Two wonderful books

Whilst on holiday with Phil I managed to read three novels. He managed one, and a bit of another. Maybe I don't read thoroughly enough!

Anyway, two of them I'll recommend, the other you can take or leave, I didn't really enjoy it.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a gorgeous book. It starts with the birth of twins on a snowy night. The son is born healthy, but the daughter is born with Down's Syndrome. The father (also the doctor delivering the babies) makes a snap decision and hands the Down's baby to the nurse. The book is about what happens to both these babies and the consequences of the father's actions.

The second book I read was "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox". In the 1930s a young girl is sent to an institution for being unpredictable and rebellious in society. In the present day, a woman called Iris gets a call- her Great Aunt Esme is to be released into society as the home is closing, and she is her nearest surviving relative. Who is this woman, who Iris has never heard of, and what must she have done to be locked away for 60 years? Another great read with lots of twists and turns...

The third one was "Double Fault" by Lionel Shriver, and has the most irritating lead character ever written in my opinion!

HP- 15 days

Liz has just reminded me that the 7th (and final) Harry Potter book is published this month. I am in two minds about this "momentous" occasion.

Part of me wants to read it as soon as it comes out, to find out what happens to all the characters I have invested so much time in over the past few years. The other part of me is happy to leave it as "to be continued", because then there's always the chance that it will all end happily ever after. And I'll always have something to look forward to. But then the chances are someone will spoil it for me anyway. Sigh. It's tough being me sometimes...

And Liz - yes, its exactly how I felt about the West Wing finishing too...Bereft!

However, there is still the films to come out - so that's something to look forward to...

Openers

In the past year or so that I’ve been blogging two things always cause me strife when starting a new entry:

1) How to title it and

2) How to open it.

A good title attracts people, a good opening line keeps them reading – or so my English teacher told me. I struggle to be witty when creating either – so my apologies.

In deference to the fact that I have no inspiration for either, and because I have been reading some of my old favourite books, here are some of the best openers of books that I can think of – have you got any more?

“I am writing this in the kitchen sink” – I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Pride and Prejudice

“Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again” – Rebecca

Long time, no blog

I would love to say that my absence has been caused by a fit of essay writing and hard work... Well sort of. The internet has been down at my house for well over a week, and as I only get 39 mins at the local library (why 39 mins? it's a mystery), I've not been able to write properly. Also, with the essay writing that needed to be done, I have actually been working....
So news... I have new glasses (if I could work out how to take a picture I would); I was sent a red rose and chocolates last Wednesday; my friend Beth is getting married :) ; Teechers is up and running again (I will update Adventures in Amateur Dramatics soon!); I'm applying to Greenwich University for next year.
I think that's it... Life sort of just barrels on, without a by-or-leave! OOOh I am re-reading all the Anne of Green Gables books, and am now at the penultimate one. I swear I read these books over and over when I was little, but Anne's House of Dreams seems almost brand new to me. Hmmm...

Holiday plans are afoot, and I may well be able to go away earlier in June than I was expecting. The choice is now between Morocco and Croatia, so I am busy reading my Lonely Planets trying to make a decision. Not that Phil won't be involved too....

Back to reading about mathematical development in children. I am hoping that it will soon become plain why I am so terrible at Maths. Then again, maybe not...

Reading list

It's been a slow day at the office, as you can tell by my prolific blogging/reading/commenting. I found this book list on Liz's blog and thought I'd share...

1) A book that changed my life: Ballet Shoes
2) A book I've read more than once: Pride and Prejudice. In fact, most books I enjoy get read a couple of times. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Oh and Ballet Shoes, Anne of Green Gables, Winne the Pooh…
3) A book I'd take to a desert island: Winnie the Pooh, and the Works of Shakespeare (am I allowed two?)
4) A book that made me laugh: “Neither Here Nor There” Bill Bryson. I have an audio recording of it too and was listening to it on the train in Japan. Giggling to yourself is an excellent way of getting a seat to yourself on a crowded train.
5) A book that made me cry: The Time Traveller’s Wife. Cry? It made me sob. In fact, so have a number of Jodi Piccoult’s books.
6) A book I wish had been written: Harry Potter. I wish I had that sort of imagination.
7) A book that should never have been written:The War of Don Emanuel’s Nether Regions (I think). After Captain Corelli’s it was a huge disapointment.
8) A book I'm currently reading: Persuasaion
9) A book I'm planning to read: I’ve got a pile of books I’ve not finished yet…