Book Review

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

I think that it is clear from the (rare!) book reviews I write that I like historical fiction, and especially those set in the first half of the twentieth century.

I was very much looking forward to reading this one as it ticked all of my boxes - family saga, intense historical setting and written by an expert.

In the main I wasn't disappointed, the story-lines of the fictional characters wove pretty seamlessly with the 'real' characters and the descriptions of people and places made the book really live in my imagination.

Whilst the book is called Abdication in many ways that is a minor, and almost dull, strand in the narrative. The portrayal of David and Wallis was verging on the unsympathetic a lot of the time and Nicolson makes it very clear that had he become King history would have taken a very different line.

The strand of the story that I liked the most was the portrayal of the Jewish East End, Mosley and the Black Shirts are often glossed over in fiction (and history) books but here the fear and contempt comes shining through, as well as the reminder that ordinary people did support the British Union of Fascists.

I had worked out that there was a twist to May's own story but cleverly Nicolson still managed to surprise me with the full story.

My only vague criticism with the book is that it felt almost too visual at times it felt like a screen play complete with stage directions.  It would make a great television but for me it felt a little too written with that in mind.  This is a very minor complaint however and this is a book I can whole heartedly recommend.

The copy I read was an advance reading copy thanks to Net Galley.

Book review

Double Cross - by Ben MacIntyre

This was one of the books I'd been saving up for my holiday. I've been a fan of Ben MacIntyre's books ever since I read Operation Mincemeat a few years ago. Agent Zigzag was a real treat last year on the World Book Night 2011 list and I was really looking forward to this one.

I didn't get to read it as quickly as I'd have liked as Mr Norfolkbookworm wanted to read it first and he is not the fastest of readers.

The wait was worth it, as ever the narrative was engaging and accessible. There is just the right amount of technical and historical detail to fully round out the story but this never swamps the human stories that are the key to the tale.

I have two criticisms of the book - one of my own and one from Mr Norfolkbookworm.

I found the constant use of cricketing terms really got on my nerves after a while. I can see why they are used - old boys' network, typically British etc. etc. but even though I am a cricketing fan they stuck out like a sore thumb to me as they were used so much. I do worry that if you aren't familiar with the terms then you might think this was another secret code being smuggled into a books about spies.

It was an anachronism that stuck out for Mr. N - one of the spies is given a transistor radio at one point. From the outset Mr. N said that this was too early for such a device and to prove this hunted out an Internet hotspot to look this up and according to Wikipedia he was right.  The version of the book I read was a proof thanks to the Netgalley website so this may have been corrected in the final draft but once I knew that there was an error like this in the book I was constantly wondering if there were many other errors in the book.

In general this was an excellent book, I found that the twists and turns of the double/triple/quadruple agents clear and exciting and while we do now know the outcome of WW2 at the time it was far more uncertain and this book really explores another side of the battles we fought.

A little light reading

It has been all a bit quiet here for the last few weeks as Mr Norfolkbookworm and I went away for 2 weeks in the sun.  After the weather here in the UK we were really looking forward to the break and we weren't disappointed  in the slightest.

We didn't see a cloud for two weeks and for most of the time the sea temperature was warmer than the actual temperature back home.  All in all it was a perfect break for doing lots of relaxing and lots of reading...which is what I did!

In the two weeks we were away I read 21 books and as ever they were from a broad sweep of genres.

• Underground, Overground - Andrew Martin
• The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
• Coronation - Paul Gallico
• Exotic Marigold Hotel - Deborah Moggach
• The Honorable Schoolboy - John le Carre
• 50 Shades of Grey - E L James
• Abdication - Juliet Nicholson
• 50 Shades Darker - E L James
• 50 Shades Freed - E L James
• Double Cross - Ben MacIntyre
• Dead Men - Richard Pierce
• I Still Dream About You - Fannie Flagg
• Chocky - John Wyndham
• Mani - Patrick Leigh Fermor
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce
• All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin
• Whatever it Takes - Adele Parks
• London Belongs to Me - Norman Collins
• What Katy Did - Susan Coolidge
• What Katy Did Next - Susan Coolidge
• The Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje

There were some real surprises among these books - some I'd been saving for months and was disappointed by, some I didn't expect to enjoy but couldn't put down and others that I loathed but at the same time was compelled to finish...

The main thing that was different this year was that I didn't actually read a physical book in the time we were away - all 21were ebooks. In the past I've always read a mixture but this time I had a paperback in my back for those minutes on the plane where they don't let you read from a electronic device but as I had a window seat I found I was looking out of that rather than reading.

I have thoughts buzzing round my head about some of these books and will endeavour to share them soon but in the meantime one more photo to make you jealous!

Theatrical Interlude 9 (2012)

Noises Off, Novello Theatre, June 2012

I am beginning to think that my theatre outings really are doomed - I promise I've never called the Scottish Play by its real name in a theatre!

This long arranged trip had the potential to become a logistical nightmare. A family bereavement meant I needed to be in Swindon at funeral on the morning of this trip, then the train was late and to cap it all the Circle Line suddenly stopped being a circle and was more of a horse-shoe missing out the area I needed to be.

I'd been so busy before this trip that I had absolutely no idea what Noises Off was about other than a play rehearsal. When I got to the theatre and saw it was by Michael Frayn my heart sank a little further - despite many good intentions (and enticing book blurbs) I've never yet managed to finish anything that the man has written.

On top of all this was the worry that after such a day, was a farce really what I needed?

The old adage that laughter is the best medicine could not have been truer.

From pretty much the second the curtain rose I was giggling, and by the time Act 1 had finished and Act 1 had started I was laughing out right. By Act 1 I really thought I would cry with laughter.  The play actually started before the curtain rose but that only became apparent as the story unfolded but I know that my companion and I were a little bemused by the pre-show announcements for a while.

The basic premise of the play is that Act 1 shows a play in the final dress rehearsal but that it isn't really ready to be performed. Act 1 then shows the same play but from behind the scenes, the final Act 1 is the same play but on the closing night when the cast have fallen out entirely and the show can barely go on.

Watching the same play three times in two and a bit hours shouldn't work but the energy of the script and the actors makes it a wonderful theatrical experience. The act that takes place behind the scenes is comedy genius and how the actors perform the stunts time after time without hurting themselves amazes me. I shall never look at cactus in quite the same way again!

I've never taken part in any theatrical show (apart from a school play when I was 14) but having read a few biographies and novels set in the world of theatre I think that although taken to the extreme there is more than a grain of truth in this play.

I am so glad that I did see it despite so many events conspiring against me, and I find it hard to see how anything I see at the theatre for a considerable time can be as funny.

Blowing a friend's trumpet

I am behind on theatre reviews, I do actually have a few books to blog about and I am trying to load my Kindle with books before going away but all of that pales into insignificance.

11 months ago I blogged about a friend's book, and how sad I was that it hadn't found a mainstream publisher.

Since then she's been working very hard on editing it and yesterday took the plunge and decided to start selling it via Amazon.

Now I know that many people think that Amazon are closely related to the devil but please, if you like a good escapist read and if you like a little bit of romance mixed with those realistic cringe worthy moments PLEASE download the sample of this book - then fall in love with the characters and buy the whole thing.

The author is talented and this book deserves to do well. And no I'm not on commission, just passionate about books I like. As I said in my original review I was honest with feedback and if I hadn't genuinely enjoyed the book I wouldn't be championing it a year on.

PS - even if you don't have a Kindle you can read this book via the Amazon widget on your laptop/netbook/phone/iPad...

Courting controversy

Forgotten gems?

One of the things I love about my job is the variety of events that I can plan and hold. Recently we've held two connected talks about books rather than given by specific authors.

The first, at the start of May, was held in conjunction with UEA and Persephone Books. It was all about forgotten authors and forgotten books and how a book that was a bestseller in it's day can so quickly be forgotten. And then how it can be rediscovered and republished thanks to the multitude of specialist publishers, especially Persephone,  that now exist.

There was lots of talk and discussion around this topic from the audience and, not least in the semantics of calling a book forgotten. Most of the books picked by Persephone are 'gentle' in tone and whilst I love the books I can sometimes see that without a 'champion' they might never be rediscovered, and possibly may deserve to stay in obscurity.

The second event was held at the start of June, again in conjunction with UEA, and this one was the total antithesis to the first event. We spent the evening discussing Norman Mailer and Henry Miller, trying to decide if it was just their subject matter that kept them in the public eye and that without the shock factor would they too have become obscure authors rather than much studied, modern classics.

No area of these authors books or lives was shied away from and the discussion was full, frank and fascinating.  Personally I came away with the feeling that without the shock factor these authors would perhaps not have become so feted and also that I'd have hated to have been trapped in a lift with either of them!

We are hoping to continue this idea of talks about less well known areas of literature and also hope to start a 'forgotten gems' book group in the autumn.  Usually the words 'classic' and 'must read' send me running for the hills but now I'm not so sure...

Theatrical Interlude 8 (2012)

Henry V, Globe Theatre June 2012

This was the second play that Mr Norfolkbookworm and I saw during our weekend in London.  We'd packed fearing the worst - the forecast for Sunday was dire however it was a pleasant surprise to find it warm and  almost sunny as we strolled alongside the River Thames to get to the Globe.

There has recently been a season of Shakespeare plays from the Globe shown on Sky Arts and we did mean to watch the almost prequels to this one (Henry IV pts 1 and 2) but time got away from us and we didn't manage it.  Being Shakespeare this didn't matter.

Sunday was the first day of the 2012 "The Plays the Thing" season at the Globe - for the past few weeks it has been the "Globe to Globe" season where all 37 plays by Shakespeare have been performed but with each one in a different language. I didn't see any of them but I know that if I'd lived in London I would have done - the reviews have been excellent.

Henry V was the Globe Theatre's entry to G2G and so while we saw the first performance of the summer season it wasn't the first time is had been performed.

It was wonderful from the instant the musicians appeared on the stage to the dance at the end it was a masterpiece. I've seen the film version from 1944 with  Laurence Olivier and while that was good it felt very earnest, this version was human - there were emotions and so much humour, from the Bishops on their 'throne' to the scenes with Pistol yet none of it felt over blown or out of place.  As for the famous 'once more unto the breach dear friends' scene - I was ready to draw my sword and join in.

Having been to Agincourt a couple of years ago I could really see the scene of the battle - which is wonderful as the 'Chorus' does ask you to imagine the scene as it would be too hard to realise in the theatre - and thought that the way the fight is depicted using just a few of the cast was fantastic.

I am very glad that I am seeing the other 3 plays in the London season over the next few months and very pleased that I will see this play again.  It has quickly moved to the top of my (imaginary) list of Best Plays 2012.

 

Agincourt archers in Agincourt, France

Theatrical Interlude 7 (Reprise)

War Horse, New London Theatre, June 2012

Since seeing this last year, and since being a little disappointed in the recent film version, I've been trying to convince Mr Norfolkbookworm that he should see this play.

It didn't take a lot of work and so this past weekend we went down to the 'Big Smoke' in order to see some theatre together.

It was a lovely weekend and despite the dreadful forecast we had lovely weather and a great time.

It was nice to also see and evening performance of a play, I don't think that there is any particular difference in a matinee but if certainly felt more of a treat to be seeing a play in London at night!  It certainly didn't make any difference in the behaviour of the audience - how can so many people be so incapable of sitting through an act of a play?  I can understand the children needing to leave but the adults?

Anyhow none of the audience fidgets spoilt the play for me, and neither did it matter that this was a repeat viewing.  From start to finish I was captivated and immersed in the story. I think that this time it took even less time for me to see the horses on stage as real animals rather than puppets if I am honest!

War is a brutal thing and this play shows this, but it also brings out the best (and worst) in people and again that is shown fully.  An adaptation of a book written for children played on stage with puppets shouldn't be that emotional but all credit to everyone it really is. I was sniffling by the end that is for sure.

Last time I saw the play I was sitting in what they class as restricted view seats as you lose a little of the view at the edge of the stage, this time we were pretty much dead centre of the stalls, I discovered that we hadn't lost much of the action last time. I also discovered that these seats right at the front but at the side did in fact make the play a little more immediate - when the horses gallop across the stage it is impressive from the centre but at the side you do think the horse is going to run you down!

This was certainly a play that stood up to repeat viewing, but unlike one person that I overheard I don't think I'll be going to see it 11 times!

Theatrical Interlude 6 (2012)

The Duchess of Malfi, The Old Vic, May 2012

My theatre going friend and I ventured south of the river this time to the incredible Old Vic Theatre.

Before I even talk about the production I need a moment or two to rave about the venue - I found the Old Vic to be a wonderful example of how you can bring a traditional building up to date but at the same time lose nothing of the original character.  Unlike the Vaudeville Theatre from a few weeks ago this building is light and airy, comfortable and most important has plenty of ladies loos!  In addition to this while the auditorium still feels like a traditional Victorian theatre it isn't at all thread bare or dated, plus - and this was a bonus on an surprisingly sticky May day - it has wonderfully efficient air conditioning.  Much of this is I am sure due to the input from Kevin Spacey who was appointed artistic director in 2003.

Now the play...

This was another one that I knew nothing about before the performance except that it was written after Shakespeare but before the Civil War.  John Webster appears as a young boy in the film Shakespeare in Love but there my knowledge stopped!

I was sucked in from curtain up, the speech was easier to follow than that of Shakespeare but I still needed a few moments to fully get my ear in tune but then the plot and the acting carried me though and I felt I was living the drama not watching a play.

The basic plot is that the Duchess of Malfi has been left a rich widow and her unscrupulous (and increasingly unhinged) brothers don't want her to marry again as they will then not see any of this money.  The Duchess however has a mind of her own and does remarry for love, but shock horror he is from a much lower class than her.  Their happy life comes to an end when her brothers find out about the marriage and subsequent children.

I think we counted 9 murders, 2 fake corpses and a severed hand so this play is not for the faint hearted!

I saw the actress playing the Duchess last summer at The Globe and thought she stole the show there and the same can be said of her performance here, but again she was supported by a strong cast and they convinced me that they really were feeling every emotion.

The setting was quite dark, very much like the theatres of Webster's time I suppose. While modern lights were used on stage actors carried candles a great deal of the time and it was all very atmospheric, including one scene which took place in pitch blackness - even the emergency exit lights were covered for it.

Reviews online seem mixed for this play - critics liked it but bloggers haven't been so keen.  I'm on the side of the critics. I thought it was fabulous and I will be looking at the listings for The Old Vic a lot more often now as well as following Eve Best's career closely.

Shiver my Timbers

Pirates! An Adventure with...by Gideon Defoe

Many years ago I read a daft little book called Pirates! An Adventure with Scientists. I remember it being funny but nothing more.  Thinking back on the book I am sure it is because I didn't know enough about the things Defoe was poking fun at.

Fast forward about a decade and the wonderful Aardman Animation studios release The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists which was brilliant.  From the opening to the end of the credits I think it was one of the best films I've seen in ages and for me it was better than the last couple of Pixar movies - heresy I know!

Since then I've use the library to borrow the book where the Pirates meet Moby Dick and have the one about the Communists on reserve. When I saw that the brand new book The Pirates! An Adventure with the Romantics available on Net Galley I knew that I had to request it.

This past weekend I developed a horrible summer cold and The Pirates! were just what the doctor would have ordered I am sure.

The Pirate Captain and his band of inept pirates are sailing on Lake Geneva once more in financial straights.  Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin are in the vicinity and bored.  Cue the start of the adventure.

I don't think that there was a chapter that didn't raise a snigger and I think that Mr Norfolkbookworm was ready to throw me to the sharks as I kept reading snippets out to him. Any book that rates the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford over the Ashmolean is always going to be a favourite with me.

As with the other Pirates! books some knowledge of the bit of history/literature that Defoe is lampooning makes the books far more enjoyable but I hope there are more books and more films!

Please note that this is a small review of a book that won't be published until August 30th, the other books in the series are available already and the film is still on release in UK cinemas and the DVD will be released in September 2012.

Proof is in the pudding

Till We Eat Again - Judy Gruen

I've had a few more success's with proofs downloaded from Net Galley since the last time I posted about the service.

Till We Eat Again was one of these.  This is an autobiographical account of a woman (Judy) who needs to lose 15lb before a special occasion and how she tries all manner of diets, exercise plans and holistic treatments in that goal.

As someone who has a love of food and a few(!) pounds to lose I loved this book.  Judy is unfailingly honest throughout the book - whether it is the revolt form her family at the food she is making them eat or the lapses she experiences when faced with a cinnamon bun.

I am someone with a healthy scepticism for the majority of the holistic and 'miracle' weight loss cures and at first I was nervous when Judy started exploring these but it quickly became apparent that she also shared these thoughts and that nothing tried made her change this opinion.

Unsurprisingly the conclusion of the book is that the only things that can help you lose weight are sensible eating and exercise. Not a shock to hear but a very entertaining book to have my prior knowledge confirmed.

Say Cheese

Here we go again...another post full of excuses as to why I'm not reviewing a book!

Once more my reading has slowed down, however this time not because I have got a reader's block or even my regular problem of getting stuck on a reading group novel. 


I've just been too busy to read!


I am studying again and a lot of the books I've been reading and dipping into are books relevant to the course - a Diploma in Drama.  The current units are on Shakespeare and so I'm reading a few plays, critical studies of the man and history books about the age in which he lived and wrote.  The current programmes on the television have been very helpful as well.


In addition to this I went on a photography experience day a little while ago. 


This was a truly wonderful experience.  A whole day was spent with a professional photographer, Paul Sawer, at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, we got up close and personal to a wide range of birds of prey and saw two flying shows.  All through the day we were guided with our shots and camera use and I've been blown away by my results from the day.  I am generally best at landscape shots but I could easily see myself wanting to do some more wildlife shoots like this.

Cobweb the male barn owl in flight

I was very pleased with the how my equipment behaved, I was using a super-zoom lens on this day and while it is a great lens for me to take out and about it doesn't always get the best reviews.  However I found that all my pictures needed was a little cropping to get rid of the tiny bits of lens visible in the tightly zoomed shots. The auto-focus and image stabilising worked a treat. Of course I've come away wanting a new lens specially for this type of photography but realistically I know that I don't need one AND would have problems carrying it about if I did!

My favourite shots of the day can be found on my Flickr stream but I can't resist putting just a few more here!

 

Three week old eagle owl chicks

 

Swooping red kite

Bataleur eagle

 

Pipped at the post

 Sadly the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library didn't win the Library of the Year award on Monday night.  We've shrugged off the disappointment and have started working on projects that will hopefully mean that 2013 is our year.

It was a shame we couldn't have added this award to Norwich as it would have been the icing on the literary cake as last Thursday it was announce that Norwich had become the first English UNESCO City of Literature.

We did lose to another City of Literature, Edinburgh, so there is no shame in it!

Dystopian Australian Fiction

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard

A while ago a friend in publishing sent me an advance copy of a new teen novel to read. To my shame the book slipped down my to-be-read pile and it wasn't until I got a small twitter nudge that I dug the book back out.

I read it from cover to cover on a train journey to London a few weeks ago and it has really stayed with me since I finished it.

I've read quite a bit of Australian kid lit, not trying to be trite but "some of my favourite authors are from Australia" and books from the antipodes can sneak their way to the top of the pile just due to this quirk.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark was different from the start as it is all about a destructive war, about what we never find out, and the whole idea of bombings, barricades and military fighting in Sydney really stuck out.

I was quickly swept up into the story and read through the book quickly - although I can't recall a lot of the fine details now. It did move me hugely and the twists were unusual and the story a strange mixture of simplistic children's book and hard hitting war novel. It is the unusual premise of a book set in an area that I've visited but in a world that I can't associate with that location that has stayed with me.

On finishing the book I was instantly reminded of the unsettled feelings I experienced as a teenager on reading Louise Lawrence's Children of the Dust or Robert Swindell's Brother in the Land.  These books were about living in the aftermath of nuclear war (a still real prospect during my childhood) and it was the fear that, although unlikely, the happenings in the books *could* come true that haunted me.
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark has that same foreboding - as we are in a time when terrorism or economic crises could cause society to disintegrate quickly and entirely - and that it what has made this book stick in my memory.

As dystopian books are all the rage at the moment this book might do well, but I found it very unsettling as it was too realistic, unlike many of the Hunger Games'esque books that are all the rage.

Theatrical Interlude 5 (2012)

What the Butler Saw, Vaudeville Theatre, May 2012.

This was a surprise addition to my theatre calendar for 2012: an unexpected trip to London for work, some lieu time and a May Madness Offer from Lastminute.com all worked in my favour and after a lot of deliberation I decided to see Orton's What the Butler Saw.


I found the play to be a very full on experience from the instant the curtain rose and it wasn't until the 2nd act that I felt I had got in my stride to go with the humour, I almost felt that a 'warm up act' was needed like you get at some stand up comedy shows just so that you are in the right mindset for when the action starts.

Like most of the plays I've seen so far this year this was truly a comedy (nay farce) and I enjoyed the performances of all six actors immensely, as to be expected Tim McInnerny is brilliant but I found Omid Djalili's style of delivery spot on for his role.

I knew nothing about the play before seeing it which was a delight for as the plot became more and more farcical I was swept up and eager to see how it was all going to resolve itself.

I can't say that this was the best play I've seen, and to be honest it would probably fall in the bottom half of a ranked list. I can't quite put my finger on why, I liked the actors, the acting and the scenery. I also laughed a lot - especially in the second half. I'll also never again be able to look at a statue of Winston Churchill without sniggering. There's even full frontal (good looking) male nudity. But...

Perhaps a comedy/farce like this needs to be a shared experience? I saw this alone and sat in an area of the theatre that was sparsely populated...

It was great for the £10 I paid for the ticket but not one I want to see again, or that I can put my hand on my heart and recommend. I am left wondering if I shouldn't have paid the same money and gone to see The King's Speech.

When I saw the play it was still in preview, and it isn't until May 16th that the press night is held and it is officially 'open'.

Theatrical Interlude 4 (2012)

Hay Fever, Noel Coward Theatre, May 2012.

This theatrical trip was nearly a disaster.  Once more there were huge rail problems on the day of the outing, however this time I'd always planned on going the slower, indirect route and consequently missed all of the trouble.  It was a good feeling to outwit the trains for once.

I'd not seen any Noel Coward plays before this one. I've seen some of the films he scripted and read a few of the plays but I wasn't sure what to expect, especially as reviews have been so mixed.

I loved it.  It was laugh out loud funny, the cast worked as a whole, the set and the costumes were fantastic.

When we arrived at the theatre we were expecting to be seated in limited view seats in the Upper Circle however as we tried to get in to the theatre we found we'd been upgraded to the fifth row of the Dress Circle in seats that were far more expensive than the ones we had paid for.  Sadly the reason for this was because there weren't enough people in the audience to fill the Dress Circle let alone that and the Upper... I hope it was just a quiet day because the play is very good and deserves to be seen.

There are a lot of famous people in the play - Lindsay Duncan, Jeremy Northam and Olivia Colman being the biggest names, but it wasn't about them at all - it was a true ensemble piece without a weak link. The acting is quite over the top, but only as the script demands and the physical comedy was just as funny as the script. I shall now be looking for more Coward plays to go and see.

The lasting impression of the play - I really want some silk pyjamas and a silk dressing gown to swan around the house in - the elegant cigarette holder is an optional extra.

Lest we Forget

War Diaries, published by Simon and Schuster and the Imperial War Museum

I've written in other places about my fascination with the diary format and I've reviewed quite a few books set during war time.  Now two of my favourite genres have collided with these new books from the Imperial War Museum:

A Chaplain at Gallipoli: The Great War Diaries of Kenneth Best
A Nurse at the Front: The First World War Stories of Sister Edith Appleton

Kenneth Best was, as the title says, an army Chaplain in WW1 and he served in Egypt and then at Gallipoli. After being invalided home from this battle front he continued as a Chaplain on the Western Front.  He is very frank in his diaries, he criticises and questions constantly and unlike a lot of his fellow priests he spent a lot of time right on the front line and got a reputation for bravery from the men he ministered to.

While I knew that the Gallipoli campaign was ill fated, badly planned and ultimately a disaster this book with the full explanation of Kenneth's comments really brought this home.  I really didn't realise how many British and Indian soldiers were involved, I did have the idea that it was almost a solely ANZAC affair.

Edith Appleton was a career nurse with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service and served in France throughout World War One.  I knew more about this aspect of the war, Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth was the first memoir of WW1 that I read and she was a nurse in France during some of the war. This lead me on to other nursing memoirs and novels.

What I wasn't aware of was the animosity between the various nursing services and especially towards the VADs such as Vera Brittain.  In most of the books about this era that I've read the VADs have been pretty much the equivalent of the 'brave Tommies' who could do no wrong...Edith's diary certainly gives another view!

There are already another two books planned in this series and I for one can't wait to find out more about these lesser known theatres of war. I'm personally hoping for a more personal account of the naval experience of WW1 but I know I'll read what ever is published.

Trumpet Blowing

I always knew I worked somewhere very special but we are all very proud and excited at the Millennium Library because we've made the short list for the Library of the Year award at the Bookseller Industry Awards.

We are up against some really strong competition but to be named one of the top 5 libraries in the country is something special.

We find out if we are the winner on Monday 14th May and I think I'll be keeping everything crossed between now and then.

In addition to our wonderful news, the children's book department at Jarrolds here in Norwich has also been nominated for an award - Independent Children's Bookseller of the Year. Just goes to show how great Norwich is!

Trying New Things

Dancing on Ice, Nottingham Arena, April 2012

I didn't intend 2012 to be a year of new challenges and experiences but that does seem to be how it is panning out so far - and that includes the blog as blogger seems to have changed quite radically since I last posted.

On Saturday I took a friend to see Dancing on Ice Live in Nottingham.  This really was a treat for her and I admit that I was dreading it a little bit.  I am the clumsiest person around on solid ground and can't ice skate to save my life, plus I've never watched an episode of Dancing on Ice.  However I do remember watching the Olympics back in 1984 and seeing Torvill and Dean winning their gold medal with Ravel's Bolero.

The arena was huge and we were *pretty* high up - jokes about oxygen masks and nosebleeds felt pertinent!  The advantage to these seats became clear as soon as the skaters appeared on the ice as we could see all of the skaters at once and the patterns they were creating on the ice.  There were big screens to the side so that seeing close ups were possible.

I only knew one of the 'celebrities' who was skating and so that part of the show left me a little cold but I was blown away when Torvill and Dean or the professional took to the ice - the speed, grace and moves that these people performed were truly incredible.  Skating whilst hula-hooping fire has to be seen to be believed.

What surprised me the most was how influenced I was by the lighting (and costumes) when the ice and lights were yellows and oranges I instantly disliked the routine but the pinks, blues and purples really captured my attention.

I did surprise myself with how much fun I did have, but this was a one off - I don't think I'll be doing it again.

The trying new things continues today as it is World Book Night and I will be the MC for an Open Mic poetry night...

Too Much of a Good Thing

Life in the Dales

I started reading the Gervase Phinn autobiographies a few years ago and found them great fun. Phinn started out as a teacher in a small school in the Yorkshire Dales and progressed on to school inspector. These are his memoirs of this career - I suppose they are a school version of the James Herriot books. I think that they have to be heavily condensed and pretty fictionalised but I might be wrong on this account.

These came to an end and then I discovered the novels by Jack Sheffield, these are very similar to Phinn's books but very definitely fiction. At present these are coming out at the rate of one a year and I eagerly await each new volume, especially as they generally end on a real cliff hanger. The other appeal of these books is that they start in the same year that I started school so while I went to a school in a Kent town rather than a rural village I can remember some of the things that Sheffield talks about.

I was quite excited to see a new book in this vein on the library shelf last week (All Teachers Great and Small by Andy Seed) however after the genius that is Phinn and Sheffield this just feels like a pale imitation, it is *another* memoir/novel of a teacher just starting out in a rural school in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1980s...yawn.

Now I know if something is selling then there are likely to be more in the same style but really - another one just the same as those that already exist? I will try to read it to the end but I think that this might be a book too far. If only it was set in another county I'd be okay but I'm only on page 27 but I already feel like I've read it before but in a better, funnier format.