Winter reading

So I've failed again at updating this regularly but here goes with the books I've been reading recently.

Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min
I read The Last Empress years ago and loved so trying this book seemed like a good idea. This biography style book is written somewhere between fact and fiction and offers an insight into life behind the closed doors of Mao's life. Although Madame Mao is not exactly a lovely character you can't help feeling sorry for her at times throughout the book. What really came out in this book was the level of suspicion and back stabbing that went on at all levels within the regime. I think perhaps my next step is to read a true fact book to see how much of this was true.

I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson
This one really indulged my old love of girly books. Following the fast track life of high flying banker and mother of two Kate Reddy. If Kate had been a real person I too wouldn't know how she did it. Her banking job felt not just full time but double time, at one point Kate even leaves her family on holiday to get back to the office. Although not completely typical of the genre this book still delivered laughs, tears and a little bit of can't put it down. I'm pleased to say that as you might expect it all works out well for Kate in the end and I recommend this read for anyone that used to love chick-lit but finds it just a bit too predictable now.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch
An historical thriller was the description on GoodReads, sounds right up my street (although only in books, films described this way are not my thing). Some fascinating insights into life in Germany in the 1600s, the fear and suspicion with which the town hangman was viewed. A little bit of witch hunting thrown in for good measure along with a 'devil' with a bone hand and a number of murders. As the hangman and the young doctor join forces that story takes a number of twists and turns as you try and figure out who is behind the mystery and why they are doing it. The graphic descriptions and torture sequences mean this book isn't for everyone but if you read Dracula's Guest then this book would be good for you.

Nee Naw: Real Life Dispatches From Ambulance Control by Suzi Brent
Back to the ambulance blogs now, this one was recommended by Tom Reynolds whose own books I reviewed in previous posts. Suzi writes from a new perspective, behind the phones and I thought it was really interesting to see what goes on when you call an ambulance. I was amazed at the number of people who apparently don't think they need to give an address and also the crazy things you might call an ambulance for. I was also interested to learn that there is a whole team for dispatching separate from the call-takers. Not as much blood as in Tom's books but still some crazy tales of medical drama on the streets / telephones of London, for a Casualty lover like me well worth a read.

Rapid Response: True Stories of My Life as a Paramedic by Lysa Walder
More ambulance drama and this time back on the road. More mad call outs, I mean who calls an ambulance for a cold? Or even worse goes to A&E thinks the wait is too long, goes round the corner and calls an ambulance, note to the wise this won't get you a queue jump. Much like Tom and Suzi, Lysa is an engaging author and once again I am willing on all these ambulances to hit their government targets on response times. If you didn't like Tom and Suzi's books, don't read this, if you did then i suggest this is a must read title for you.

Later this weekend I will bring you a review of Gaucho's in Richmond and the Richmond theatre's Cinderella, my first panto in years. I'm sure Christmas will bring me new books and failing that plenty of time to fill with reading and maybe even blogging so here's to better blogging over Christmas and the New Year!

Apps not books

So I've been really bad and got distracted by lots of apps on my iPhone and so I haven't read as much as I usually recently. However I thought you might like to hear about one app I have found, www.goodreads.com.

I have the iPhone app but you can simply use it on the web if you like. I love this app as I can put books on three shelves: Books I want to read, Books I am reading and Books I have already read. I can rate the books and review them right there as well as seeing what other people have said about them and it seems much easier than Amazon as you can search an author and then look at their titles, knowing you're seeing reviews from like minded people.

But the best thing is in the app version. I miss browsing in book shops these days and Amazon just isn't the same. But with the Good Reads app I can browse without worrying I'll forget the books I want. I can simply scan the bar code and assign to books I want to read, so simple.

My only problem with Goodreads is that I don't want to link it to my twitter or facebook as it will post on my wall which I hate! I know there are a few of my friends on Goodreads but I can't find them without connecting it with my social media accounts. If I find a solution I'll be sure to let you know and if you do join please add me :-)

So the books I am currently reading are Becoming Madame Mao and Eats, Shoots and Leaves, reviews on these and more soon.

Summer reading...

So I'm nearly back up to date on the book front and August was a light month on the book front, possibly due to the distraction of a new iPhone...

So just three books to get through in August.

Back on Murder by J Mark Bertrand
Another who dunnit, I think perhaps best suited for a Rankin fan like me. A grumpy US detective that goes off-piste and gets himself into trouble reminds me of Edinburgh's Rebus, they even had the young, good looking girl detective. I'm not sure if it was because I missed the Edinburgh element or the case was not as unusual as Rankin's but something about this just didn't click for me. I wanted to find out what happened but I wished I was reading it in paper so that I could flick to back and see, I'd pick up a Rebus novel rather than this if I was you...

A Mourning Wedding by Carola Dunn
A misleading title if ever there was one as there was no wedding... I think the biggest shock in this whole thing was that Daisy's best fried who should have known better invited Daisy to stay, the result two deaths and her fiancée was also nearly killed. That said it was still a good read although not one of the best in the story I worked this one out just too early.

More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea by Tom Reynolds
I love Tom Reynolds straight to the point approach, I read his first book just before I started this blog and so when I saw the second one floating around I gave it a try. It was just as good as the first and amazingly it never got boring, the number of cases an ambulance crew sees gives Tom a wealth of material, from matern-a-taxi, to colds, to A&E queue jumpers including just a few real emergencies. I guess you have to be one of those people who likes to watch Casualty for this one to hit the mark, but as I'm one of those folk that's fine and I loved it...

Catching up on the books...

So without my own laptop it is pretty hard to keep up my blog and then the Edinburgh Fringe Festival distracted me so I now have a lot of catching up to do and that means the detail is going to drop off, sorry...

June's reading list
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
I loved this book, another book I found by chance on Amazon, but so glad I did. Now I love stories about life at home during World War 2 and this one starts with the story of an old man but quickly goes back to his childhood. A beautiful story of a little Chinese boy who struggles to fit in, with Americans calling him Japanese and his own community laughing at him for going to American school. His one friend a little Japanese girl, his father forbids the friendship and when she is interred he goes to great lengths to find her. The story is fascinating but also a moving story of childhood friendship, try it yourself if you see a copy...

The Godless Boys by Naomi Wood
This one was just a bit odd, and kind of 'Lord of the Flies' but still a good read. Everyone who does not believe in God has been shipped off to an island of the coast of the UK (maybe a Shetland Island). On  the Island a group of boys are 'policing' the island and punishing those they suspect of believing. I warn you the end will make you cry...

My Dad is Ten Years Old, and it's Pure Weird by Mark O'Sullivan
This story was another tough one, the story of a man who is severely brain damaged in an accident, to the point his children can't call him dad any more in case he freaks. This story is told from the perspective of his young daughter and it is a fascinating insight into the impact of severe brain injury on a family, both the adults in the relationship, the children and the person themselves. At some points I was shouting at the characters in the book, frustrated that they couldn't see the cracks forming and widening, but at the end of the book I was satisfied.

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain
Another book that made me cry right from the start, the book opens with a moving tale of a woman committing suicide. From there the mystery deepens as her two best friends try to work out why she did it. Then each chapter a new twist comes out and the mystery deepens, the final twist I worked out a good way before the end and was a little frustrated that the characters couldn't see it. That said if you liked 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' you will like this so give it a shot...

Shadow of the Serpent by David Ashton
This one I remember little of, however I do remember the way that I could feel Edinburgh under my skin. Although the book was set in history the alleys of Edinburgh still feel the same. There are a number of grisly murders in this book and if you're squeamish then don't read this one.

Murder on the Mind by LL Bartlett
Another whodunnit but this one with a new angle... the central character has a brain injury and ever since he has been plagued with images of a brutal murder. But is this because he did it or does he have another sense thanks to his injury? Well I'm not about to give it away so you'll have to read it to find out...

July's reading list
Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn
I love the drama of these books although I'm sure I don't why anyone would invite Daisy Dalrymple to stay any more as every time she comes to stay at least one person dies. That said in the post-war period it would appear that most of the upper class families had an insufferable older member and a killer in their midst, so I'm sure Daisy was happy to marry 'down class' to an Inspector Detective of Scotland Yard. Another in the same vein as her other novels but still a puzzle I wanted to unravel.

Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn
This novel is set at the Henley regatta, once again Daisy proves to be an unlucky house guest as another man dies.

Sick Notes by Dr Tony Copperfield
As a healthcare PR practitioner, I have been known to read Pulse magazine (A GP publication) and Dr Copperfield's column on the back page was always the highlight, the one article I would definitely read from start to finish. So when his book came up on Amazon at a good price I snapped it up. It was a truly amusing read and had me gasping at the amazing inability of some people to work out whether they are really sick. It was also interesting to read a bout a GP's frustration at the inadequacies of the referral system. An amusing insight into the life of an NHS GP, anyone with a slight interest in healthcare / loved Dr in the House will love this too...

It's Your Time You're Wasting by Frank Chalk
As the child of a teacher this looked amusing and I wasn't let down. Although Mr Chalk is just a supply teacher his stories of the one school he worked at rang true. Some of them I still can't believe how children talk to their teachers these days... I would never have dared when I was at school, in fact I still wouldn't dare.

Ain't no Sunshine by Leslie Du Bois
Another moving book of childhood friendship that grows to more. It was a heart rending read, with racial segregation and domestic abuse. The final twist in the book was surprising, despite working it out a good five years before it was really revealed. I think it was a really worthwhile read and I enjoyed it and would recommend it for others.

Never a Bride by Amelia Grey
A regency novel, a fun story with the usual, girl loves man, man eventually loves girl, problem happens and it all goes wrong then....you guessed it girl gets boy. An easy read that I whipped through and there was even a little mystery running all the way through that was satisfactorily solved at the end :-)

So I'm now just a month behind and with a new laptop on order I aim to get August up soon and then maybe even get through my other books as I read them or at least every other book... I definitely shouldn't leave it this long and I apologise for the sparse nature of some of the reviews above...

Dinner

So I finally got my birthday gift, lunch at Heston Blumenthal's London restaurant Dinner. It was a different experience, starting with four doormen on the steps into the Mandarin Oriental... On entering this hotel I was surprised to find it really quite dark and a bit underwhelming. What was particularly disconcerting was the fact that there was no indication where you should go and I felt out of place until we turned to the girl at the top of the stairs for help. The staff at the welcome desk were lovely and they directed us to the bar, to keep costs down we stuck to water (cocktails started at £18). However I was feeling edgy as more than 30mins after our booking we were still in the bar with no idea whether someone would come and get us or whether we were supposed to go in...

We had a lovely table and I had a fab view of the park behind, the restaurant was lovely and light and I loved the jelly mould lights. The sommelier was friendly, but she didn't really offer us any assistance with the extensive and pricey wine list but we each had a lovely a lovely glass of white; sauvignon blanc (me) and dry reisling (P). Knowing before we arrived that I was having dessert we decided to skip starters and go straight in with the main. I had the black foot pork chop with red wine and robert sauce, I ordered a delicious mixed leaf and tomato salad on the side. The meat was served slightly pink, was incredibly tender, moist and full of flavour, the verdict delicious. P opted quite bravely for sea bass in cockle sauce with new potatoes and was unfortunately disappointed. The sauce was slimy and overly vinegary, the fish was flavourless and worst of all the potatoes were undercooked!!!

But on to dessert, we were disappointed that no one offered us a drink to accompany dessert, however the tipsy cake pre-ordered on arrival did not disappoint... Unfortunately P once again was unlucky with the Taffety Tart which was just a bit lacklustre. So back to my dessert, the pineapple cut through the sugar on the cake bit, a glazed brioche in a subtly alcoholic sauce, you have to order this if you are visiting dinner. We closed the meal with a fresh mint tea and the complementary post dessert of an overly sweet white chocolate ganache with a caraway biscuit, luckily P did like this and polished off both of them.

In summary, I'm really glad we went but I don't think we'll be going back, not unless the price drops significantly. On the other hand, his pub Hind's Head in Bray was fantastic and seemed more comfortable for the beginner Heston dinner, although you will need a designated driver to get there and home

Edinburgh Fringe 2011 summary

So I thought that while watching Three @ The Fringe on catch-up was the perfect time to post my round-up of the Fringe. As promised this is the shows I saw in the order I would recommend which should help to overcome the confusion of my previous posts where I kept forgetting what I saw...

1. Thom Tuck Goes Straight to DVD at the Pleasance Dome
2. Humphrey Ker is Dymock Watson the Nazi Smasher at Pleasance Courtyard
3. Minute after Midday at the Gilded Balloon (the only serious theatre in my top 5)
4. Rock the Ballet at the Assembly
5. Spank! at the Underbelly
6. Frisky and Mannish at the Udderbelly
7. NewsRevue at the Pleasance Courtyard
8. Fresher the Musical at the Pleasance Dome
9. Street Dreams at the Underbelly
10. The Horne Section at Assembly George Square
11. Translunar Paradise at the Pleasance Dome
12. Improverts at the Bedlam
13. David Reed Shamble House at the Pleasance Courtyard
14. Dead Cat Bounce at the Pleasance Courtyard
15. Showstopper the Musical at the Gilded Balloon
16. Pollyanna meets Piaf at the Space Surgeon's Hall
17. You Want Me to Do What? at C venue at ECA
18. Peeling PVA Happier Mache at Just the Tonic

Other must do things at the Fringe are:
Sushi at Bonsai
Sausage and Mash at Mums
Bagel at Elephants and Bagel
Drink at the Udderbelly Pasture
and of course catch-up with all my friends that are still lucky enough to live up there...

Hope you enjoy what's left of the Fringe and I'm looking forward to next year...

Oops the shows I forgot and the ones I don't really recommend...

I'm definitely starting to think that I saw too many shows as I logged on to my Edinburgh Fringe page to check out what I saw and realised I had missed half the shows... So below are a few of my higher ranking shows and then the last ones are those that I didn't get or just weren't for me.

To those I forgot, I'm so sorry you were all great!

Forgotten four star shows
Fresher the Musical at Pleasance Dome
I laughed a lot during this show as everything they said / sang reminded me of how I felt to be a fresher. I left the performance wishing I could go back to those days, perhaps more so as I was watching in my former student union. Sometimes it felt a bit American, but maybe that was the head mikes, it was strange feeling as I almost thought I knew the words and could sing along when that was very much not the case. A great mix up of all the stereotypes and Rupert's rap was genius, Basil I hope you get lucky by the end of uni :-) My one note of caution is to try and avoid sitting in the sets on stage left as the drum kit was deafening and sometimes I couldn't hear the words.

The Horne Section at Assembly George Square
This was our first evening show of 2011 and I hadn't realised it was Alex Horne until we arrived and the guys whose table we hijacked told us. On reflection it was a good thing I didn't know as I had previously seen a very early preview of Alex's stand-up show Birdwatching (about 4 years ago in the basement of Fopp, Tottenham Court Road), I didn't enjoy it... But this was a different kettle of fish altogether, the Horn band with drummer and piano added a little sparkle and the giant wheel of fortune gave it an edge. I was super excited that we got Mark Watson one of my favourite 'big comedians', it was nice to see Tim Vine though I'm not sure I could site through an hour of his one-liners and the tumble act did not float my boat. But the highlight of the evening was Alex and his band doing Morris dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies, it has to be seen to be believed...

I didn't have a three and half stars before but feel that I need one now...
Improverts at the Bedlam Theatre
Again I always go see the Edinburgh Improverts, they remind of many a Friday evening laughing at the antics of Humphrey Ker, Thom Tuck, David Reed and many more... Somehow even though they have moved on to their solo shows (see my previous two posts) the Edinburgh Imps have kept their magic and somehow the other other Improverts companies I've seen at the Fringe before do not match up. Of course you are taking a risk on the audience attending and the night we went they let the team down but probably due to a lack of alcohol. But all my favourite games were there and I laughed the night away before heading to Underbelly for a dance.

Translunar Paradise at the Pleasance Dome
Another addition to my final quiet and downbeat day, this show raising money for cancer research was heart warming. The incredible silent story of an elderly couple and when the wife dies her husband relives their life, the highs and the lows. I loved the use of masks and again these masks seemed to have expressions I also loved the seamless transitions and the clarity of the looking back scenes. My mind did wonder at times and perhaps a funny show in between would have put me in the right frame of mind for this performance.

Three star shows that didn't make it into the last post
Dead Cat Bounce: Caged Heat at the Pleasance Courtyard
This group we picked up last year through Spank! and saw their show in the Gilded Balloon Basement. This year they have upgraded to the Pleasance theatre and feel like a real Rock Band! It was particularly good to be able to hear all the lyrics this time. However I regretfully put this as a three star show thanks to their request to allow latecomers and the way the venue handled this. The theatre was full and then at about 20minutes in around 30 latecomers were let in. The venue staff spent ages trying to find seats and squishing us all up which knocked me and my friend out of the spirit. Additionally children are allowed in and if you are uncomfortable sitting next to a nine year old with some pretty heavy double entendres then perhaps best to buy the CD and not risk it.

Three star show, but I think just the night I went...
ShowStopper! the Improvised Musical at the Gilded Balloon
Another show relying on it's audience was let down by the audience and the late running venue, meaning we once again had to leave early. That said I hadn't really bought into the Viking theme, the performance felt a bit prescriptive and the venue too large for real improvisation. I have heard great things about this group but I felt let down, although I was in real awe of the teams ability to sing on demand...

Two and a half star show
Pollyanna meets Piaf at The Space, Surgeon's Hall
What really let this show down was the promise of Piaf and there just wasn't enough for me. I liked a couple of the songs but I felt that the performance lacked a bit of oomph, particularly on the happy songs. It was a nice way to spend an hour and I didn't want my money back but I also didn't really feel like I'd gained anything.

You want me to do what? at C at ECA
Another show that just didn't deliver on the promise of the advert. The advert implied it was going to be amusing but it really wasn't. In a frustrating venue that you couldn't get into because it wasn't signed and the fire door wasn't activated from the outside. Once in the small stuffy room, I didn't feel like the show had the energy it needed to pull it through. It was a bit disjointed and for me the emotion didn't carry through to the audience as the actress told the story of her time as a leukaemia nurse. I think perhaps as a medical biologist I just wanted more reality, I'm never keen on looking back dream like shows and this was a prime example but maybe you'll love it and the Fringe is about taking a chance sometimes.

One star show
Peeling PVA's, Happier mache at Just the Tonic
This was the first time I've ever been given a comp ticket for the Fringe and I'm glad I didn't pay to see this show. The only sketch that I genuinely loved was the Duke of York sketch, incredibly clever and funny. However the rest lacked conviction, the set was too patchy and rickety and distracted from the performance. I did also enjoy the self checkout sketch but felt that it didn't follow through on the joke in the right way. The comedy was very young and perhaps with time it might improve? I think perhaps give them a miss year and take a peek next year to see what's changed...

In my last Edinburgh post I'll rank the shows in order of what to see as I seem to have got a bit mixed up in my reviews...

Edinburgh Fringe festival review, part two

I'm sure everyone will pleased to know that the birthday cake turned out great and my grandfather almost recognised it as his old bowling club...

So I'm back now with some more reviews from my time in Edinburgh.

Four and a half star show that I forgot in the previous post...
Rock the Ballet at Assembly on the Mound
I saw so many shows that I forgot about this one which was one of the first I saw. I can't sum this up much better than my original tweet, this is some really hot men and a seemingly token hot girl, doing some of the hottest and freshest choreography I've seen to some rocking tunes. I loved their Argentinian tango with an unusual choice of partner... I switched between laughing, jealousy and drooling in this show and recommend it for anybody who likes dance, it's not just for ballet fanatics. My only point to note is you need to get there early to ensure that you get a good seat and if you're up by the turn on the mound in the queue then head straight upstairs for a clear view.

Four star shows that I enjoyed but not as much as the five and four and a half star shows
Street Dreams at the Underbelly
This was actually the start of my serious day at the Fringe and I went to see it on my brother's text recommendation (which I miraculously received in the Underbelly!). this show documents the life of a little old man living on a rubbish dump, there are no words and the show is accompanied by some lovely haunting tunes from a harmonica, ukele? and flute. What I loved about this show was the fact that although the little old man puppet didn't have a moveable face he somehow changed his expression in line with his mood. I also loved the way the two puppeteers working the puppet were almost part of him but also looking down on him and reacting as an external onlooker a strangely moving facility. I loved the inventive use of rubbish particularly the plastic bag birds and the cheeky banana skins. The one downside was that at 40 minutes I'd kind of got over my wonder a bit but not enough to make me regret seeing this and I would recommend for a quiet morning in Edinburgh.

NewsRevue at the Pleasance Courtyard
Another old favourite this was the last show I saw at the Fringe and was a great way to finish my four days. If you like Have I Got News For you and a bit of Broadway then this is the show for you. You don't even need to follow the news as this summarises all the key stories from the last year so you probably know them all as I'd be surprised if you missed the wedding of the year and Osama Bin Laden's death. I laughed my way through the show although at times I just didn't get it or felt they cut a bit too close to the bone. But a fab way to spend an evening if you've got one spare.

Three star shows that I enjoyed but probably wouldn't see again
David Reed: Shamblehouse at Pleasance Courtyard
The third of the Penny Dreadfuls up at the Fringe with a debut solo show, David's set includes an amazing array of chairs which was incredible but a bit confusing. I saw the preview of this show and it was very much a ramble through the back alleys of David's mind, which I'm not sure was a place I wanted to be... I didn't really get the ghost at the end, it all felt a bit too surreal for me. That said I did laugh at most points through out the sketch and my friend that I was with loved this show. I ran into one of David's team a couple of days later who said they'd been working on it and it was much improved so I'd give it a go and see whether you are compatible with David's sense of humour.

I'm slowly getting through all my reviews and hope to get some more up later in the week. Enjoy your Fringe...

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

A change from the norm, but the Edinburgh fringe festival is one of my other favourite things. Here's a slightly more than 140 character run down of the shows I went to see for anyone reading this that's heading to Edinburgh this year.

My five star must see shows
Humphrey Kerr is Dymock Watson Nazi Smasher at the Pleasance Courtyard.
I always loved Humphrey as an Improvert at Edinburgh and then as one of the Penny Dreadfuls so I was excited to see his first solo show at Edinburgh. On top of all this I grew up on a diet of black and white war movies selected by my father, so the title of the show sounded right up my street... The small dark room that houses Humphrey's show adds to the atmosphere and you feel like you are hiding out in a resistance hut in the woods listening to a tale of great achievements. I recognised every character from at least one movie of my childhood and laughed all the way. If Humphrey brings this show down to London I will definitely be finding a way to take my dad, he'll love it and so did I!

Thom Tuck goes straight to DVD at the Pleasance Dome.
Another Improvert and Penny Dreadful it was surprising to see Thom with all his features in the correct place. For this show I think a basic knowledge of the classic Disney movies is helpful as it helps you to recognise the characters in discussion. Thom has watched all the straight to DVD Disney animated movies and spends a hilarious hour discussing them interspersed with tales of his love life cleverly interwoven. A couple of things I heard before I went didn't ring true for me, I disagree with the Broadway Baby reviewer who felt the romantic interludes didn't fit, I loved the way the subtly connected with the Disney material. I also disagreed with the person who told me Thom was doing more downbeat material, I laughed so hard during the show that I couldn't breathe and room began to spin. Sitting in the front row I was concerned that I might put Thom off as I nearly fell off my chair laughing but if I did it didn't show. What is perhaps slightly concerning about this show is I know want to watch the straight to DVD Disney movies with Thom's insight as I'm sure they will be a great laugh!

On the serious note I went to see Minute after midday, an incredible performance from three young Irish performers. A series of interweaved monologues put together the story of the 1998 Omagh bombings. Told from the perspective of a little girl who survived, the wife of a man who died saving the girl's life and one of the bombers, I was crying by the end. I loved the way they introduced the back stories so you really felt like you knew the characters. I tend to watch exclusively comedy in Edinburgh but this has got to be seen, I've seen anything that I walked out of feeling like I had just watched the real event I was shell shocked and pretty speechless for at least an hour afterwards.

My four and a half star shows that I loved and think you probably will too!
Frisky and Mannish at the Udderbelly.
My friend loved this more than me and I think perhaps because she listens to more music than me. That said most of the Brit pop was pretty old skool and I recognised a lot. Frisky and Mannish will help you work out which boy band member you are - I turned out to be a Razor light, thanks to my 'cool' hair. They are both incredibly talented and I live in awe at people who can sing songs to a different but equally favourite tune. I think perhaps the funniest thing about this show was the audience member who was nearly crying at the prospect of being part of a new 'boy band'. The most annoying thing getting their version of 'The Wheels on the Bus' stuck in my head for the rest of the Fringe. But at the end of the show, I felt upbeat, ready to go out partying and well versed in the skills I need to become a pop star, the charts had better look out!

Spank! at the Underbelly.
A perennial favourite, my Fringe wouldn't be complete without at least one trip to Spank. My favourite late night 'compilation' show, James and Leon the ever bubbly hosts do a sterling job and bring the audience along for the ride. Not a show for the easily offended, especially the promo spot, see how quickly confident acts lose their confidence when the undies hit the floor... The night we went I particularly enjoyed Chris Martin, no not that one... He was really funny and dealt with a very drunk heckler admirably. I wish I had been able to go see his show as he was funny and despite his claims, as good looking as Jenssen Button.

Now I have to go bake an eightieth birthday cake so I'll post some more reviews later...

A hiatus...

So after just three posts my laptop broke leaving me with no laptop and therefore no means to post. So I've lots catch-up on. So I'll cover the last three months in short...

April
Started early, took my dog by Kate Atkinson (Book club)
Another book told from a variety of view points, some of the story lines weren't really to my taste so I wasn't the greatest fan of this book...

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Billed as highly controversial, I'm not sure it was that bad. However it was interesting to have a book where you didn't really like any of the characters. It was also bizarre to read about a community with such a relaxed view towards drugs, I can't imagine a place where parents are fine with their children taking drugs... But I do recommend giving this book a go.

May
The Trouble with Alice by Olivia Glazebrook
I discovered this book via Amazon's Rising Stars, a fantastic first novel that did make me cry. I loved this book because it wasn't your typical love story but mainly because I started off hating the central character but by the end I was converted...

Spying in high heels by Gemma Halliday
A good fun, if slightly unbelivable murder mystery. I lvoed the light hearted nature of the book with a 'ditzy blonde' central character who aside from being intensely nosey also seemed to have a magnetic attraction to trouble. A lovely twist at the end made it a worthwhile, speedy read, though perhaps only for the girls.


Sugar and Spice by Saffina Desforges
Definitely not for the easily offended, this book on the topic of child sexual abuse was a gripping read. You were also convinced that you'd got the end sussed then it all came undone. Some overly graphic descriptions but overall a gripping read with some different viewpoints.

Truth, Dare, Kill by Gordon Ferris
Another 'whodunnit' set in post-war London, a serial killer is on the loose, killing prostitutes. A wounded ex-soldier, turned private investigator, is trying to find out wht happened. However you start to wonder whether he did, or is he being set-up? you'll have to read it to find out.

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
I picked this one because I secretly like to read cookbooks even if I don't have a meal to prepare. This book had laughter and tears and I loved it. I learnt about the shares market and challenges of running a start-up in a recession. But what I loved most was the insight behind closed doors into the lives of families and inside the heads of the characters. Definitely worth read even if you don't love cookbooks!


Killer, Undercover, Alibi and Mayhem in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
I loved the first one so ended up reading the box set... By the end I definitely needed a break from the story and the central characters promise to give up getting involved in criminal cases. However I will be planning to read the other books on a holioday because they are definitely easy reading and I still never manage to work out who did it until it's all laid out for me...

Now I've reached June I should be able to remember what the books were about again so I'll write a fuller post tomorrow on the subject of June...

March

This month I got a free replacement for my Kindle cover as the one without the light was causing the Kindle to crash. However Amazon's customer service team were amazing and I now have a smart cover with a light which is great for reading in taxis and doesn't seem to be destroying the battery life :-)

So another amalagmation of a month's worth of books:
Fairy Tales from the Arabian nights by E Dixon
A lovely collection of fairy tales, unlike the British variety I don't think I would recommend these for young children. It seemed in every chapter at least one character died a terrible death and often there was a beautiful princess / fairy trapped in an underground cavern waiting for her prince to marry her.

I also wasn't expecting to find Sinbad the sailor in this book but there he was at the end. He certainly earned his reputation as a bad luck charm on a voyage as on all of his journeys he was the only one to return. Though by the last journey I was more than ready for it all to end. I'm not sure that these arabian fairy tales had quite the same moral aspect but they were definitely worth reading.

The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris
Not for the faint hearted this book is a real crime story. But what's interesting is it is not so much of a whodunnit as who didn't... Set in Glasgow council estates there is a level of slightly annoying dialect written out in full, personally I would rather simply add the Glaswegian accent in my head but I guess it's all down to personal preference.

The Basement by Stephen Leather
Another one not for the easily shocked, if you didn't like Emma Donoghue's Room then don't try this one. The seemingly obvious answer to this crime story is smashed in an incredible twist at the end of the book.

An Inconvenient Marriage by Ruth Ann Nordin
Time for a bit of periosd writing and something lighter than the previous two books. Some interesting themes about the role of women in a marriage and I whipped through this easy read.

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Although I didn't love the first on of this trilogy when this came up reduced on my Kindle I wanted to find out what happened next. This one moved alot faster, perhaps because there was no need to set-up the characters. There were the twists you would expect although some of them were verging on the ridiculous but all in all I think it is worth persevering with the first book so you can get to this one, the highlight of the trilogy.

February's books

I missed February too so here's the list for February:

One Day by David Nicholls (book club)
Once I got used to the jumping around I loved this book probably because the characters ran true and the places were familiar with the Edinburgh chapters bringing back memories of university...

Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker
Another free book for the Kindle and picked because I loved Dracula. It was a series of short stories all fabulously dark, a couple seemed predictable but not until they were almost concluded, if you read and loved Dracula - read this!

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself by Harriet Ann Jacobs
This was a moving, fascinating story of a real slave in the States, it felt very true to life despite the thought of someone living in and attic space that doesn't allow her to stand for a couple of years.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I read this on a recommendation from someone at my book club and I'm still not sure if I liked it or was turned off by it. I felt it was a bit self-help in places but in other places I was rooting for the author. I think it's worth trying it and seeing what you think.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I read this instead of going to see the movie and was glad that did. Although the medical scientist in me would liked to have had a bit more detail about the whole donor process. I was frustrated that you never found out why donors 'completed' after four transplants... But definitely worth a read, don't be put off by talk of sci-fi.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (book club)
I'm always fascinated by the home front during the war so this book was a great choice for me. However I struggled to connect to the characters I felt almost like too much was happening and there were too many people fighting to be centre of my attention. The resulting effect was to feel very detached from the story which wasn't an enjoyable feeling.

Getting started...

When I moved jobs I got a Kindle as a leaving gift, this has meant I've refound my love of books especially as a I'm basically carrying a book shop in my handbag. So I thought that I'd try keeping a bit of a list of what I read and what I thought about it for my own memory and just in case it is of interest to anyone else out there.

I started later in the year than I intended so the first post is a list with just a few comments, I'll try and write more about some of these titles later. A final note before I start on the books I'm a member of the London Girly Book Club and I have identified which books I read for my book club.

January
No Angel by Jay Dobyns
A fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Hell's Angels in the US. Not my usual fare but glad I stumbled across it.

Farenheit Twins by Michael Faber
I bought this book because I remembered lots of talk about, but I was disappointed, a series of short stories that were just a little to off the wall for me.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Similarly to Room by Emma Donoghue this is an amazing but disturbing book.

What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
A childhood favourite that was free on my Kindle and still loved it. The ultimate bad girl turns good!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I finally gave in to the hype and tried this, sadly I was let down. For me it started slow, the middle was just what I wanted and then the end went on for too long. Not sure yet whether I'll read the rest of the trilogy.

Painless by Derek Ciccione
Another disturbing book but about a fascinating topic. I love books with a medical take and this one takes an interesting look at children that can't feel pain.