A LOVING THE REVIEWS WRAP-UP.

Well, that's my first reading challenge of 2011 finished.

Starting on the 1st of February this was a month long challenge whereby I had to review all of the books I had read that month though there was also the option to read and review one of the books already selected by challenge hosts BRANDILEIGH and Sniffy Kitty's.

How did I do? Though I do say so myself I did OK managing to read and review a total of 11 books.

THE DISAPPEARED  by Kim Echlin. A reading group read, expecting a very moving novel, I was disappointed to find that it left me somewhat cold.

A four book box-set of my childhood favourites the MILLY MOLLY MANDY tales by Joyce Lankester Brisley. Comprising Milly Molly Mandy Stories, More Of Milly Molly Mandy, Further Doings Of Milly Molly Mandy, and Milly Molly Again these were a lovely nostalgic read though I'm not sure that they have aged well.

LIFE IN REWIND by Terry Weible Murphy with Edward E. Zine and Michael A. Jenike MD. The only non-fiction book I read as part of the challenge. An interesting and informative read about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder though it didn't touch me in the way I expected.

SORTING OUT BILLY by Jo Brand. Funny in places, I didn't really 'get' this novel.

ROOM by Emma Donoghue. A good read I just wouldn't rave over it as many bloggers did.

THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES by Caroline Lawrence. Like the Milly Molly Mandy box-set this was another junior read though aimed at older children. Lacking something, I might have enjoyed this more if I had read the previous book(s).

SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES by MaryJanice Davidson. By far my favourite cover (isn't it cute?) if only I had liked the story as much.

STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher. By far my favourite book of this challenge. Intelligent and well written - I loved it.

WEE WEARING, SOCK SEARCHING (MALES IN) THOUGHT-CONTROLLED WHEELCHAIRS.

THE TELEGRAPH.

Didn't fancy having to deal with the 'arisings' as a ROYAL GARDENER, how about .......

A royal washer upper? The Queen has advertised for an official washer upper to become part of her royal entourage.

The £14,200-a-year post is based at Buckingham Palace but requires travel to other royal residences.

Candidates must be punctual, reliable and work well in a team. - Anita Singh (21/02/2011)

Hmm, I wonder if you have to supply your own rubber gloves?

Eau De Toilette anyone?

MALE MONKEYS USE THEIR URINE as a kind of 'after shave' to make them more attractive to females according to a new study.

Capuchin monkeys routinely urinate in their hands and rub the liquid around their body. - Louise Gray (25/02/2011)

Looks like the 'elf and safety' brigade have been at it again.

PRIMARY SCHOOL BANS FOOTBALLS. A school in Liverpool has banned footballs from its playground, saying pupils must use sponge balls. (25/02/2011)

And meanwhile, in Oxfordshire .......

SWIMMING GOGGLES ARE BANNED. A local authority has banned the use of swimming aids following concerns that they could 'snap' onto children's faces, injuring them.

Children will only be allowed to wear protective eye wear at council-run pools if they have a medical reason. (26/02/2011)

THE MAIL.

(24/02/2011)

POLICE LAUNCH SECURITY CAMPAIGN. When police launched a high-profile anti-burglary campaign with the motto ‘Close it, Lock it, Check it’ they hoped to stamp out the crime by encouraging householders and business owners to be more vigilant and look after their own premises.

It was a shame then that the force failed to heed its own wise words, leading to red faces all round when just hours later one of its own police stations was burgled.
An intruder apparently sneaked through an open window and got into their offices in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

THE SUN

(26/02/2011)

Sisters are doin' it for themselves.

Standin' on their own two feet.

And ringin' on their own bells.

Sisters are doin' it for themselves.

....... So SANG ANNIE LENNOX

And it's not only sisters but grannies. Remember me telling you of  THE SUPERGRAN WHO FOILED A JEWELLERY HEIST? Well' it seems as if Ann Timson isn't the only grandmother doin' it for herself.

A pensioner gave a hammer-wielding burglar a tongue-lashing after finding him standing in her lounge.

She ordered drunken Thomas Evans to put his £150 booty back then gave him a brush and dustpan to clear up the glass he smashed breaking in.

Thank goodness Husband dearest (6ft, 3in tall) isn't Mr Average (5ft, 10in tall) as

THE AVERAGE BRITISH MALE WILL SPEND A MONTH OF HIS LIFE SEARCHING FOR SOCKS.

And when he's found them he'll be off down the pub for around about 10.585 hours, new research shows.

He'll watch 11 years of TV, learn to cook just four meals in his lifetime, sleep with nine partners and say sorry 1.9 million times. - Rhodri Phillips.

THE SUNDAY SUN

(27/02/2011)

I brought you details of the condom designed to commemorate the royal wedding thinking that these were in bad taste but, even worse, how about ..........

Forget tea towels, aprons, and assorted plates etc at last there is a royal wedding souvenir that is as practical as it is collectable - a royal wedding sick bag.

Designed by Lydia Leith, the royal wedding sick bag is similar to those you find on airplanes and comes in two patriotic colours - red and white or blue - with the legend 'throne up' at the top. - Mike Kelly.

AND HUSBAND DEARESTS CHOICES

(BBC NEWS)

A BRAZILIAN WOMAN FINDS AN ALLIGATOR BEHIND SOFA. A woman in Brazil was shocked to find an alligator hiding behind her sofa after heavy rains flooded her house in the town of Parauapebas, in Para state.

She said she was alerted to the reptile's presence by her three-year-old son, who was patting its head.  - (24/02/2011)

I love Madge (my electric wheelchair for those of you who haven't been introduced) and wouldn't swap her for anything. No, not even a .........

THOUGHT CONTROLLED WHEELCHAIR.  Thought-controlled wheelchairs which  can be directed by brain signals detected using a cap fitted to the user are some of the latest innovations in bionics being discussed at a science conference in Washington, USA. (Click on link for full story and amazing video footage.)

PLEASE NOTE - I Will always endeavour to bring you the links to articles I have used in my Media Monday posts but this is not always possible.

STORM FRONT.

STORM FRONT by JIM BUTCHER.

Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does - and not just because he's the only one who does it. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal capabilities, they come to him for answers. Because the everyday world is not as 'everyday' as it seems. It's actually full of strange and supernatural things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a - well, whatever the police are having trouble with this time.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him into consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get ...... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

....... Outer back cover

FIRST SENTENCE: I heard the mailman approach my office door, half an hour earlier than usual.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: Faeries didn't think too much of mortals' idea of 'sporting' unless there was a lot of nudity and lust involved. They had a penchant for shadowing necking teenagers and playing tricks on them.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Not but only because I will be passing it on to a friend with a passion for this genre and I know she will love the book even more than I did.

An ex-library stock read, I really, really enjoyed this tale of Harry Dresden, a  modern-day wizard who just happens to be a private eye specialising in paranormal investigations. Not just a crime novel but also a tale of the supernatural, I thought this was an intelligent, well written novel that was just that little bit different.

Gently accumulating pace throughout Storm Front ended with something of a bang - talk about ending on a high note, I can't wait to read the further cases of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden 'the only openly practising wizard in the country who can be found in the yellow pages, listed under wizards'.

I adored Harry as a character, funny and caring, he walked the line between being a 'supernatural' and a regular guy who, when we first met him, had been 'having a slow month' until he got a call from Monica 'No-Last-Name' (apparently people don't like to give their real names to a wizard) who fears her husbands disappearance might have something to do with his recent interest in magic. But it doesn't stop there, Harry is then contacted by Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, director of Special Investigations for whom he is a 'consultant' called in to help with any crimes dubbed unusual - Karrin has, not one but two dead bodies for him. Then, there is gentleman/villain Johnny Marcone who wishes to pay Harry not to investigate recent events. Are all three jobs linked? As if I'm going to tell you, you'll have to read this one for yourself.

Though largely about Harry (he really stands out as the main character) we also get to meet some other fascinating beings, both human and otherwise. Harry's relationship with women is interesting, if not altogether successful, but it is the events concerning non-humans that I found particularly readable. Take Toot-toot for example, a six inch faery with a passion for bread, milk and honey (a common vice for the lesser fae or so we are informed) who has a rather, shall we say, unconventional working-relationship with Harry. Then there is 'Bob' (Bob I ask you) some kind of spirit who resides in a skull (where else?) and aids Harry in the more complicated spells often with humorous results. My only complaint? We don't get to know more about these characters.

The 20th book read for the 100+ Reading Challenge as well as the 11th book and my final choice in the Loving The Reviews Reading Challenge for which I hope to have a wrap-up post on Tuesday or Wednesday.

SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES.

SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES by MARYJANICE DAVIDSON.

Fredricka Bimm - Fred - is a mermaid. But she is not the stuff of legends. A marine biologist, she knows what's in the water so chooses not to expose herself to those toxins. She's allergic to shellfish. The creatures she can communicate with won't do her bidding. And she doesn't have long blonde hair or a perfect body. And she's definitely not perky!

Fred's life is mostly spent trying to conceal her origins - and lately she's been trying to figure out just why there are weird levels of pollutants in the local seawater. Then two strangers come into her life. Her new colleague is a sexy - if over-curious - hunk with a mermaid fixation. The other claims he is Artur, the high prince of the black seas - and Fred's rightful ruler!

...... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: The unbelievable horror began when Fred walked in on her parents making love on the living room coffee table.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: ..... and staggered through a small school of angelfish and thrashed past a nurse shark and almost knocked a sea turtle sprawling and accidentally swam upside-down

for a few seconds until she got her bearings.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Not, this will be going to the book exchange or a charity shop.

The first book in the 'Fred' series and what a great cover ...... if only the book had been as good.

Starting off well with a very funny episode involving Fred's naked 'parents', a coffee table and a pile of magazines, I thought this was going to be a very humorous read but, sadly, though not without its moments, it failed to live up to my expectations.

To be honest I don't think the author quite knew which genre she was aiming for and whereas this could have worked well it was 'neither nowt nor someit', merely a mishmash of ideas, none of which really worked.

Then there was the fact that most of the way through the book the author chose to portray Fred's best friend, Jonas, as a stereotypical gay guy (loves to shop and takes good care of his skin - as I said typical stereotyping of homosexual men) which, as we somewhat graphically discovered, was in fact far from the truth as Jonas is hetrosexual. Quite why she chose to do this puzzled me throughout and, though I hate to admit it, preoccupied me to the extent that it did detract from the story.

Still, it was the first book in a series and has scope to grow and, hopefully, improve - I just don't think I'll be dwelling any further though I never say never when it comes to books.

The 19th book read for the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 10th for the Loving The Reviews Reading Challenge.

(SUR)PRIZE.

* To win a prize of a  holiday from Flick's Bar in Spain entrants had to take an unusual picture of themselves. So, James Bourner, 24, snapped having the bar's logo tattooed on his buttock - but he missed the deadline by 10 minutes.

** First prize at a raffle for inmates at an English jail was withdrawn by the governor for being inappropriate. Bizarrely, the prize offered the prisoners the chance to win a day out.

*** A man won a prize of a £20,000 Mini Cooper car by having the word 'mini' tattooed on his penis. Andreas Muller, 39, of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, won a radio competition to find the craziest stunt to win the car.

THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES.

THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES by CAROLINE LAWRENCE.

April AD 80.

Ostia, the port of Rome.

The sailing season has begun, but the omens are not favourable.

Lupus longs to travel to the Greek islands, to find his mother and fulfil his uncle's dying wish. When he and his friends, Flavia, Nubia and Jonathan, hear that freeborn children are being kidnapped again, they set sail in spite of the omens.

But the voyage is fraught with danger: someone - or something - seems to be against them. Their mission takes them on a thrilling journey from Corinth to Rhodes, site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There they encounter a powerful slave-dealer known as 'the Colossus', and when Flavia, Nubia and Jonathan are caught in a deadly trap, Lupus is forced to make a terrible choice.

Inner front cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: Lupus stared in amazement at the little bronze pendent hanging from its linen cord.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: And there was another treasure on board, a much more precious treasure: people who loved him.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: No, this one will be going to either the book exchange or a charity shop. Not grown-up enough for any family or friends, I don't think even Niece #2 (12) will enjoy this.

One in a series of books, I think I would have benefited from reading at least the previous book as previous happenings were mentioned quite a lot and, if nothing else, may have given me a better understanding of the characters who remained a mystery to me.

Designed for junior readers, I'm not too sure of the appeal of this novel as it wasn't a particularly good story and lacked any real sense of excitement or adventure.

Despite two of the main characters being girls, I'm not too sure this novel has enough to capture the imagination of girls as there is nothing mystical or magical about the story (both of which generally appeal) and yet at the same time I don't think there is enough action to sustain the interest of boys.

So was there anything to recommend it? Yes, I loved learning some of the ancient superstitions and Gods of the sailors and it was interesting that the Greek island of Cos, a place I love, was mentioned. Then, of course, there was the wonderful poem ITHACA that I posted last week as well as the wonderful 'Aristo's Scroll' at the back of the book which enlightened the reader to some of the words they might not have known.

An ex-library book read, this was the 18th book read for the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 9th for the Loving The Reviews Reading Challenge. 

WORLD BOOK NIGHT.

How can I possibly have missed out on WORLD BOOK NIGHT?

To take place on the 5th of March World Book Night (WBN), and I quote, represents the most ambitious and far-reaching celebration of adult books and reading ever attempted in the UK and Ireland in which one million books will be given away.

YES, one million books.

So how does it work? The book give-away will comprise 40,000 copies of each of the 25 carefully selected TITLES, to be given away by 20,000 ‘givers’, who will each distribute 48 copies of their chosen title to whomever they choose on WBN. The remaining books will be distributed by WBN itself in places that might otherwise be difficult to reach, such as prisons and hospitals.

You mentioned 'givers', are you one of these? Sadly not but I hope to participate in any further events.

A million books ..... You would think everyone would be happy. Not so ..... some booksellers have branded WBN MISGUIDED AND MISJUDGED.

Masterminded by Jamie Byng, managing director of publisher Canongate, the event has a roster of starry supporters and will receive extensive coverage on BBC2. Many of the authors – who will all waive the royalties on their books – have given WBN enthusiastic public support.

But But Vanessa Robertson, who owns the Edinburgh Bookshop in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, has claimed that, far from spreading the joy of reading WBN will simply flood the market with free books and devalue the work of authors in the eyes of the public.

In a highly critical blog posted on the website State of Independents (click HERE to view) Robertson says many booksellers are "horrified" by the "misguided and misjudged" venture.

(More of a valid point to me) Andrew Bently-Steed, who manages the Edinburgh Bookshop said "The authors whose books have been chosen are superstars, but most authors have under £7,000 average annual earnings and some major retailers are treating their books like loss leaders." and suggested that a better event would be a "Fair Trade Book Fortnight" at which all retailers agreed to charge the full cover price for their books to support authors. - Benedicte Page, the Guardian (11/02/2011)

Hmm, some interesting points. I suppose it would have been a good thing if perhaps some lesser known books/authors had been involved in WBN as a way of showcasing and promoting their works BUT surely anything that promotes reading (and the possible buying of other books perhaps by less well known authors) has to be a positive thing.

WHAT THINKS YOU?

Oh and one other thing ........

You remember my mentioning the INDIE LIT AWARDS and how my vote went to BALTHAZAR JONES AND THE TOWER OF LONDON ZOO? Well, the winners have been announced - click HERE to see just who won.

ROOM.

ROOM  by EMMA DONOGHUE.

It's Jack's birthday, and he's excited about turning five. He lives with his Ma in Room, which has a locked door and a skylight, and measures 11 feet by 11 feet. He loves watching TV, and the cartoon characters he calls friends, but he knows that nothing he sees on screen is truly real - only him, Ma and the things in Room. Until the day Ma admits that there's a world outside......

....... Inner front cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: Today I'm five.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: I guess the time gets spread very thin like butter over all the world, the roads and the houses and playgrounds and stores, so there's only a little smear of time on each place, then  everyone has to hurry on to the next bit.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Yes, this will be going onto the shelves, AFTER it has been borrowed by various family and friends.

Before reading my thoughts on Room I should explain that I have not left holes in my post, I have merely concealed certain things for fear of spoilers. If you wish to please highlight the'missing' words.

Too be honest this is one of those books that I'd heard a lot, an awful, lot about and though I had added it to my wish list it may have stayed near the bottom for quite some time if Bro-In-Law #2 hadn't decided to send it as a birthday present. Would I enjoy it or be disappointed?

Largely I enjoyed it though I have to admit I wouldn't rave about it as some other bloggers have done - still, each to their own.

 Though divided into three sections, Room was another of those books with no chapters ..... aagghhh. A little slow in starting,  it took me a while to become accustomed to Jack's way of talking and, on the whole, the story held no real surprises for me .... except my reactions but more of that later.

Well written, I could feel myself panicking, my hands sweating, my heart pounding, at the claustrophobia that surrounded life in 'Room' (a feeling that was understandingly lacking in both Jack and his Ma) and yet I could also totally understand their sense of  bewilderment at living the rest of their lives outside its 'safe' confines. It's just that I'm not too sure how original an idea this was given the recent cases that have made the news and how much imagination went into the story.

Going back to my reaction. I don't know if I'm the only blogger (I suspect not) who felt this way but though I felt some empathy towards Ma and, especially, Jack I found myself really not liking them at times which came as a shock. I won't go into too many details for fear of spoiling the plot but Ma's overdose whilst it didn't come as a complete shock in itself did leave me quite shocked at what I felt was her selfishness and as for Jack's behaviour at times whilst this, it could be argued, was understandable it didn't endear me to him at all.

But what does blogger Heather who has also recently read Room think? Click HERE to find out.

The 17th book read for the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 8th for the Loving The Reviews Reading Challenge.

NAKED MAN ON BENCH ......

Yes, naked man on bench, that got your attention didn't it?

THE GUARDIAN.

(16/02/2011)

BEING DRIVEN MAD BY THAT ALARM? Driven to distraction by a neighbour's incessantly ringing burglar alarm, Peter Shalson climbed over the fence, smashed down the back door and blasted the alarm to bits with a machine gun.

Sadly for Shelson, the affair did not end well as, having pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause criminal damage, he is now awaiting sentencing.

Elsewhere, Edmund Done (67) and Jim Curtis (73) have become something close to folk heroes after they disabled a burglar alarm in an abandoned house that had been ringing for ...... 8 weeks. - Leo Benedictus.

BRITISH ART SHOW OPENS IN LONDON. (Yes, you are right) that is indeed a naked young man sitting on a park bench watching a fire go out.

Seen by some visitors to the seventh British Art Show, he will not be there all the time and most people will have to make do with looking at the bench.

The work is by Roger Hiorns, one of 39 artists chosen to take part in what is intended as a showcase of the best contemporary art from the last five years. - Mark Brown.

THE METRO.

LARRY THE CAT HELPS WITH MOUSE PROBLEM. Prime minister David Cameron has welcomed a new resident to 10 Downing Street.

Larry (pictured blow), is the latest in a line of Downing Street cats but the first official rat-catcher since Humphrey who retired in 1997 and was recruited after a rodent was twice spotted scuttling past cameras . - 15/02/2011.

You remember last week my telling you of the train delayed because the drivers seat was wet, well, this week it's because ........

TRAIN DRIVER IS ATTACKED BY SEAGULL. The driver of the 8.15am train from Hastings to London yesterday morning was walking along the platform when a seagull flew down and struck his head.  He was checked over by first-aiders following the attack and resumed his duties around 15 minutes later. - 18/02/2011.

THE CHRONICLE.

(17/02/2011)

Garden gnomes left their hide-outs to take a trip to Tyneside.

Thousands of statues crossed the Tyne Bridge to celebrate the release of the animated blockbuster Gnomeo And Juliet (previewed below.)

A spokesman said "Members of the public are invited to Give A Gnome A Home by simply picking one up and putting it in their bags and taking it home

They are no trouble at all and need very little looking after.

THE TELEGRAPH.

(18/02/2011)

WIFE SUES HUSBAND despite being "happily married"

Helen Hutchinson, 46, claims her husband John reneged on an agreement to pay her £3,000 a month as manager of his dental practice.

The mother of three quit and launched legal proceedings but lost. She said: "There is absolutely no animosity between my husband and I." (Hmm, I wonder what kind of a reference he would give her?)

A bit of a grizzly bear myself, it also takes me ages to wake up and woe-betide any one who tries to wake me.

BEARS TAKE ALMOST A MONTH TO WAKE UP. Scientists have discovered that it takes bears three weeks to get back to normal after hibernation.

Bears reduce their metabolism by as much as three-quarters to conserve energy while they sleep for up to six months. They emerge in good physical condition but are grumpy and sluggish. - Richard Alleyne.

(19/02/2011)

DUBBED SISTER INTERNET A Spanish nun has been kicked out by the religious order to which she has belonged for 35 years after spending too much time on the social networking site FaceBook.

Maria Jesus Galan announced on her FB page that she had been asked to leave the convent after disagreements over her online activity. - Fiona Govan.

A Mexican teenager is staging a hunger strike outside the British embassy in Mexico city in an attempt to secure an invitation to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Estibalis Chavez, 19, who is camped in a tent near the gates of the embassy, said she had not eaten for eight days and was living on just water.

"Are they going to let me die just because they wouldn't give me an invitation to the royal wedding?" Miss Chavez wrote on one of the flyers she has plastered near the entrance to the colonial-style building.

PLEASE NOTE - I Will always endeavour to bring you the links to articles I have used in my Media Monday posts but this is not always possible.



SORTING OUT BILLY.

SORTING OUT BILLY by JO BRAND.

Sarah is besotted with the unpredictable Billy. But after another 'accident' involving his temper, Sarah's face and a night in A&E, Sarah's friends Martha and Flower decide that it's time to take action. What should they do?

• Reason with him?
• Send him to Anger Management Classes?
• Hire a hitman?

Martha and Flower have issues of their own: Martha is seven-months pregnant by one of three possible blokes: and hippy Flower's career as a stand-up comic is more sit-down and weep after some nasty encounters with south London's finest hecklers. Will Martha survive single-motherhood on a council estate in need of a peace-keeping force? Will Flower find the perfect put-down? And will they sort out Billy before he gets to them first ..... ?
....... From the inner front cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (from the prologue): Martha could remember exactly when it was that she had first started hating her father.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: South-East London's hardened elite of grey-haired working-class women was in an unforgiving mood and nodded it's head as one.

Sorting Out Billy is a fairly accurate portrayal of some English communities that though recognisable has been exaggerated almost out of all proportion. An ok sort of read IF you have a certain kind of humour - which I discovered I don't - though I admit I did chuckle in one or two places and even, despite myself, laughed out loud on one occasion (the hospital ward of middle-aged women as mentioned in my memorable moment I found to be very funny.)

The fourth novel by Jo Brand who is a well known English stand-up comedienne whose 'trademark', certainly in her early career, was delivering 'jokes' about the uselessness of men, I wasn't surprised by the weak male characters but expected more from her female characters who, on the whole, were fairly stereotypical . Too full of swearing, much of it done by the female characters, for my taste, I found I couldn't relate to ... or like .... any of them and yet, in a strange kind of a way, I found myself almost attached to some of them.

As for the plot - interesting I think is the word I would use. Not especially well written and I think it was quite lazy of Brand to include a wannabe comedienne as one of the main characters, it was the relationships I found intriguing in that the three main (female) characters were the most unlikeliest of friends and yet had an extremely close bond .... most of the time. If only the same could be said of their relationships with men, all of which could  be said to be, err, less than conventional and, in most cases, abusive in one way or another.

An ex-library book read. If you like gritty female characters and don't mind lots of swearing then this may be a book you'd enjoy, if not then perhaps you ought to give it a miss - I know I won't be passing it onto any of my family/friends and certainly won't be seeking out any of the author's other books.

The 16th book read for the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 7th book for the Loving The Reviews Reading Challenge.

ITHACA.

Almost finished my current read, THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES by CAROLINE LAWRENCE, I thought I'd share this poem from it with you.

ITHACA.

When you set out for Ithaka

ask that your way be long,

full of adventure, full of instruction.

The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,

angry Poseidon - do not fear them:

such as these you will never find

as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare

emotion touch your spirit and your body.

The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,

angry Poseidon - you will not meet them

unless you carry them in your soul,

unless your soul raise them up before you.

Ask that your way be long.

At many a Summer dawn to enter

with what gratitude, what joy -

ports seen for the first time;

to stop at Phoenician trading centres,

and to buy good merchandise,

mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,

and sensuous perfumes of every kind,

sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;

to visit many Egyptian cities,

to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.

Have Ithaka always in your mind.

Your arrival there is what you are destined for.

But don't in the least hurry the journey.

Better it last for years,

so that when you reach the island you are old,

rich with all you have gained on the way,

not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.

Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.

Without her you would not have set out.

She hasn't anything else to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn't deceived you.

So wise you have become, of such experience,

that already you'll have understood what these Ithakas mean.

- CONSTANTINE CAVAFY.

(29th April 1863 - 29th April 1933)

LIFE IN REWIND.

Once again I've changed my mind about the book I was going to read for WHAT'S IN A NAME READING CHALLENGE - 'Books with a life stage in the title' category  - which was The Growing Pains Of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend, instead opting for ........

LIFE IN REWIND by TERRY WEIBLE MURPHY with Edward E. Zine and Michael A. Jenike MD.

Ed's life was thrown into turmoil when his mother, the centre of his universe, died. Unable to articulate his sorrow and his pain, he became increasingly isolated from his friends and family, and his grief began to manifest itself in bizarre physical affectations. Over time he developed an extreme case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Thirteen years on, living alone in a basement, Ed was consumed by the idea of stopping time from moving forward.

Meticulously counting and rewinding every action he made in an obsessive and illogical attempt to prevent time from progressing, Ed was now suffering from a debilitating form of the disease.

Ed spent his days and nights imprisoned in his basement. He had spiralled into the depths of hell. And then he met Dr Michael Jenike.

Providing Ed with friendship, hours of support, and expert medical care, Michael was determined to help. But nothing seemed to work. Then, when all hope was lost, something broke through to Ed. For the first time, after years of physical and mental torture, Ed found the strength within himself to fight back, break down his own OCD and heal himself.

...... From the outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: In the picture perfect, white-shuttered two-storey house with it's welcoming front porch, nestled among tall trees with delicate lilac bushes etched against its windows, Rita had created a gentle, loving environment for her children.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: He has mastered perfect English in reverse. His fluency is extraordinary. He can read this sentence as quickly backwards as he can forwards. .sdrawrof nac eh sa, sdrawkcab ylkciuq sa ecnetnes siht daer nac eH

Mainly the memoirs of a boy (Ed) who developed OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) after the death of his beloved mother, this book also deals, though not in such depth, with the doctor (Michael) who helped him overcome this terrible illness whilst struggling with his own demons.

Very interesting and informative though not in a text book kind of a way, I was, however, less moved then I thought I would be. Perhaps this was due to the way the book was written in such a matter of fact way and  the physical results discussed at great length with the emotional impact taken second place.

Quite repetitive in places with the author going over the 'steps' it took for Ed to complete certain every day tasks several times. To me less is sometimes more and going over these things more than once or twice somehow lessened the impact.

Also, it seemed to take such a long while for Ed's OCD to develop from his earliest difficulties to the stage where he was literally imprisoned within the confines of a basement room and such a relatively short time before he, ok, wasn't cured, but was able to live a fairly 'normal' existence within the confines of his illness which somehow did not seem realistic to me but then I'm no expert on the condition.

An ex-library book read.

Recommend or not? Yes, it is an informative and insightful read without being too heavy going.

15th book read.

6th book read.

3rd book read.