the way!) So when I received Yahia Lababidi’s email with the offer of a free copy of his latest book, Fever Dreams, I was both excited and a little nervous at the prospect.

I chose a peaceful Saturday morning to read through the poems, with only the occasional sip at my tea to disturb me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the quiet time I spent with Fever Dreams, away from the rush and bustle of the modern world.


Words, the appropriate opening poem of Fever Dreams is, as you might have guessed, all about the importance of words. For a poet and aphorist, words are the tools of the trade, along with a creative flare. Lababidi believes strongly in the careful use and placement of certain words. This is demonstrated in his aphorisms, which are widely read.

‘Certain words must be earned

Just as emotions are suffered

Before they can be uttered

-clean as a kept promise.’

–Words Continue reading →