31 Aug 2012

THE FUNNIEST JOKES 2012?



Voted the top ten jokes at this years Edinburgh Fringe festival were .....

  1. You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks.* - Stewart Francis.
  2. Last night me and my girlfriend watched three DVDs back to back. Luckily I was the one facing the telly - Tim Vine.
  3. I was raised an only child, which really annoyed my sister - Will Marsh.
  4. You know your'e working class when your tv is bigger than your book case - Rob Beckett.
  5. I'm good friends with 25 letters of the alphabet, I don't know Y - Chris Turner.
  6. I took part in the sun tanning olympics - I just got bronze - Tim Vine.
  7. Pornography is often frowned upon, but that's only because I'm concentrating ** - George Ryegold.
  8. I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. Riveting - Stewart Francis.
  9. I waited an hour for my starter so I complained. It's not rocket salad ** - Lou Sanders.
  10. My mum's so pessimistic, that if there was an Olympics for pessimism .... she wouldn't fancy her chances - Nish Kumar.
* 'Pop Star' Victoria 'Posh Spice' Beckham and footballer husband David Beckham, notorious for naming their children what are largely considered odd names - their first child is named Brooklyn as that is where he was conceived.
** Sorry I just don't get these jokes.

So, I've told you my favourite, now it's your turn to tell me yours.

30 Aug 2012

THE BOOK LOVER'S TALE.

THE BOOK LOVER'S TALE by IVO STOURTON.

He collects books:
Interior designer for the rich and powerful, Matt de Voy lends his tasteful eye to the households of his wealthy female clients. He also advises on which books should adorn their shelves. His deep knowledge of literature becomes his sharpest tool of seduction.

He collects women:

Despite himself, Matt begins to fall in love with one of his most beautiful clients, Claudia. She is modest, clever and married.

But is he a murderer?

Matt's fixation on the unavailable Claudia threatens to drive him over the edge....
..... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Prologue): It was very kind of my wife to have sent you, considering the circumstances.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 7): But the books weren't really stock. They were valuable not in themselves but for the ideas they contained. Mad people and bad people and brilliant people came in and out and borrowed and stole and donated, and all these ideas moved again and again. The books were just a means to keep their stories moving.

MY THOUGHTS: Such a disappointing read.

OK, so Matt's job, a 'library consultant' who purchases books constructing a library for rich clients, has to be every bibliophile's dream job and as such made for interesting reading. AND the ending of the book, the last 50 or so pages, were, if not exactly dramatic, unexpected BUT I'm afraid that this in no way made up for the fact that the other two hundred and forty pages were so tedious as to make the whole novel seem actually longer than it was. 

With what I can only describe as a dreary plot peppered with incidents that left me bewildered and wondering what their purpose was, a main character who was arguably without a single redeeming feature and a cast of other supporting characters who, if not altogether surplus to the story, were very much secondary I'm afraid The Book Lover's Tale failed to do it for me. 

DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of NEWBOOKS magazine I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.   





29 Aug 2012

A BREATHLESS SEA OF TROUBLES INTENT ON BREAKING THE DEVIL'S HEART.

Thanks to Naida for THIS FUN POST



Using the books you have read in 2012 answer the following .......

Describe yourself: A Sea Of Troubles


How do you feel: Breathless

Describe where you currently live: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

If you could go anywhere, where you would go: The 5 Moons Of Tiiana

Your favorite form of transportation: Through The Looking Glass

My friends and I are: Strangers And Pilgrims

What’s the weather like: Changeling

Favorite Time of Day: Thursdays In The Park

What is life to you: Bitter Chocolate

You fear:  The Judgement Of The Mummy

What is the best advice you have to give: Sleep Pale Sister

Thought for the day: As Meat Loves Salt

How you would like to die: Turning Angel

Your soul’s present condition:  Breaking The Devil's Heart



28 Aug 2012

THE COOK

THE COOK by WAYNE MACAULEY.

At 17 Zac is given a choice: either go to a young offenders' institute, or enrol in a rehabilitation scheme - a course that teaches juveniles how to cook. He makes his choice. He chooses to cook. He also chooses to succeed. Whatever it takes.
...... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE: So here I am and no going back.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 86): Peasant food is for peasants cooked by peasants a peasant's what you were before surely it's not what you want to be?

MY THOUGHTS: The story of one young man's determination and almost obsessive desire to succeed no matter what the cost, I found The Cook an interesting, if not always enjoyable or easy, read. 

Given the current debate on organic foods and the fact that many children know little of how the food they eat is produced this was a topical and timely read though as a non-meat eater I found much of it a little too graphic. 

Written in the first person by main character, Zac, a young man of limited education. At first it took a bit of getting used to the fact that the narrative was lacking in punctuation, the sentences running one into another, until eventually I ceased to even notice this was the case. 

Meticulously researched and wonderfully well written, the subtle build up of tension leading to the surprising and totally shocking ending was a remarkable piece of writing that made this a book well worth persevering with what I found to be an otherwise uncomfortable read. 

Published in issue number 73 of NewBooks magazine.

An Uncorrected Proof copy, The Cook is published on the 8th of November 2012 though it it available to pre-order on Amazon now.

DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of NEWBOOKS magazine I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.  


27 Aug 2012

I NOSE I SAW A TORTOISE ....... OR TWO.

BACK FROM THE DEAD?
When Margaret Parker and her daughter Lorraine spotted a stray tortoise in their garden they raced into action calling the Knoxwood Wildlife Rescue Centre, near Wigton, Cumbria.   
It was only when rescue volunteer Pauline Adams arrived that the pair discovered the tortoise was not real. ‘I was worried it might have died,’ said Mrs Parker, 67. ‘But then the lady from Knoxwood looked at it, picked it up and turned it over. 
‘She said: ‘‘It’s not dead, it’s ceramic.’’ More

Tortoise on 72 mile cross country run crawl!
Slow and steady may win the race but for intrepid tortoise Noddy it may have taken months to complete his mammoth cross country crawl.
The resilient reptile was discovered wandering through the streets of Stirling, Scotland, an astonishing 72 miles from his apparent home in Arbroath.
It would have taken the tenacious testudine 554 hours, or more than 23 days, to complete the trip travelling non-stop at average tortoise speed.
Unable to trace his owners, anyone who recognises Noddy can call the S(cottish) S(ociety) for the P(rotection) of C(ruelty) to A(nimals) on 03000 999 999.  More


To think this man has obviously kept his sense of humour is nothing short of inspiring, don't you think?
Nasal cancer patient Bert Eastham has come up with a cool way of never losing his magnetic nose - he keeps it stuck on his fridge. 
"I used to wear my nose to bed when I first got it, but one night it fell off and landed in my slippers, when I got up in the middle of the night I stood on my own nose, I got the shock of my life." More

If you can't stand the heat stay out off the kitchen don't steal the chillies ........
A shoplifter was caught doubled over in pain after he decided to eat his haul of Scotch bonnet chillies while still in the shop.
Marcus Banwell made the mistake of eating his red hot haul from Singh Stores in Bristol before trying to make his escape.
Bristol magistrates heard that within a matter of seconds, the 39-year-old was coughing and being sick as the fiery food took effect. MORE

I really can't think of anything less tasteful than this ..
Reality TV star Lucy Mecklenburgh had a special treat for her guests at her 21st birthday bash - an ice sculpture shaped like her fiance's manhood filled with vodka.
(And it gets worse) And because it had to be to scale, Lucy ordered her man to strip off so she could measure him up. More


Oh well! Each to their own BUT it is kind of creepy..... isn't it?
Maternal Alice Winstone, 39, a mother of five real children, has spent £12,000 over seven years turning her home into a nursery for 50 Reborn Dolls that are made from a spookily life-like vinyl material and cost up to £1,200 each. More




26 Aug 2012

BEATS KISSING A FROG.

It is said that us women have to kiss many a frog before finding our Prince Charming so I suppose meeting a potential life-partner in this way is no more bizarre.

As part of an art exhibition in the Ukraine several women were chosen to lie 'sleeping' for three days as men survey and kiss them in the hope of waking them.

If the sleeping beauties open their eyes both they and the man who awakes them with true loves kiss are contractually obliged to marry.

Allowed to kiss Sleeping only once on the lips, requirements for the princes and princesses are the same: they must be over 18 years old, they should not be married, and they are required to have a serious intention and sincere desire to get married.

The exhibition runs from the 22nd of August through to September 9th should you be interested in kissing and potentially marrying a real life Sleeping Beauty. Read full article.


24 Aug 2012

NOAH'S COMPASS.

NOAH'S COMPASS by ANNE TYLER.

Liam Pennywell has spent most of his life dodging issues and skirting adventure when suddenly, in his sixty-first year, something happens that jolts him out of his certainty and leaves him with a frightening gap in his memory. In trying to piece together what took place on his first night in a new apartment, Liam finds instead an unusual woman with secrets of her own, and a late-flowering love that brings its own thorny problems.
...... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): In the sixty-first year of his life, Liam Pennywell lost his job.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 94): It was way too hot for roast chicken, but he didn't know how to cook much of anything else. And Bundy was appreciative, since his fiancee fed him a steady diet of Lean Cuisines.

MY THOUGHTS: Still trying to figure out why I enjoyed this novel quite as much as I did. Must be the authors insight into the complexities of the human condition, her depiction of family relationships, as there isn't much to the story itself and as for the characters? Well written I agree but apart from main character, Liam, whom I found to be what I can only describe as an emotional cripple, the others, almost all women and most of them related to Liam in some way or another, largely disagreeable, all too easy to dislike, bullies.

Labelled as a comedy, though this was not without its profoundly wry and humorous moments, at times I found it if not exactly depressing than certainly sad. 

As I said I'm still trying to work out why I enjoyed this read as much as I did.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: A reading group read, I have no intention of buying a copy for the shelves.

23 Aug 2012

THE MISSING ROSE.

Thanks to Dizzy C' s LITTLE BOOK BLOG I was delighted to win a copy of ......






This is the story of Diana Oliveira, a beautiful yet troubled young woman whose desire for admiration and approval has made her lose sight of who she really is. When her mother's deathbed confession reveals the existence of a sister, Diana sets out to find the twin she never knew she had. Her travels lead to a mysterious rose garden, where she is given lessons that change her forever.
....... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Prologue): One October evening, two people were sitting on the banks of the river Meles near that city - the ancient city of Ephesus.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 101): If your intention in learning to hear roses is simply to make you different from other people I'm afraid you'll only gain vanity.

MY THOUGHTS: Hardly surprising that this is often compared to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince as there are several references to it throughout the book and just as with Saint-Exupery's novel The Missing Rose can be enjoyed on so many different levels.

A modern day parable, though this debut novel certainly gives more than a wink and nod to the Turkish culture of its author, I thought it a universal and somewhat timeless story of self discovery.

Sadly not as enchanting as I had hoped and perhaps at times a little too deep for my own personal taste, I'm not altogether sure that the mix of philosophy and mythology combined with an almost fairy tale element did it for me.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Alas not, I'm sure this will be much better appreciated by someone else.

22 Aug 2012

AT IT AGAIN .......



- A -
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses, And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!



- B -

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
He didn't get bruised,
He didn't get bumped,
Humpty Dumpty bungee jumped!


- C -
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses, And all the King's men
Made Humpty happy again. 

Which version do you prefer? A, being the version I knew and loved as a child OR B, and C, the sanitised versions deemed more suitable for the generation for which it it is feared traditional rhymes may be dying out/causing ongoing psychological damage leading to murder and drunkenness - delete depending on your point of view.

Launched by The English Folk Dance and Song Society this new initiative, The Full English, aims to revive songs that have largely fallen into obscurity ......

OR does it?

Yes, I agree that its sad that many of these songs are not as well known as they were when I was a lass BUT I fear that just like the below examples not only will they be revived BUT, just as we discussed HERE in this post about fairy stories, they will be changed to make them somehow more 'acceptable'.

  • 'BAA-BAA BLACK SHEEP' * Worried that they could be accused of racism in 2006  two Oxfordshire nurseries changed the words from 'Baa-Baa Black Sheep' to 'Baa-Baa Rainbow Sheep'.
  • 'WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR?' A 2009 government funded song book had the words changed to remove any references to alcohol, the name changed to 'What Shall We Do With A Grumpy Pirate?', the lyrics 'Put him in the brig until he’s sober’ replaced with 'Do a little jig and make him smile’.
  • 'THIS LITTLE PIGGY' * Was adapted so that instead of eating 'roast beef' the third little piggy ate 'ice cream' in order to avoid offending vegetarians. I only hope the ice cream was dairy free in case it offends those with a lactose intolerance. (Not that it makes any difference to me as my little piggy always ate cheese and bread).
Hmm, interesting to think on where it will all end. I wonder will .......

'JACK AND JILL' * Became 'Jack And James' in order that we don't upset the Gay community?
'MISS POLLY HAD A DOLLY' */POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON' * Could be sexist in that it is seen as the women's role to be both mother and domestic goddess?
'Little Bo Peep' To be prosecuted by animals charities for 'loosing her sheep' and not knowing where to find them?
'A BEGGING I WILL GO' To be banned in case it promotes, well, begging?

* Recommended as fun sites to visit.

Know any other rhymes that should be changed in case they caused offence?





21 Aug 2012

THE CASE OF THE GOOD-LOOKING CORPSE.

Thanks to Vivienne over at SERENDIPITY REVIEWS I was lucky enough to win a copy of .........

THE CASE OF THE GOOD-LOOKING CORPSE by CAROLINE LAWRENCE.

My name is P.K. Pinkerton & I am a Private Eye operating out of Virginia City.

At the moment I am in Jail in the shadow of a hangman's noose. 
It is all because I tried to solve the biggest mystery here in Nevada Territory & protect a girl who witnessed a terrible crime.

If I write an account of what happened, then maybe I can convince the jury not to hang me by the neck until I am dead.
....... Inner front cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Ledger Street 1): My name is P.K. Pinkerton & I am a Private Eye operating out of Virginia City, Nevada Territory.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 184): And just now I had stopped two desperados from shooting me by flinging a nearly full spittoon at them.

MY THOUGHTS: Billed as a book for children, of what age range I can only hazard a guess (one site puts it as low as ages 5 to 9) though I'm pretty sure it must be for older children children aged 11+.

I don't know perhaps I'm out of touch as to just what is suitable reading material for this age range or perhaps I'm just shying away from them reading unpleasant details BUT there were several elements to this particular novel that concerned me ..... various gruesome descriptions, men of fairly doubtful morals, the mention of prostitutes and what seemed like the continuous mention/pen and ink images of guns to name but a few.

Reading it as an adult though ...... I loved the maps and the little sketches that headed each chapter and whilst I thought the plot was lacking a certain something, I thought the characters were fairly well written, the fact that the main character, P.K., was a 'half Indian' commendable, the fact that he had so many obsessions and foibles interesting.

What really annoyed me however was the author's constant use '&' instead of the word 'and'. Trendy? Making a statement? I don't know BUT I think that in the battle for good grammar, punctuation and spelling the author did no favours to children in overusing what I consider a sloppy alternative.

The second book in a series from an acclaimed author, though I haven't read the first instalment myself I know many consider this, if anything, a better read.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Sadly not one for the shelves.




20 Aug 2012

OMG ...... THAT'S SO TWO WEEKS AGO.

It's one of the most common phrases of the modern technological age and is used by teenage girls across Britain and America, however, it seems O.M.G. is actually very 'last century'.
It has emerged that the British admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher first penned the acronym in a letter to British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill as far back as 1917. More


OMG ...... 
A 5ft 2 inch woman took on a 7ft catfish .... and won.
Kirstin Hole, 20, landed the enormous catfish that weighed more than her at a staggering 120lbs in front of stunned boyfriend Lee Pollard, an expert angler himself whilst on a trip to Oakwood Park fishery in Norfolk. More


Surely I'm not the only one to see the funny side of this.
A man had to be helped out of a tree by firefighters after getting stuck trying to rescue his pet parrot.
The 32-year-old had scaled the tree but after climbing 50ft he found himself unable to get down. More

Favourite article of the week......
Organisers of a seaside sandcastle competition have been forced to plug the plug on the event after discovering the beach they were due to use does not have enough sand. More

Ouch!!!! That must have hurt.
For a free-range hen that has just laid an egg three times bigger than normal, Jessica looks surprisingly unruffled.
The egg weighs a hefty 6ozs - which is a staggering a quarter of a pound heavier than the average 2oz gram egg. More


It Disney seem like 20 years!
Julie and Jason Webb-Flint celebrated 20 years of marriage by reviewing their wedding vows - dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The couple donned life size costumes and replaced the traditional wedding march with the Mickey Mouse club theme. 
All the guests turned up as Disney-themed characters – and even the Rev Richard Barron joined in as Friar Tuck. 
The couple’s sons Liam, 17, and Luke, 15, came as Donald Duck and Goofy, while other members of the wedding party dressed up as Daisy Duck, Woody from Toy Story, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Shrek and Fiona, Rapunzel, Cinderella and Snow White. More


Now that's what I call a dolls house ....... 
With its intricate detail, beautiful craftsmanship and 43 rooms, the owner of this 1920s replica dolls hotel will undoubtedly be the envy of other collectors.
The miniature marvel is the handiwork of talented Tim Hartnell of Soham, Cambridgeshire, a dolls house maker who has spent seven months creating the glitzy masterpiece.

Measuring 6ft wide by 48' deep and 8ft 6' high and inspired by 1920's hotels such as The Ritz the grand building boasts six floors with five staircases and each of the 80 windows has been specially hand-made to get the big panes and for the glazing in the revolving entrance door. More

17 Aug 2012

THE 5 MOONS OF TIIANA.

THE 5 MOONS OF TIIANA by PAUL T HARRY.

Through this portal lie the five Moons of Tiiana. Upon her shores live creatures born of war, tide, and air. Some are comprised of flesh, others of insect, and still others of metal. They are beings who seek justice, revenge, and salvation.

Some see this gleaming portal as an accidental door. A bridge across the galaxy that opens upon the hand of fate. Others call it destiny - some a channel of hope. For how else could the needed one find his way through?

On both sides of the galaxy there are heroes. Some are born, and some are made, some, however, just know how to get the job done in spite of themselves.

The Five Moons Of Tiiana ..... your journey awaits.
..... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): It was overcast, the sky dark with a cold drizzle, melancholic clouds hanging low over the city.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 200): They appeared to be about four feet in height, and to my utter amazement seemed to have heads are torsos that were humanoid. The rest of their appearance seemed insect-like, for their bodies were squat and muscular and they held fat, bulbous posteriors similar to that of an ant or wasp.

MY THOUGHTS: My surprise read of 2012. 

Not a genre I would normally read but I confess I was more than a little intrigued by the thought of a book that according to the front cover was .... 


A swashbuckling, science fiction epic filled with adventure, mystery, romance and fantasy.

A wonderful adventure saga set across five different moons, the author weaves together a compelling and often complex story peopled by several different civilisations not to mention species but it was his ability to maintain my interest in main character, Rez Cantor, a captain in the Imperial Army and personal attache to Princess Leanna (female lead and romantic interest), that was so remarkable.

Yes, even though there are several other creatively written characters all with their own distinct personalities, the story often centres almost entirely on Rez which is no mean feat as he undergoes several slightly adapted incarnations according to which world he finds himself on, which peoples he finds himself living amongst.

All wonderfully descriptive, this was a novel of epic proportions that held my imagination from page one despite the fact that at times it seemed to have elements of both Star Wars and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, the Brata of Boutal putting me in mind of the flying monkeys in The Wizard Of Oz.

Fast paced, I found myself totally involved with Rez's adventures and wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that some producer or other had snapped up the right to adapt the book into a movie.

DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of the author I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given. 



16 Aug 2012

THE BEST OF EC WRITES: CRAZY LIFE OF A WRITING MOM.

THE BEST OF EC WRITES: CRAZY LIFE OF A WRITING MOM by E C STILSON.

"What the %*&! Are we in Oklahoma?" he yelled as I sat on the john. That made me smile; I've always liked Oklahoma.

I wrote every day for a day straight and the silly stories got so hilarious that they've been turned into a book - the exact sucker you're holding in your hand. I hope you'll enjoy a year in my bowling shoes: hang on because it's a wild ride.

Elisa spends most of her time taking care of four rambunctious kids who are better than green eggs and ham. They're pretty darn fun, but despite that, after she had her kids, her boobs shrunk, she lost hair, but gained a greater sense of humor!
When she's not scavenging through the vents, where her son - The Zombie Elf - likes hiding things, she's sewing, playing her violin or writing.
..... Outer Back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (When You Have To Go): Our toilet was plugged for over three weeks.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 110): My mascara hadn't been updated in days. I had a serious burn and my hair hung in clumps. My shirt had spit-up stains and I'd torn my new jeans, but all that aside, I could STILL PRETEND TO BE BRITISH.

MY THOUGHTS: Whenever I hear talk of a book that is widely regarded as being humorous I worry as, let's face it, humour is a very personal, a very individual, thing and as I'm often told "You Brits have such a quirky (odd, if they are being less polite/more honest) sense of humour"

As an avid blogger EC Stilson, the Crazy Writing Mom of the title, put pen to paper/finger to keyboard and published her 'Best Bits' which takes what can best be described as a funny, often moving, and, if I'm being totally frank, occasionally bizarre look at some of her memorable moments.

At times I confess I felt some of the humour was lost on me due to the use of Americanisms/colloquialisms but on the whole this read like having a catch-up with an old school friend who you hadn't seen for some time.


DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of the author I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given. 
I'll be reading and reviewing Bible Girl & Bad Boy by E C Stilson.





 

15 Aug 2012

AND THEY CALL IT ..... TEDDY LOVE.

AS the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett's teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John's side ever since - a friendship that's tested when Lori, John's girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.
Ted (2012) IMDb 

With the film, Ted, proving such a hit in cinemas it was only a matter of time before someone asked the question ......

If a bloke said his best pal was a teddy bear, would you tell him to get stuffed?

Well done The Sun newspaper for, as far as I'm aware, getting there first. (Read article HERE)

Featuring three men, their best friends teddies, and wives/girlfriends, reporter Laura Stott takes a look at what its like to live with a man who still clings on to the cuddly toy of his childhood. (Sorry, I can't post any pictures, something about a small issue of copyright, you'll have to click on the link to the article to see the bears in question.)

Take for instance Mike Scott (28) who loves his teddy, Bluey, so much that he encourages it to 'boss his girlfriend around' OR Reece Merritt (40) who still takes his cuddly koala, Tinker, on holiday with him, his wife and their son OR David Filipe (22) who has a teddy called, what else, Teddy, who lives on his bed.

Hmm.

As a woman who has several cuddly toys, both old and, err, not so old, scattered around the place I can sort of understand these men's reluctance to part with what was obviously an important part of their childhood. Goodness only knows I can still remember the day I had to part with Snowball, my beloved toy rabbit, when he became a bit of a health risk - Husband dearest swore there were things living in him and whilst I was prepared to take the risk, he, for some strange reason or other, wasn't AND then of course there's Bear Necessity (bought several years ago by Hd to keep me company whilst he was in hospital) who still goes everywhere with me AND Anna Versary (pictured above) bought for me by Hd last year to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

But this isn't about me, it's about grown men and whether or not they should still have such a bond with the teddies of their childhood.

Well, should they? What do you think? As a man would you admit to owning a teddy or similar toy OR as a woman would you mind sharing your man with his teddy? ...... Do tell.

14 Aug 2012

WE WILL NOT FIGHT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WORLD WAR ONE'S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.

WE WILL NOT FIGHT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WORLD WAR ONES CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS by WILL ELLSWORTH-JONES.

In June 1916, as his brother Philip was on the way to the Somme, Bert Brocklesby was in prison under sentence of death. He had refused to fight in the First World War.

In this thoughtful, compelling and poignant book, Will Ellsworth-Jones tells the remarkable and little-known story of courageous men like Bert Brocklesby, who defied both brutal incomprehension from the military, and the white feathers waved at them in the street, to leave a lasting legacy: the freedom to voice unpopular beliefs and to challenge those who decide to take us to war.
...... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Introduction): In the middle of June 1916 Philip Brocklesby, a young second lieutenant freshly promoted from the ranks, landed in Boulogne along with a hundred other newly trained officers.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 46): At the end of August 1914 Admiral Charles Penrose-Fitzgerald persuaded thirty young women to hand out white feathers to every young 'slacker' on the seafront at Folkestone, to remind those 'deaf or indifferent to their country's needs' that British soldiers were fighting and dying across the Channel.'

MY THOUGHTS: After a bit of a slow start of what seemed liked a list of names, dates and places this became a truly fascinating read in which the author explored the journey of some of the first known conscientious objectors, some of whom agreed to non-combatant work, some of whom refused to 'help' the war effort in any way, shape or form, all of them men prepared to risk much, some of them their lives, for their beliefs.

Using a vast array of letters, many of them unpublished, diaries, memoirs and interviews, We Will Not Fight also takes a look at the men and women who were with and against the objectors. My favourite section, albeit a very harrowing one, being about the phenomenon that saw (mostly) young women giving white feathers* to men out of uniform believing them to be 'shirkers' or cowards.

Not just a military history, so much more than a story of war, this is a very human story and a fitting tribute to a group of determined men with very strong beliefs.

KEEP IT OR NOT: Ex-library stock, I'll be passing this on to a friend who I know will enjoy it.



*Read more HERE.

13 Aug 2012

TO THE MANOR BORN.

Personally I'm still not too sure what I think about some of the classics getting a modern twist ....... clever and imaginative OR just plain lazy and lacking in originality? Hmm, I wonder.


With many authors jumping on the 'supernatural' bandwagon, I'm thinking of books such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (see my review HERE), I suppose it was only a matter of time before some began jumping on the so-called 'Mommy Porn' bandwagon.


'"Who's this sleeping in my bed?" asked the daddy bear..."Get lost," breathed Goldilocks, her bosoms heaving. "I'm waiting for little Jack Horney"'

With EL James' Fifty Shades Of Grey trilogy proving so popular publisher Total E-Bound have decided to give a wide range of classics a sexy makeover.

Not a huge fan of the classics myself BUT from what I have read there is already a certain amount of sexual tension/eroticism in many of these books.
Ok so it may not be as blatant, as obvious, as in books such as Fifty Shades but it is, without doubt, there, gently simmering away.

Anyway,

To take a look at just one of the 'books' featured in this article on the subject, (you can check the rest HERE) I bring you .......


Jane Eyre
Written by Charlotte Bronte and Sierra Cartwright
(With new bits in bold).

“I ask you to pass through life at my side — to be my second self, and best earthly companion. For that fate you have already made your choice, and must abide by it. Jane, be still a few moments, you are over-excited. I will be still too.” My master captured my wrists and secured them behind my back, imprisoning me and preventing my movements... With my pain, I choked back a cry and whispered, “I cannot, Mr Rochester, by all that is holy.” “Be still, Jane, I implore you,” he interjected.

He exerted the force of his will as effortlessly as he schooled my person, relentlessly and with an inexorable force, he commanded me against his body. Those torrid throbbings of desire filled my deepest recesses.

So, what thinks you? A fan of the classics, do you mind these being sexified? If not, which book(s) do you think could do with an updating?


PS Apologies that there is no Media Monday post today, there will be a double edition next Monday.