There’s an anecdote that my husband loves to recount about a holiday we took to Kenya. We were sleeping in tents (very posh tents) on the side of a lake and I looked at the furtherest tent which had a number of crocodiles nearby. “The poor buggers in that tent” I sympathised…
The Plot Against America
25 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
One of fiction’s most fascinating questions is What If? What If a character didn’t exist? What If a lie was discovered? What If history was different? Many books and films have explored this question from different viewpoints ….
Jilly Cooper pens TV adaptations
3 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
There may have to be a new section on the website – TV reviews. Jilly Cooper is writing adaptations of her massively successful Rutshire Chronicles and a production company looks set to snap them up. I hope she starts right back at the beginning with Riders and Rivals and not with the weaker later novels. I’m already wondering who could play Rupert Campbell-Black… hmmm. Wonder if Daniel Craig is looking for a new franchise?
Agatha Christie – Early Surfer?
3 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
I’m fascinated by Agatha Christie, I think I’ve read all of her books, loved her autobiography and have a place in my heart for Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. It’s not just her books that fascinate me though – it’s her as a person, she seems to have been an astounding woman. Widely travelled, a fan of archaeology and a mysterious disappearance worthy of one of her own novels. This week it was revealed that it’s possibly on her travels with her first husband she became one of the first British people to surf standing up. I don’t know if that’s true, or if it can ever be proven but I hope it is true. It shows exactly how adventurous and ground-breaking she really was.
Man Booker longlist announced
3 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
The longlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize has been announced. Early bookies’ favourite is former winner Alan Hollinghurst with The Stranger’s Child but I’m really pleased to see four first-time novelists included on the list and they certainly can’t be ruled out at this stage. I tend to dislike Booker winners finding them self-indulgent and rather dull, but each year I read the list and pick up the winner. I hope this year’s will be one that I love, maybe 2011 is my year?
Pottermore launches – greedy people rejoice
3 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
When JK Rowling teased us with news of a website called Pottermore fans went into meltdown. Was this a new story? Were Harry, Ron and Hermione coming back to fight Death Eaters who remained loyal to Voldemort?
Not quite – Pottermore is really not much more than a neat marketing ploy. E-book versions of all seven novels will be available in a number of languages and we’ll get a little more information on the wizarding world and character backgrounds.
Early registration is now open for a limited time, and already some lowlifes are selling account details on Ebay for stupid prices, completely against both the terms and the spirit of the website and Rowling’s wizarding world. The official Pottermore blog has asked that fans don’t purchase details online. I’m know I wouldn’t – I’m happy to wait until October for more information.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
14 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
A fitting finale
By the time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released in 2007 fans of the series, including me, were at fever pitch. It was inconceivable to wait until Saturday morning for the book…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
13 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series Harry Potter BooksPublished: 2005 Author: J.K. Rowling Penultimate adventure sets up a cracking finale Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince begins in a scary time in the wizarding world. Voldemort’s return is now widely accepted and his desire to regain his position of […]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
12 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
A long, frustrating wait is well rewarded
JK Rowling made us wait for three long years after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came into bookshops. Three years for us to speculate….
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
11 July 2011 by Leave a Comment
The threat becomes real…
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the series about the boy wizard and is, in many ways, markedly different to the previous three novels…