Cold Comfort Farm & other books.

I have finished reading Cold Comfort Farm...I ended up having to also buy the kindle version so I could read the print!  Although I have 'super douper variofocal ' lenses, I find them impossible to read with and as I read at night and the print in this book was especially small and slightly indistinct due to the newsprint format the book, it was just too much effort so larger print was called for.  Oh the vulgarities of getting older!

Gosh now what did I think of this book?  That is a hard one. I did enjoy it once I succumbed to getting the kindle version, it became easier to read, despite some of the unusual words and expressions, which are of course part of the charm and wit of the book.  I notice that some reviews say it is hilarious, and I wouldn't call it that, but it was enjoyable with some fun and memorable moments.  I love the way the main character, Flora, takes the family in hand, changes the way they look at things with subtle hints and innuendos and bends them to her will and what she 'perceives' to be a better way of life and behaviour.  She is probably correct!  The family was what one would call today very 'dysfunctional'  with a reluctance to change, ruled over by the Matriarchal figure who 'once saw something nasty in the woodshed' and as such is a 'disturbed' character...who of course uses this to manipulate the rest of the family .    Flora comes in as a breath of fresh air and after settling in for a few days or maybe weeks, sets about changing things, starting with the washing of her curtains!  

I think I would quite like to read this again sometime - preferably the book version as the kindle does frustrate me in that it is more difficult to flick back a few pages to refer to things and then flick back to the page you are reading.

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Now reading:

Another book recommended by my friend in New Zealand.

Plus I picked up the next book in a local charity shop as it looked like it might be an interesting read at some point.

Books, books and more books!

One of the things both my husband and I enjoy is browsing second hand book shops.  He looks for chess books, I have a much broader range of interests.  I look for books by the authors I collect (as seen on my Book Collection & Books Read page, as well as books my Dad might be interested in.  Well I hit gold at Wadebridge where we found a wonderful book shop which was unfortunately closing down due to the shop being sold on and the usual rent hikes that seem to accompany such a thing.  The owner was lovely and friendly and knowledgeable and he kept his shop well stocked and ordered.  Unlike a couple of others we went in, in another town that were also closing down which were quite frankly a mess!

I found several books for both myself and to take over to NZ to give to Dad when I go.  (Actually one of the books on the left of the photo below I found in an antique shop).  I would have liked to have had a final look in the shop, but unfortunately we ran out of time and days.

Two books to add to my Bessie Marchant collection.  Also on my 'to read' pile which is growing ever larger!

A GA Henty - I usually collect the decorative Blackie editions, but I haven't got this, so bought it until such time that I get a Blackie edition.

I couldn't resist this, having read it years ago.

This book looks really interesting with such amazing illustrations and eight stories:

The Pea-Green Nose

War in Dolldom

The River-King

Story of a Horse

Sybil's Vision

The Boy with a Tail

The Search after Happiness

The Man who made the best of Everything

It was awarded to a B Whitlock for Regular Attendance during the year 1923 at Owen Street Bristol City Mission Sunday School.

Wonderful illustrations through the book.

I think this will be a fun book to read.

Next up is another very interesting book by the looks of things and I couldn't resist.

Edward Wilson: Nature-Lover by George Seaver published in 1937

It is full of the most amazing artwork, both colour and black and white.

Both my Dad and I should really enjoy reading this.

A collection of books with thoughts of giving to Dad.  Two books by an author he reads, WH Hudson, although I think both of us have Green Mansions already, so I will probably sell that one.  All of them look interesting and should be enjoyable reads.  Again they all have lovely illustrations and photographs.

A Year with Nature by J.E. Roberts

Green Mansions by W.H. Hudson

Birds of Wing by W.H. Hudson

Nature and the Rambler by W.R. Calvert

To top those off today I managed to spot a GA Henty in a Charity Shop, something that rarely happens!  Plus it was  a Blackie edition and again one I don't have so I am happy.

Of course I also took my Kindle away with me, and whilst it in no way could ever compare to any of the wonderful books above as there is something very special about handling books, smelling them, feeling, holding and reading them, it has opened up many books that I may never have read or discovered due to the great specials and freebies that Amazon offers.

A wonderful series that I have recently finished while on holiday was about a family based in a rural area of New Zealand in the later 1800s leading to the end of the first world war.  I wasn't sure when I downloaded the first (free) book whether I would enjoy it, the title making me think 'soppy, happy ever after' type stories, but believe me, it was nothing like that at all and I ended up buying the rest in the series.  I loved the fact that so much New Zealand history was incorporated into the story and the insight it gave into the way people lived in those times.  The areas were familiar to me so I could really use my imagination to try and picture the scenes and locality.  I highly recommend this author, Shayne Parkinson.

The books are:

Sentence of Marriage

Mud and Gold

A Second Chance

Settling the Account

Daisy's War

All I Want.

Sunday Book Reviews on Wednesday - Rosie's War, Just Me & The Secret River

In the last couple of weeks I have finished another three books.  Two on my Kindle and one hardback I bought for 50p.

First up is Rosie's War, a very good read and interesting book of an English Woman's escape from Occupied France and the trials she went through.  If you enjoy true stories, and another view point of the war then this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Next is another Non-Fiction autobiographical read by Sheila Hancock and the experiences she embraces after losing John and how she comes to terms with both herself and her loss.  I really enjoyed this book, her humour and her insights.

Lastly another Kindle download.  The Secret River was another historical novel based on the relocation of criminals/prisoners to Australia and one family's struggles starting with life in London and then in Australia.  I quite enjoyed this book as well, although it really is about their struggles.  What I did find strange, which is not mentioned on any of the reviews on Amazon (including those Kindle edition reviews) is that my version repeated several chapters of the book at the end at around the 80% read stage...The book finished, there was a bit about another book, a sequel of sorts, and then the repeated pages.  I don't know if this is due to just a faulty download, or in fact an error/bug in the kindle edition, but it needs to be fixed.

I am really enjoying my kindle.  I never thought I would but have to say it is especially brilliant for me when reading in bed as I am not having to use both hands and thus can rest my right arm.  Plus I like reading so much that it is perfect in that I can have as many books on there as I want, so have a choice of what to read at my fingertips.  It really is just like reading a page of a book, nothing like reading on a computer at all.  

Sunday Book Review - The English German Girl

This book intrigued me, having read various books, mainly non-fiction about the World War Two Holocaust, I realised that I hadn’t really read a book specifically about the Kindertransport.   Although this is fiction, it draws on many factual events and people and there has obviously been a lot of research put into the writing of this novel.  It follows the story of a 15 year old girl Rosa as she travels on the Kindertransport from Berlin to England and the trials and stress that lead up to the transport, the journey and her time in England.  The prejudices she and others faced, as well as the courageous people who put their own lives at risk to help.  It is a thoughtful and heartfelt read as you follow her journey. She writes of her struggles, love and heartbreak and also the challenges she faces as she works hard to learn the English language, a new way of life as well as her attempts to get work visas for her family.  You share in her preparations for the arrival of her younger sister, and the trauma of war breaking out and the closing of the boarders which meant her family were then unable to make it out of Berlin.  Rosie decides to undertake nursing training, something she had always hoped to do, as her father was a doctor and as such the book also gives insight into the nursing practices and training of the time which is very interesting.  Jake Wallis Simons writes sensitively with good insight into this subject and I really enjoyed his style of writing.  A book well worth a read.

Sunday Book Review - War Horse

I'm probably one of the last to read this, although it has been on my to read list for a long time.  I think we have it in book form but it has been packed away so I downloaded it onto my kindle.  Just a short and simple review today.

Being both a book about horses, one in particular and the first World War which I have a particular interest in, having lost my great grandfather in it, this was a book I was looking forward to reading.  Plus the film is coming out/is out, so I definitely had to read it!

It didn't disappoint, was well written, through the eyes of the horse, observationally wise, but not in the way that the horse actually speaks which would belittle the subject and be rather silly.  It follows the adventures of  a horse called Joey from when he is first being sold as a foal at an auction, through to him being sold to the Cavalry for the war effort.  The journey takes the horse from Devon, to France and into enemy hands.  It is an easy read, being first and foremost a book for children, but this does not mean that it can't be enjoyed by adults as well.  Michael Morpurgo writes in a sensitive style, clearly writing about the atrocities of war, and brings awareness to the reader that it wasn't just the tragic human loss of life, but also animals as well, in particular horses.  However, we are also treated to the caring attitudes of both sides involved in the war as well as the stupidity and lunacy of it.  

A particularly touching part of the book is when Joey is stuck in no-man's land and both sides draw a truce to rescue the horse, with an English soldier and a German soldier discussing who was going to rescue the horse, decided by a simple toss of the coin.  They also discuss, how ludicrous it was that once the horse had reached safety they would again be trying to kill each other and the sheer waste of life.

Wonderful story well worth the read.