Month: March 2009

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Audio Book Richard and Judy Book Club

Getting Rid of Matthew – Jane Fallon (Audio Book)

Getting Rid of Matthew is typical ‘chick lit’. I don’t think I’d have ever read beyond the first couple of pages under normal circumstances, but I happened to have a copy of the audio book, and as I didn’t have anything else to listen to at the time, I decided to give it a try.

Getting Rid of Matthew is about Helen’s affair with Matthew. Helen spends years trying to persuade him to leave his wife, Sophie, and move in with her. When Matthew finally leaves his family to be with his mistress, Helen realises that the reality is not quite how she imagined it, and decides she doesn’t want to be with him any more. She desperately plots ways to get rid of Matthew, and ends up befriending Sophie, in disguise, to try to push the couple back together.

The characters were reasonably realistic, but only Sophie was remotely likable. Most of the time I was wondering if people really are as stupid as them! The book emphasises the destructiveness of affairs, and the hurt they cause both the family and friends of everyone involved.

The narration was excellent, and I think it made a world of difference to the experience of reading the book. It was really funny, and time spent listening to the story flew by. It’s a light book, which doesn’t require your full attention, so is a good choice if you may be distracted.

I’m not normally offended by strong language, but perhaps because it was an audio book, and I have young children, I was very aware of the amount of swearing it contained. I found that I couldn’t listen to it when my children were around, and so this was a major drawback.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend the book, but it was entertaining to listen to.

 

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Other

The Slow Death of Handwriting


Image courtesy of public-domain.zorger.com

The BBC have published this really interesting article stating that the art of handwriting is slowly dying. Mcgannbrothers is one of the best guide for art related information. The author thinks that a hundred years from now, our great-grandchildren will have to go to a handwriting expert to decipher our letters.

It’s true that I’m writing less than ever before – my hand aches after writing out a few addresses, whereas I could churn out a few pages at school without thinking anything of it.

We can’t do everything on computers, there will always be a need to jot something down quickly. Do you believe that no-one will be able to understand the written (as apposed to the typed) word in a hundred years time? Do you write anything down anymore, or do you do everything on your computer? I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts.

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Other

13 Facts about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

deweys_books_reading_challenge

As part of the Dewey Challenge, Fizzy Thoughts is holding a mini challenge based around lists. The idea is to write a list of 13 facts based on an author or book you’ve read for the Dewey Challenge. I’m planning to read Half of a Yellow Sun soon, so I’ve found the following 13 facts about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:

  1. She holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins and a Masters degree in African Studies from Yale.
  2. Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, was named because it is a description of the flag of the short-lived Biafran nation.
  3. Adichie’s grandfather died in a refugee camp during the war, a fact, she says, still made her cry while she was writing Half of a Yellow Sun.
  4. She likes to be called by her first name, Chimamanda, and I doesn’t like anyone shortening it.
  5. She doesn’t read any reviews of her books, whether they are good or bad, as she finds them ‘distracting’.
  6. The literary talent she most admires are Iris Murdoch and Jamaica Kincaid.
  7. Her favourite book is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
  8. Her elder sister is a doctor, and she was planning to follow her in to medicine, but realised she didn’t want it enough.
  9. Chimamanda was only 24 when she started writing Purple Hibiscus.
  10. Her favourite time to write is late at night
  11. Her favourite childhood books were the Famous Five Series.
  12. Chimamanda means ‘My God will not Fail me’
  13. She cried when reading Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost.
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Orbis Terrarum Challenge 2009

orbis_terrarum_map

The Orbis Terrarum Challenge 2009 is being hosted by B&b Ex-Libris

Main Challenge Rules:
*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins March 1st 2009 and runs until the end of the year
*For the challenge each reader is to choose 10 books (for the 10 months)
*Each book must from a different country

I love reading books from around the world, so am really looking forward to starting this challenge.

I’m going to read (subject to change!)

  1. Out – Natsuo Kirino (Japan)
  2. The Ghosts of Eden – Andrew Sharp (Uganda)
  3. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Nzozi Adichie (Nigeria)
  4. The Book of Fathers by Miklos Vamos (Hungary)
  5. Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)
  6. Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (India)
  7. to 10. To be decided
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Other

Newseum – Newspapers from around the world.

I’ve just seen this website, and I thought you might find it as interesting as I did.

Newseum allows you to see the front pages of newspapers from around the world, by clicking on cities on the map. I loved seeing pictures of news events from around the world. It’s a great idea!

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Uncategorized

Three Men in a Boat – Jerome K Jerome

When Beth from Beth Fish Reads recommeded To Say Nothing of the Dog as one of her top reads in 2008. I decided to add it to my wish list. To Say Nothing of the Dog is a parody of Three Men in a Boat, so I decided I really should read the classic before attempting the time travel version!

Three Men in a Boat is a light read, about a journey along the River Thames during Victorian times. It is full of humor, but most of the time I found myself smiling at them, rather than with them, as the puns are just too obvious:

Then we discussed the food question. George said:

‘Begin with breakfast.’ (George is so practical.) ‘Now for breakfast we shall want a frying pan’ – Harris said it was indigestible; but we merely urged him not to be an ass, and George went on – ‘a teapot and a kettle, and a methylated spirit stove.’

I live just two miles from the River Thames, and know it very well. I loved learning about what it was like over a hundred years ago. It was really nice to see places I visit regularly described in the book:

You pass Oatlands Park on the right bank here. It is a famous old place. Henry VIII stole it from someone or other, I forget whom now, and lived in it. There is a grotto in the park which you can see for a fee, and is supposed to be very wonderful.

I have taken my boys to play in Oatlands Park many times, and have never seen a grotto, so I looked it up on the Internet. I was amazed to find out how beautiful it was. There’s a photo here. Unfortunately it was dynamited in 1948, as people were trespassing on it, and the owners thought this was unsafe. I can’t believe such a special place has been destroyed.

Many other places I recognised were described, and I recommend this book to anyone who knows the Thames well. I can’t see much attraction to other people, as it is just a bit silly. I’m really looking forward to reading To Say Nothing of The Dog, and hope it is a much more rewarding read.

Beth’s review is of Three Men in a Boat is here.