.
Of course, you can also give them to charity, free them at book crossing or sell them on green metropolis!
Saturday, 19 July 2008
What to do with unwanted books...
Oh dear. Sometimes a book really is just unloved and unwanted. Here's a crafty list of ideas, from birdhouses to purses, to turn them into something other than a book to read. Although the thought of sacrificing one of my books makes me shudder, there are some lovely ideas there
.
Of course, you can also give them to charity, free them at book crossing or sell them on green metropolis!
.Of course, you can also give them to charity, free them at book crossing or sell them on green metropolis!
Friday, 18 July 2008
The Good Life
Something is up at Bookling Towers and it's having a drastic impact on my reading rate! This month I've bottled my first batch of home-brewed wine and set up two more batches. I've baked strawberry tarts using the produce from our four strawberry plants. We've eaten home grown herby salads from the garden - and willed the tomatos and cucumber to geta move on. I've made several loaves of bread, embarked on a cooking-from-scratch spree and now this!
I've never made chutney before and, if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty well. It's a pity I got my labels too wet so they bubbled but at least it tastes yummy.
In the spirit of Freecycling, if I am right to call it that, I've already bartered one pot for strawberry jam and a bottle of the wine for elderflower champagne. Any other takers?
Next up, I've got my eye on Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook
, as recommended over on Cornflower's blog, as I'm sure cookbooks don't count as new books so it wouldn't violate my ban. I'm also considering making my own parma ham having read about it in my copy of Preserved... Or am I getting carried away?
I've never made chutney before and, if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty well. It's a pity I got my labels too wet so they bubbled but at least it tastes yummy.
In the spirit of Freecycling, if I am right to call it that, I've already bartered one pot for strawberry jam and a bottle of the wine for elderflower champagne. Any other takers?
Next up, I've got my eye on Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook
, as recommended over on Cornflower's blog, as I'm sure cookbooks don't count as new books so it wouldn't violate my ban. I'm also considering making my own parma ham having read about it in my copy of Preserved... Or am I getting carried away?
Friday, 11 July 2008
The Constant Gardener - John le Carré
I've watched the excellent 2005 film adaptation, directed by Fernando Meirelles, of John le Carré's The Constant Gardener and loved it. I've read that le Carré said that the film followed the plot of the book but not the story and having read the book I agree but don't think that the adaption suffered.
For those who have not watched the film, or read the book, the Constant Gardener tells the story of Justin Quayle, a British diplomat based in Nairobi, and his recently murdered wife, Tessa, who has become a passionate activist championing a number of local issues. Investigating what Tessa was researching at the time of hear death takes Justin around the world and uncovers an uncomfortable dossier of evidence that implicates the dubious business practices of a very influential drugs company.
This is an interesting book that quite probably hits a few nerves. I find it hard to say if I'd have enjoyed it as much if I'd not had the imagery from the film in my head - especially the chapters set in Kenya. I think it's a strong story with an element of suspense throughout as you try to understand what shade of grey each character really is - nothing is ever black and white.
It's one of the few instances where I prefer the film to the book, although that isn't to say that the book's not good in its own right! I plan to re-watch the film in the near future so it'll be interesting to see it again in light of some of the extra knowledge I now have.
For those who have not watched the film, or read the book, the Constant Gardener tells the story of Justin Quayle, a British diplomat based in Nairobi, and his recently murdered wife, Tessa, who has become a passionate activist championing a number of local issues. Investigating what Tessa was researching at the time of hear death takes Justin around the world and uncovers an uncomfortable dossier of evidence that implicates the dubious business practices of a very influential drugs company.
This is an interesting book that quite probably hits a few nerves. I find it hard to say if I'd have enjoyed it as much if I'd not had the imagery from the film in my head - especially the chapters set in Kenya. I think it's a strong story with an element of suspense throughout as you try to understand what shade of grey each character really is - nothing is ever black and white.
It's one of the few instances where I prefer the film to the book, although that isn't to say that the book's not good in its own right! I plan to re-watch the film in the near future so it'll be interesting to see it again in light of some of the extra knowledge I now have.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
I've just finished reading Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. What an experience. The only other graphic novel I've read is V for Vendetta, also by Alan Moore, which I loved reading but this was something else.
The artwork by Dave Gibbons is incredible - I spent ages just staring at the almost cinematic imagery on the first page! If you clicked that link then you'll probably also gather that this is not a story about kittens and bunnies. It's a pretty bleak tale and contains plenty of violence - not one for children.
The story is set in an alternative 1980s America where the threat of an all-out nuclear war is very real. It follows a group of retired super heroes (although as with the exception of Dr Manhattan they don't actually have super powers perhaps it's more accurate to describe them as a group of volunteer vigilantes) whom someone is, or appears to be, picking off one by one. What I quite liked about the book as I was reading it was that I was never quite sure who was a goodie and who was a baddie, possibly because no-one is ever really either, and that really helped to build genuine suspense as I didn't know where the story was headed and I could see that the clock was ticking down the minutes... The ethical and political points made in the story are as relevant today as they were in 1986/7, when the comics were first published and this makes for a thought-provoking, as well as entertaining, read.
It's being made into a film, directed by Jack Snyder who also directed the visually delightful 300, which will be released 6th March 2009. This should make for interesting, of dark, viewing but I really can't figure out how they'll manage the transition of some of the sub-plots. The costumed actors in the publicity stills look pretty impressive though so fingers crossed it's a good one.
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. What an experience. The only other graphic novel I've read is V for Vendetta, also by Alan Moore, which I loved reading but this was something else.
The artwork by Dave Gibbons is incredible - I spent ages just staring at the almost cinematic imagery on the first page! If you clicked that link then you'll probably also gather that this is not a story about kittens and bunnies. It's a pretty bleak tale and contains plenty of violence - not one for children.
The story is set in an alternative 1980s America where the threat of an all-out nuclear war is very real. It follows a group of retired super heroes (although as with the exception of Dr Manhattan they don't actually have super powers perhaps it's more accurate to describe them as a group of volunteer vigilantes) whom someone is, or appears to be, picking off one by one. What I quite liked about the book as I was reading it was that I was never quite sure who was a goodie and who was a baddie, possibly because no-one is ever really either, and that really helped to build genuine suspense as I didn't know where the story was headed and I could see that the clock was ticking down the minutes... The ethical and political points made in the story are as relevant today as they were in 1986/7, when the comics were first published and this makes for a thought-provoking, as well as entertaining, read.
It's being made into a film, directed by Jack Snyder who also directed the visually delightful 300, which will be released 6th March 2009. This should make for interesting, of dark, viewing but I really can't figure out how they'll manage the transition of some of the sub-plots. The costumed actors in the publicity stills look pretty impressive though so fingers crossed it's a good one.
Monday, 7 July 2008
The Witch of Portobello - Paulo Coelho
"This is the story of Athena, or Sherine, to give her the name she was baptised with. Her life is pieced together through a series of recorded interviews with those people who knew her well or hardly at all - her mother, colleagues, teachers, friends, acquaintances, her ex-husband. The novel unravels Athena's mysterious beginnings, via an orphanage in Romania, to a childhood in Beirut."
We know from the outset that Athena, who has been dubbed 'The Witch of Portobello' for her seeming powers of prophecy. has been murdered. Each chapter is a transcript of an interview with someone who came into contact with her and gradually the reader comes to understand how Athena/Sherine has developed her spiritual philosophy and how her influence on those around her may have resulted in her death. The first person narrative allows each character to provide differing views of Athena and project an interpretation of events unfolding that allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about their impartiality.
I've not read any of Coelho's other books, although I am sure I have a copy of The Alchemist lurking somewhere, and I admit that I approached reading this one with some caution. I think I was expected it to be a bit more inaccessible and mystical. There is a lot of exploration of the religion of the Mother and how to attain communion with her and achieve happiness that's not based on dependence on others/materiality however this is mixed in with a decent plot where you care about (most of) the characters and want to know what events happen that lead to her death.
Based on this, I might dig out that copy of The Alchemist if only to find out why it's "a global phenomenon". Or so the blurb says.
We know from the outset that Athena, who has been dubbed 'The Witch of Portobello
' for her seeming powers of prophecy. has been murdered. Each chapter is a transcript of an interview with someone who came into contact with her and gradually the reader comes to understand how Athena/Sherine has developed her spiritual philosophy and how her influence on those around her may have resulted in her death. The first person narrative allows each character to provide differing views of Athena and project an interpretation of events unfolding that allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about their impartiality.I've not read any of Coelho's other books, although I am sure I have a copy of The Alchemist lurking somewhere, and I admit that I approached reading this one with some caution. I think I was expected it to be a bit more inaccessible and mystical. There is a lot of exploration of the religion of the Mother and how to attain communion with her and achieve happiness that's not based on dependence on others/materiality however this is mixed in with a decent plot where you care about (most of) the characters and want to know what events happen that lead to her death.
Based on this, I might dig out that copy of The Alchemist if only to find out why it's "a global phenomenon". Or so the blurb says.
Saturday, 5 July 2008
For non RookRabbiters
They're giving away free books to the first 1000 people who upload bookshelves and tag five books. New registrations only so that's me out but I might as well spread joy since I utterly failed to get my act together in time to participate in BAFAB week.
I feel even worse about this as I won a book today over at Oxford Reader's blog. Rumours I bribed Andrex the rabbit are false, I tell you. False! *cough*
I'll run a random one myself soon though. Promise! Or I could plan something insane for the next one in October. Food for thought!
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