Life As We Know It! All My Funny Bits In One Place!

I got an email from a lovely friend telling me that she couldn't find one of my funny posts. So I thought it would be better to put them all in one place.  So from now on, all 'Life As We Know It!' posts will be listed here.

1) Ophiuchus!Isn't He The Guy From The Matrix films?

2) My Dog Doesn't Love Me.

3) My Husband Is My Pimp!

4) Wanted: Safe Return of Creative Muse

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Published by Quercus in January 2011. No plans as of yet for it to be released in America but can be bought via The Book Depository.

Pages - 372

I met Ethan the night I was planning to kill myself. Pretty inconvenient, when you think about it.

The same questions whirl round and round in my head:

What does he want from me?

How could I have let this happen?

AM I GOING TO DIE?

It has been a long time since a book has gripped me so intently that I have had to put my life completely on hold to read it. But this one did.  It consumed my whole existence until I finished the last page and then I found myself miserable, because I had finished it and despondent as I would never be able to read it again without knowing the ending.

From the first page, I was left in a state of impatientness due to so many unanswered questions. It was extremely difficult not to turn to the last page to find out what happened. This book should come with a lock and key for the last chapter.

I am not going to give away too much detail about this book because I don't want to spoil it for you. I want you all to read this book with as little information about it as possible.

I will tell you that the book begins with Grace, a seventeen year old girl waking up in a white room that only has a table and some pens and paper in it. Her story begins with contemplation of how she got there and where she came from. Everything is a blur to her.

This book made me laugh and cry. The laughter occurred from Cat Clarke's dry sense of humour that appeals to me completely. Most of you are aware of my sense of humour  through my 'Life As We Know It' posts, so you can gage from those whether this would appeal to you. Cat Clarke's humour lightened a dark tale. The crying came from the end of the book and I cannot say anymore than that. You just have to read it.

I loved Grace from the first page. I know a lot of book bloggers didn't, but I did. I grew up with girls like Grace. I could see a small part of myself mirrored in her character and I do believe that in many ways she epitomizes a percentage of the teenagers of today. Grace lives a wild child existence and may delve in things that you might find a little hard to read, but she had her reasons.  If you struggle to read about teenagers having sex, getting drunk and self harming then this might not be the book for you. However, I do suggest you think back to your own teenage years, remember the teenagers you came in contact with and recall your chosen choice of reading material at that age. I was a Jackie Collins convert by the age of sixteen so this is tame in comparison.

I loved how English this book was. In fact I would put this book next to David Almond's for true British fiction for the Young Adult genre.

This book is a standalone book, so once you reach the end you won't be left hanging on until next year for the answers.

Now you know I only insist on instant purchase on books that I loved to pieces, well this is one of them, so what are you waiting for?

Cover Lust 3

Three very magical book covers for you today.

(Sorry guys, I had to take this cover off as it isn't authorised yet. Thank you Jenny from Wonderous Reads for letting me know. I will put it up again when it is authorised. If they choose the one I have seen, you will love it)

• Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

This is a Young Adult book dealing with Greek Mythology and is to be published in the US in May by Harper Collins. I believe that Harper Collins own the UK rights too, but I can't seem to find when it will be published in England. The above cover is the UK version.

Here is the blurb from Amazon.

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

• Wood Angel by Erin Bow

This will be published in the UK in March 2011. This book is called Plain Kate in the US and the lovely Amanda from The Zen Leaf has given it a glowing review here. One to watch out for folks.

Here is the blurb from Amazon.

Plain Kate lives in a time afraid of magic. She has a gift for carving 'lucky' wooden-charms. Known as Witch-Blade, her unusual gift attracts dangerous attention in a place where witches are burned. When her village falls on bad times, suspicion falls on Kate. Scared for her life, she seeks the help of a mysterious stranger. In exchange for her shadow, the stranger will assist her, but Kate becomes part of a terrifying plan, darker than she ever dreamed.

• Neversuch House by Elliot Skell

This will be published on the 3rd February by Simon and Schuster.

I am wondering if the artist who created Jenna Burtenshaw's Wintercraft, created this too. It is gorgeous.

Here is the blurb from Amazon.

Neversuch House is home to the very unusual Halibut family. Spanning generations, the Halibuts all live together totally isolated from the outside world, never needing - or wanting - to step outside the walls of Neversuch, with every whim being catered for by a mass of servants. But when twelve-year-old Omnia Halibut sees a hooded figure emerging from the woods by the Wall, she can't help but wonder who the man is and why he is skulking around the House. And as Omnia sets out to discover the truth she triggers a chain of events that threatens to destroy Neversuch House forever. For the House is steeped in secrets, secrets that some people want to remain hidden, and, as Omnia tries to unravel the mysteries of Neversuch House, someone is watching her, and they will do anything to stop her from revealing the truth...

Aren't they just beautiful.  Can't wait to get my hands on them soon.

Someone Let Me Loose In The Kitchen!

Weekend Cooking is a chance to share the food love with everyone and is organised by Beth Fish Reads. On Saturday mornings,  write a post about food, perhaps a cookbook review or maybe just some favorite food-related quotes.

Then link it over to Beth's blog.

Oh yes! I cooked this week. My family were rather dubious, but they tested my cooking and thought it was OK.  This week I made key lime pie again and I think it was an improvement on my first attempt which didn't taste limey (don't know if this is a word, but I am using it!) enough. I think my second attempt may be too limey as my mouth is still zinging a little. Although this time I didn't measure out the lime properly, so if you do make this recipe, then please measure it properly.

Key Lime Pie ( Brit Style)

Ingredients

4 egg yolks

400ml condensed milk

100ml fresh lime juice (5 to 6 limes)

200ml double cream

200ml double cream (optional)

Lime zest (optional)

Crust

135g unsalted butter, melted

12 digestives biscuits (half a packet, so you may eat the rest, don't want them going stale!)

45g caster butter

1) Preheat the oven to 180 C/gas 4. For the pie crust, lightly grease a 22 cm in diameter or glass pie dish with a little of the melted butter. Blitz biscuits, sugar and remaining melted butter in a food processor until it resembles bread crumbs.

2) Pour into a pie dish, spread over the bottom and up the sides (I forgot to spread it up the sides, so the bottom was rather thick). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool for a few minutes.

3) For the filling, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk in condensed milk gradually, until smooth. Mix in the lime juice, then pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

4) Return to oven for 15 minutes, then remove and cool. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

 5) To serve, whip the cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Dollop on top of the pie. We didn't have cream on top as if felt a bit too heavy for us.

The picture does not make it look very attractive, but it tasted yummy.

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As promised three more pages from my Christmas Journal.

Day 10 - recycling Christmas wrapping. As my children had outed Father Christmas as a fake this year, I found I could use up all the old rolls of Christmas paper I had kept over the years. The big FC couldn't use the same paper every year, now could he!

 Day 11 - We went to a little local village called Arundel for some Christmas festivities. The village was alight with candles and I got to eat and drink my favourites - hot cheshnuts, hog roast and mulled cider. Yum!

 Day 12 - my first real home as a homeowner and a married woman. Many many years ago.

Three more pages next week, with another disaster  masterpiece in the kitchen! Have a good weekend. I will see you tomorrow for Cover Lust.

Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson

(If you came here looking for Friday's Tale of Mystery, I didn't get to read it this week. I feel like I have been a chauffeur all week, so apologies. It will be back next Friday)

Pages – 336
Published in 2010 by Simon &Schuster
She killed him in the darkest part of the night, before the dew had settled on the grass.
It was easy. He came to the window when she'd tapped her claws against it. It was exactly what she'd hoped he would do. Sliding up the square of the glass. Sticking his head out to investigate. Like an idiot. Like prey.

Claire Benoit is about to get the biggest birthday surprise ever. All she wants to do is get to know the gorgeous Matthew Engle at her party, but with everyone talking about the gruesome murders and mass hysteria rippling through the town, it doesn't look like that is going to happen. She tries to enjoy her sixteenth birthday party, but that is brought to an abrupt end by a werewolf sighting in the woods surrounding her house. You would think that that would be enough for one evening, but then her mother tells her she is a wolf.

Before I start, I have to mention the cover of this book. It is just gorgeous, don't you think,  I can almost imagine the cover pumping like a real heart.

To begin with I did have issues with the storyline. I struggled with it mainly because of my dislike of Claire's mother. However, I found this book improved for me the further I read on. To begin with I couldn't understand how anyone could just drop a life changing secret on a hormonal girl's shoulders and just expect her to get on with it. On reflection now, I can see that she struggled with her relationship with her daughter and needed to work on it as part of the plot development. I couldn't see how Christine Johnson could have written the character any other way. In other words, I got over my personal issues.

I found the book quite fast paced, where other reviewers didn't. The identity of the killer wolf was not obvious to me at all, until she was revealed at the end and what an ending it was.Well done to Christine Johnson for hiding the killer's identity within the plot until the last minute.

I loved the fact that the wolf role was in reversal in this book. All the other books dealing with wolves that I have read have dealt with the wolves being male, where as in this book they are all female. They are shown to exhibit their strength of character as well as their vulnerability.

I loved the way Claire developed through the book. She became really gutsy by the end and was willing to risk what her elders wouldn't. She showed real strength of character.

I loved the relationship between Matthew and Claire. Matthew's reaction was spot one when he discovered Claire's real identity. He had been brought up to hate wolves by his father, yet he had seen the captured wolf's vulnerability. I would say that this book gives us a more in depth look at the lifestyle of a wolf, than we haven't seen previously and I found that interesting too.

On the whole, an enjoyable read giving this genre a fresh outlook with the female wolves.

Life As We Know It! My Husband Is My Dealer!

Here is my weekly post on life in general. Each week I will pick a different topic that may be a news article or an aspect of my life. So keep an eye out for my new series entitled, 'Life As We Know It'. If it doesn't interest you, don't worry I will not be offended if you skip it. I just like to chortle and snigger to myself. I may need therapy for it.

My name is Vivienne and I am a bookaholic.

I would like to say I slipped down this slippery slope alone, but my husband aided my addiction by acting as my book pimp. He feeds my habit by supplying me with book money to splurge, which has me racing to my shady book dealer, eager for my next literary fix. On Christmas Day, overdosing is inevitable as my habit gets out of hand at the sight of my entire Amazon book wish list sitting under the Christmas tree.

I am choosy about what I take. I tend to stay on friendly terms with my fiction supplier, rather than venturing anywhere else.

I have no control anymore and I need help. Books are taking over my life and I need to stop them now before I am found buried under the Eiffel Tower of unread books in my house, all clamouring for my attention. I can see them, sitting there, watching me with their beady eyes, jumping off the shelves to grab my attention, showing no fear as they commit book suicide by breaking their spines on their descent. My book pimp suggests hiding the books to try and keep my habit a secret, worried the neighbours might out me. Personally I like to live on the edge, leaving the books out, risking being caught and banged to rights. I don't think a doctor or a psychiatrist would help, the medical journals in their offices would only lead me to take up a non-fiction habit as well. I have tried contacting the NHS help line, but as I cannot tell them of any physical symptoms caused by my addiction, they cannot help.

I am not alone out there, there are others you know. We all share the same book dealers. We can often be found in bookshops. You will recognise us when you see us. We will either be showing customers what they should be reading by impersonating an employee or being asked to leave by security for harassing customers, intent on making their own book choices. We have no self control.

The library is another one of our favourite haunts. You will find us lurking by the returns section, casually browsing the shelf whilst keeping a beady eye on the books that have been returned. We will pounce, so be warned. We hate to think someone has read something good and that we have missed it. The librarians taunt us about our habit by waving new releases under our noses, they know we cannot resist temptation, we are too weak. Personally, I know when my next library fix is ready, my pimp will tell me that my office has called.

It has been hard for my family to come to terms with this. My brother was honest about his book addiction from the beginning, whereas I hid my secret for a long time. They have found it hard to come to terms with my obsessive reading patterns. I can only look back with sadness at the missed family events, the disappearances and the hiding of books. They try to remember the good times, before I found book blogs and delved into the world of memes and Sunday Salons. My mother finds comfort in her memories of me as a magazine browser, or the time I was an EastEnders viewer. My daughters don't know any different and have accepted the situation as they wouldn't recognise me without a book in front of my face. My friends have long since abandoned me, disillusioned with my constant book chatter, afraid of my Mount Vesuvius melt downs when they disliked a book I loved.

There is only one answer to my problem. I will have to set up a support group called 'Books Anonymous' to help myself and fellow addicts. It will be a safe place for us to go. No one will judge us for our habit. Somewhere that we can go to feel safe, to feel normal. Have a chat about how we are trying to overcome our habit. Have a cuppa, maybe even a digestive, though not chocolate ones, got to think of the calories. Perhaps even have a book amnesty, where we can bring a couple of books each week with no questions asked. I might even be asked to talk on Oprah or Jeremy Kyle as the founding leader of this new organisation. I might even win the Nobel Prize for my relentless work with book addicts.

I know that many of you out there are trying to contain your habit, but you don't have to be alone anymore. I am going to help you. From this day forward I will be known as the international leader of 'Books Anonymous'. Come to a weekly meeting, take a seat, tell me your name, and leave a couple of books on your way out. I will personally make sure that they reach a good home...Mwooarrr haha (Rubbing my hands with glee.)

The above post is a slightly over exaggerated view of the truth! I know we are not really like this. Or are we? Mmmmmm.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Pages - 203

Published by Methuen Fiction in 2003

Dear Cousin Ella,
New era! Posh-and-pooh! This latest development hasn't inaugurated a new era. It's only shoved us far deeper into the dungeon of Island Medievalism. We shall be wearing burlap and flour sack tomorrow, and lucubrating by candlelight because even light bulbs seem doomed now to join the official list of technological non-essentials. And now this regulation! I am bezide myself!

Firstly before you jump on my back for words spelt incorrectly. Stop! They are supposed to be spelt that way. That is the cleverness of this book. Mark Dunn is a literary genius.

Ella Minnow Pea has the most original use of the English language in a book I have ever seen.  This is an epistolary novel with a difference (and you know how much I love epistolary novels).  Ella Minnow Pea exchanges letters with family, friends and neighbours on the little quiet island of Nollop. The dystopian island is named after Nevin Nollop,the revered author of the sentence 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' and has a statue commemorated to his memory with the sentence placed above with each letter seperately tiled. When the letters begin to fall from the statue, the rulers of the island take that as a sign that that Nollop no longer wants these letters to be used and they become banned in any form of use. That is not too much of a loss for the islanders to begin with, however things deteriorate quickly when they are left with only a couple of letters from the alphabet.

This book is amazing and is so well written , I wanted to kick myself that I hadn't come up with the idea first. Not that my literary offerings would ever come close to Mark Dunn's exceptional skills.  The way Dunn uses the English language to spell words differently is unique. As the letters slowly disappear through the book, you watch as the islanders struggle to cope with the increasing demands made on them to try and communicate without certain letters in the alphabet. As the book progresses, you have to work really hard as a reader, to work out what the letters say.  You feel their desperation as they struggle to be understood. 

By writing the book in letter format, you get to see how the islanders actually cope under the restraint of the disappearing alphabet. I don't think this book would have worked as well if it had been written any other way. 

Nymeth at Things Mean Alot mentioned that it reminded her of 1984 and I could immediately see what she meant. The villager's lives are totally controlled by the rulers of the island and they are harsh leaders to the extreme. The islanders were treated abominably when they chose to disobey the rules or unwittingly forgot that a letter had been banned. Everyone is spying on everyone else, leading to an increased lack of trust amongst a small previously close knit community.  As the islanders realise what they are doing to each other, they begin to see that their only way to freedom is to work together to come up with a solution.

This books shows how one minor issue can escalate and escalate until it causes the downfall of all. A very entertaining read, that appears light hearted and funny on the outside, but covers layers of darker topics such as totalitarianism and censorship underneath.  If you love to see the English language stretched by the imagination, then this is the book for you.

Really Random Tuesday

Really Random Tuesday is a meme created by Suko at Suko's Notebook which is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.

I am really excited about this new YA book that was launched in the UK this week. I had heard so many good things about it,that I rushed out to buy it on Saturday. I had to do a rugby tackle on a teenager in  order to get the last copy off  the shelves ( Don't worry,she wasn't hurt, just stunned as I leaned over her shoulder and grabbed it before she had time to think!) I then sat in my car outside the book shop and wouldn't move until I had read at least ten pages, ignoring the fact that my parents were visiting my house and I had left them at home with my husband. You know what it is like, when you have got to read a book, you have got to read it!

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I also discovered two other books this week, that I can't wait to read.

1) My Sister Lives On The Mantlepiece by Annebel Pitcher. This is her debut novel and it sounds original,amazing and will definitely mark the author's place in the Young Adult genre.It is published by Orion and is released on the 1st of March 2011.

It deals with the after effects of a terrorist attack. The story is told from the point of view of ten year old Jamie who is moving house with his family in order to make a fresh start and help them come to terms with the death of his twin sister, Rose, who was killed by a terrorist bomb. 

2) Virtually Love by Daniel Glattauer. This comes out February 3rd and is published by Quercus. It is an epistolary novel which is told through emails. It is a slow burning love story, that develops through a case of mistaken identity.  It has been sold in over 35 countries and is finally making its way to England. Yay!

So look out for these two books in the not too distant future.


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Now most of you know I am not the most technically minded book blogger. Buttons and logos have eluded me since I began blogging. Then along comes Bloggiesta and everyone is talking about buttons.  So thanks to Kim I have discovered the joys of Cool Text, where I can make buttons and logos in about 2 minutes. I am having a field day and would highly recommend this site. Now I just need to work out how to add an extra column and how to add pages at the top of my blog. I will succeed!

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Talking of good websites, I also found this one called Netgallery this week which allows you to download books to your iReader for sixty days. Almost like a library but online. Personally, I haven't got an iReader or a Kindle, so it is of no use to me. However, I know a lot of you have, so go and take a look.  Go to the recent books added and I am sure you will find something good.

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I hope to start a new post for Saturday if I can just find enough hours in the day to create it. I want to go back to my Scrapping Saturday posts, but now I want to include any cooking I do too. So hopefully this Saturday there will be a post showing all the lovely things (burnt offerings) I have made. I did make keylime pie the other week, but it didn't have a strong lime taste, so hope to make it again this week and take pictures of it too.  I also have a few pages of my Christmas Journal still to show you. Blame Twitter for my lack of creativity in the scrapping and the cooking department!
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I have won two competitions this week. I won  a book on Iliana's blog Bookgirl's Nightstand. The book is called Keep Sweet  and is by Michele Dominguez Greene. It is a Young Adult book dealing with the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, Can't wait to read it.
I also won the general bibliophile set from Cafe Press over at Eva's blog A Striped Armchair. So when I get my goodies I will show them off to you. Anyone who sees me in the street, be ware, I may be seen stroking my new bibliophile bag!

These are my random ramblings  for today. What random ramblings are filling your brain?

The Drowning by Valerie Mendes

Pages - 249

Jenna woke early that February morning. Her room crouched in darkness. She listened for the yearning cries of the gulls, the swirling waves of sea.

They made no answer.

Instead she heard the faint growl of Sunday traffic, pawing the streets beneath her attic room; a tube train grumbling underground; water lurching down a pipe.

Suddenly she remembered.

She was not in Cornwall.

Set in a beautifully described seaside village in Cornwall, this book follows the life of Jenna who has a bright future ahead of her.  She is a talented dancer and has just been accepted for a placement at one of London's top dance schools. The summer has arrived and she can't wait to enjoy it, as she has worked so hard on her exams and her dance audition. On her first real day of freedom, she decides she wants to go to the beach with her friends. Her mother insists that she takes her brother with her.That is where Jenna's life and dazzling future begins to crumble. What happens on the beach that day changes the rest of her life.

I had never heard of Valerie Mendes before picking up this book, but after reading it in two sittings, I will definitely be exploring her other young adult books. This book is gritty and real. It deals with loss, grieving followed by renewal of spirit.  Jenna really suffers in this book. When she got her dance placement, her mother was dead set against her going. So when everything goes wrong for the family, her mother is insistent that she gives up her dreams to help her father run the family business. It is so sad to watch such a promising star give up her dream and you cannot help but feel sorry for her. Although Jenna isn't the type of character who would want your pity. She becomes a strong female lead in the book and eventually gets back on the right path.

My only niggle with this book is that I felt there were a couple of important scenes within the book that were glazed over a bit.  I can't tell you what ones they were as that will spoil it for you, should you decide to read it.  It just felt that these things were skimmed over rather than showing the true emotions of the family. It may have been because the book was written for a YA audience and it was felt that too much grief would not suit the teenage market.  If that is the case, then I do think that they have underestimated the teenage audience.

On the whole, I really did enjoy this book, which is a rather slim book that won't take you long to devour. This book deals with real life issues that keep you seated for a resolve in the situation. It deals with coming to terms with difficult situations and learning to move on with your life. A great evening's read.

Cover Lust 2

I am lusting over three different book covers this week.

The first cover I am lusting after is Choker by Elizabeth Woods.

This book is published by Simon & Schuster and came out on the 4th January 2011. Isn't it adorable. The white looks just like cobwebs.  It is like pink Gothic!

The book is Young Adult fiction.The first chapter is available to read here.

Here is the blurb.

Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has always been a loner, even more so since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, a few years ago. Cara mostly spends her time avoiding the popular girls who call her 'choker' after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria, and watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her. Then one day Cara comes home and finds Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With Zoe back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and before she can blink, Cara is flirting with Ethan and getting invited to parties. And best of all, she has her best friend to confide in again. But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect ~ including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving very strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to be able to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger? 

The second book I am lusting over is The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. This is being published by Harper Collins and won't be out in the UK until August. However,I have managed to get an advance copy, thanks to Eleanor Brown's lovely publicist who made me plead my case as to why I should have one of these books. I pleaded and grovelled and she is now kindly sending me a copy. This cover is just beautiful. I love the pink checked pattern.

Here is the blurb.

Unlucky in work, love and life, the Andreas sisters return to their childhood home, ostensibly to care for their ailing mother. But each sister has a secret she's unwilling to share – each has come home to lick her own wounds.

The Andreas family is an eccentric one. Books are their passion (a trip to the library usually solved everything), TV is something other families watched. Their father – a renowned, eccentric professor of Shakespeare who communicates almost exclusively in Shakespearean verse – named all three girls for great Shakespearean women – Rose (Rosalind), Bean (Bianca), and Cordy (Cordelia); as a result, the girls find that they have a lot to live up to.


With this burden, as well as others they shoulder, the Andreas sisters have a difficult time communicating with both their parents and their lovers, but especially with each other. What can the homebody and shy eldest sister, the fast-living and mysterious middle child, and the bohemian youngest sibling have in common? Why can't Rose leave her hometown for the man she loves? Why has glamorous Bean come home from New York City with her tail between her legs to the small college town she swore she'd leave as soon as she could? And why suddenly has Cordy resurfaced after years of gypsy living? Each sister has found her life nothing like she had thought it would be – and suddenly faced with their parents' frailty and their own disappointments and setbacks, their usual quick salve of a book suddenly can't solve what ails them.

To their surprise, Rose, Bean and Cordy are more similar than they ever imagined. Yet can all three escape their archetypal roots and find happiness in a normal life? As it turns out, the small town of Barnwell and their sisterly bond offer much more than they ever expected.

My third and final cover lust is Wish by Alexandra Bullen. This book was published last year and it was published by Abebooks UK. It is all sparkly, just my kind of cover.

Here is the blurb

 
After Olivia’s twin sister dies, she and her parents move to San Francisco, where she struggles to cope with Violet’s absence while navigating a new school and new city. When Olivia brings one of Violet’s torn dresses to an unusual tailor’s shop, she receives a mysteriously beautiful dress in return. She learns the dress is magical when she wishes for her sister back and Violet appears as a ghost; together they learn Olivia has two more wish dresses. With Violet’s help, Olivia’s social life improves but grows tricky when she begins secretly dating a new friend’s recent ex. Despite the fashionable way the wishes are granted, they work the same as in other fantasies, creating complications for Olivia until she makes an accidental but heartfelt wish that cannot be undone. This effortless fantasy makes good use of the conceit of wishes, giving Olivia what she needs to ultimately let her sister go, but the consequences of her social deceptions are resolved too easily. The happily-ever-after ending is pure wish fulfillment, but still one deservedly obtained.
 
Aren't they all beautiful covers.  What covers are you lusting over this week?

The Good Psychologist by Noam Shpancer

Pages - 238

Published by Abacus in January 2011. This book was a review copy sent to me by Abacus.

The psychologist sits in his small office, rests his elbows on his desk, buries his face in his hands and wishes that his four o'clock won't show up. He doesn't usually take appointments after three in the afternoon. But he has decided to deviate from his usual routine for her. A small concession because she works and sleeps late and can only make it in the late afternoon, that's what she said over the phone.

I was very skeptical when I was asked to read this book. Firstly, I wondered if I was going to read a book that would go way over my head. I think it might have been the title that gave me initial concerns. Secondly, I knew absolutely nothing about psychology.

I took my first tentative steps through the pages and found myself experiencing familiarity with the author's style,  reminding me of  This Book Will Save Your Live by A.E. Holmes. If you liked the quietness and thoughtfulness of that book, you will love this.

Some of you may worry that this subject may be too technical or too scholarly, but those words are not the right ones to describe this book. I found that the story flows beautifully and easily like a gentle stream.  I found the psychology passages dealt with in his classroom, easy to understand and enlightening.

This book is like experiencing therapy through fiction. I came away feeling like I had actually sat on the psychologist's sofa, been analysed, discussed my worries and came out feeling lighter.

Shpancer's writing style is quietly reflective and insightful. This author really knows what he is talking about.  He reaches into your brain, leaves a seed of thought, which buries itself and slowly blooms. I found myself analysing aspects of my personality as well as my relationships with the people in my life.

You will feel such empathy for the main character of the book. As a psychologist, he walks a fine line between his professional life and his personal one. Not by his choice, mainly by the patients he treats, who look at him in a paternal fashion, which the psychologist has to continually fight with to stay in control and remain professional.

When treating his patients, you cannot help but feel that they resemble ticking time bombs. The psychologist must find the fuse and detonate them before the patients problems escalate and explode.

The book surprised me in one way by not containing any speech marks.  I was later to find out the book was written thiat way because the author saw the book as a 'lengthy interior monologue from the point of view of the Good Psychologist, rather than a more common or literal portrayal of events.' On reflection, this made sense and it is now something I shall be looking out for in other books as I understand that other authors have used this style too.

I really enjoyed reading this book, as it not only entertained me but refreshed my own personal view of myself.  You don't need to be interested in psychology to fully enjoy this book. It will appeal to all.

If you would like to know more the author there is a interview with him here

I would like to say thank you to the staff at Abacus for sending me this book to review.

2) A.V. Laider by Max Beerbohm

Before I start I must  tell you  something I love about this book. If you look at the picture you will see that the author's death is not recorded. I love that that shows how old this book is.  This book was printed in 1934 when the author was still alive.

Free download of A.V. Laider available here

This short story is told from the point of view of a gentleman residing by the sea in order to convalesce after a bout of flu. (If only we could go away to convalesce now when we have flu).  His trip is a return trip to the hotel and he finds himself quite stunned to find a letter pinned to the noticeboard that he wrote himself to a guest on his previous visit. He recalled his acquaintance with the guest the previous and remembered the story he had been told.

A.V. Laider had been reluctant to talk at first, but then he admitted to murder.  He believed he was guilty of murdering many people due to his skill of palmistry.  He had seen signs within their hands that revealed their imminent death.  The narrator is quite shocked by the story and finds himself compelled to write to A.V. Laider, only the receiver never managed to pick up his letter until now.

A.V. Laider was an interesting read, though I have to say I did not enjoy it as much as my first Tale of Mystery. Well that was my initial reaction anyway. However, the more I mulled over this story in my head, the more it grew on me. I found that the author is very clever at planting a seed in your head, that blossoms into a tree by the time your ready to review it. 

Like the previous short story,  this one has an exceptional twist at the end.  I was completely absorbed by A.V. Laider's tale of murder, only to be left dumbfounded by the end.  He drew me into the mysterious world of A.V. Laider with ease. I was curious or should I say I was damn nosy and needed to know the truth. 

The story has an almost comical appeal to it, where the odd snigger surfaced within the first few pages.  Definitely worth a read. You might not like it at first, but it will definitely grow on you.

Life As We Know It: My Dog Doesn't Love Me

After writing about the star signs last week and enjoying myself immensely, I have decided to write a weekly post on life in general. I will pick a different topic each week that may be a news article or an aspect of my life.  So keep an eye out for my new series entitled. 'Life As We Know It'. If it doesn't interest you, don't worry I will not be offended if you skip it.  I just like to chortle and snigger to myself. I may need therapy for it.

My dog The Dude and I are facing a trial separation. I have considered counselling sessions but he just shows no interest. When I talk to him, he just raises his eyebrow, doing his best Roger Moore impersonation, lowers his head and harrumphs.  I am not the one he loves and I have to come to terms with this.

This situation isn't a new one. It began many years ago.  When he was a young and boisterous puppy, I couldn't accompany him on his walks. It wasn't that I didn't want to, but I liked the idea of keeping both my arms and not having one permanently yanked out of its socket.  I couldn't cope with the other owners talking about me, as I hobbled behind him doing my best Quasimodo impression, positive that I could hear a ringing sound in my ears. Those damn bells!

As the years progressed, things got worse. He felt abandoned by my decision to work.  Then the children came along, pushing him aside for supremacy and he knew he was in the dog house.

My husband is his idol. He thinks nothing of grappling around on the floor with him, they torment each other and play the Hand of Doom (don't ask!).  I sit on the sidelines and feel like I am watching an episode of The Gladiators (old series with Ulrika, never got on with the new one).  My husband tries to make me think that this love is all one way, but his opinions now fall on deaf ears, after watching him countless times, rush past me to kiss the dog on his arrival home and asking me how he has been . Sod that I have the look of someone who has stuck her fingers in an electrical socket, make sure the dog who has taken over the sofa and slept their all day is OK. Why wouldn't he be OK, he has me to run around and cater to his every whim. Every time he wants a wee, he only has to bark incessantly at the back door until I stop what I am doing to open it.

Even the kids are more loved by the dog than I am. He will happily listen to their constant chatter and cuddle up to them when they are sad. They are even allowed to dress him up with scarves and  hats. But me, god forbid I plant a kiss on his head, that would cause a growl.

It hurts to feel abandoned like this, especially as I am the one who feeds him and walks him every day. Out in all weathers, committing fashion suicide by wearing my green wellies that do not match the rest of my attire. I suppose you couldn't really call it walking anymore. On a bad day, a walk is a wee at the nearest lamppost, on a good day he leads and I follow.  He decides where we will go and I follow as chief pooper scooper. If he doesn't want to go a certain way, you would think his feet had been cemented to the ground.
It is like trying to shove a Double Decker bus, through the Secret Garden gateway.  He just looks at me in utter disgust as I push, pull and try to coax him.

Personally I think he has got too big for his boots. He now walks without a lead. He thinks he is the big kahuna, looking down at all the other dogs strangling themselves on their leads. You can see him, laughing at them and saying under his breath,'Check me out!'

Visitors have stopped calling at our house now, as The Dude likes to make everyone feel uncomfortable.  His alias is 'silently but deadly'. Newcomers will sit and smile politely, whilst slowly going blue with lack of oxygen; those in the know flee for safety as he passes wind that could rival any toxic gas.  He assumes no ownership of his gift, just gets up, waves his tail in your direction and then leaves the scene of the crime like Raffles.

He has an obsession. Roast dinners. He will know 12 hours ahead what meal I am making and he will guard the meat through its stages from frozen to cooked.  Once the meat is ready to be carved, he will practically get under my feet to catch any falling debris. This doesn't sound too bad, until I mention that he is a Labrador and being stamped on by a Labrador with a weight problem is not funny.

Whilst we sit to eat our roast dinner, we know our meal is like a ticking time bomb. As half way through he will start barking furiously to remind you that the leftovers are his. Although now, I actually cook him up a separate plate of food, yet he still feels that he should have more.

He expects me to provide him with treats; he will follow me into the kitchen every time I go in. So I reach for the biscuit tin to get him a treat, thinking this time he will show his appreciation. What does he do? Looks at me disdainfully as I try to give him the biscuit and won't touch it until someone else in the house touches it first and hands it to him. Do my hands have poison on? Should I provide him with a chief taster?

I feel terrible now, I am only listing his bad points, he does have a few good traits. For instance, he is a tidy dog. He is the only dog I have ever seen pick up litter. He has spent weeks studying my neighbour who likes to spend her free time cleaning up the rubbish on the streets and now feels he should do his part to keep the environment clean too.  He is more than happy to pick up used bottles and cans and bring them home. We have a rather large collection of his finds now half buried in the garden. I have put a stop to his log felling schemes though. There are only so many dead branches I can accommodate.

He is also a good guard dog, not only does he position his toys in strategic places guaranteed to break an intruder's neck, he also barks quite ferociously at anyone passing by  the house on the other side of the road. How dare they pass our house without his authority. You can see people tentatively knocking upon the door when deliveries need to be made and taking a step back as the barking begins. Such a shame though when we open the door, the Dude rushes out to the visitor with a huge teddy in his mouth, wagging his tail, giving them more affection than he ever gives me.  Doesn't give off the right impression, does it?

As I sit typing away now, watching him snoring loudly next to his latest used bottle acquisition, I have to just sigh and except the situation. As much as my love is not reciprocated, I will always love that daft dog. 

You may think I am making this all up, but sadly it is very true. Sigh. (Tear gently rolling down face.)

Do your dogs love you? Are you treated the same way? I would love to know if I am a lone soul fighting this battle.

Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M.Delafield

Pages 201

This edition published in 2000 by Prion.

November 7th: Plant the indoor bulbs. Just as I am in the middle of them, Lady Boxe calls. I say,untruthfully, how nice to see her, and beg her to sit down while I just finish the bulbs. Lady B. makes determined attempt to sit down in armchair where I have already placed two bulb-bowls and the bag of charcoal, is headed off just in time, and takes the sofa.

Hmmm, I stand before you wearing extra protection, pillows up my jumper, seat cushions down my leggings and waving a white flag. So before you all through things at me in disgust, I will whisper quietly to you that I didn't like this one as much as Henrietta's War. I know you all loved it and raved about it, so I am sorry. Don't decide to disown me for my shallow views.  I know this is a classic book, but I struggled with it. I didn't completely dislike it, it just didn't hold my interest as much. Henrietta's War had me in stitches, where as I didn't laugh at this at all. I am aware though that my sense of humour is rather unique and I find things funny that others don't, to the point they stop, stare and point, as the funny lady, jigging up and down in silence, face all red and ready to burst.

For those of you, who like me, might not have heard of this classic, it was written as a serial of articles for the Time and Tide magazine during the thirties. It is written in diary format and follows the events of a Devonshire mother and wife who lives with a cold hearted bore and struggles to cope with the day to day running of her children and her home. 

One of the things I did like about this book. I could relate to it. This stressed mum of two could be transported into any time zone and she would fit right in next to the mothers of today. We can all put our hands up to feeling stressed with our lives, struggling with our children, trying to make the pounds and penny stretch that little bit further and wanting to swipe a cushion at our husband's occasionally when they are in disagreement, though instead we sit and seethe quietly, muttering obscenities under our breath. This is the universal role of the mother/ wife/ girlfriend. For this, I can see that this book is a timeless piece that will appeal to every mother in the world.

I also liked the historical value of the book. I enjoyed being able to read about life in the 30's from the viewpoint of a woman of similar age to myself. I got a glimpse of how my grandparents would have lived. Although, we were much further down the social ladder during that era.

Now as much as I like being able to relate to the main character, I found her personality to be weak willed and lacking in confidence. I wanted to give her a good shake and get her to stand up to everyone she came in contact with.  Especially when her husband drowned the kittens. I want to scream at her to make him stop. I know that it was a common cruelty in that time period, but it just felt cruel and heartless and I couldn't manage anyone standing by and watching. She needs a bit of girl power mixed in with her porridge.

 I also had a few issues with the writing style. Firstly, I don't speak a word of French. I did study it at O'level, but to be honest, I wasn't very good. In fact, during my French Oral, my examiner actually laughed at my pronunciation and interpretation.  So to be confronted with Mademoiselle chattering away in French, was a bit of a shock to the system. I could understand very little of what she was saying and was far too lazy to stick it into the translator program on the Internet.  Now knowing what a literary multilingual bunch you are, this would cause you all no problem at all, but for me it was an issue.

I also found the sentences rather short and abrupt. Now I know, these were written as short pieces for a magazine, so word count would have been a major issue for Delafield, so I can understand why they are like they are, however I found them annoying.

I also didn't like the constant use of capital letters used in the prose.  For instance,

'there Isn't a Shingled Head to be seen anywhere'

I am aware it was used for emphasis, but I am sorry to say it wound me up. 

So on the whole it was simply OK for me, I neither loved it or hated it, but I didn't like it as much as Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys.

Really Random Tuesday

Really Random Tuesday is a meme created by Suko at Suko's Notebook which is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.

Firstly I thought I should show you where I have been spending far too much of my time recently. Twitter has taken over my life.  I have avoided joining it for such a long time, but I was beginning to think that I was missing out on something. Everybody seemed to be at a party, where my invitation was still in the post. So I caved and joined. If anyone wants to follow me on Twitter, you will find me listed as @serendipidy101 and I would love for you to come and join me. I am very friendly, bit like an over excited puppy and I will speak to anyone!

Recently, I discovered that I have statistical information appearing in my blog. I had never noticed them before but they have been fascinating to read.  I thought I would share with you the top most viewed posts. I am agog as to why these have been chosen more than others.

So the top three viewed posts are:

1) The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Aherne

2) Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

3) Finding Sky by Joss Stirling.

The third one I can understand as it is current, but the other two I can't work out.

Talking of blogs, mine is having a little bit of a face lift at the moment. I hadn't realised than when a lot of you look at my blog, you were seeing a different view to me. I had not realised that my title was out of sync with the header. No one ever told me, so apologies for looking at a wonky screen.  My husband decided that I needed to make it a little slicker, so the picture will change soon too.

On the writing front, I am still where I was before Christmas. I now have two first drafts and found I was experiencing an extreme case of writer's block.  I have helped my writer's block a little after reading about morning journals. Morning journals basically involve writing three pages of continuous thoughts as soon as you wake up. No time to grab a cup of coffee or turn the kettle on for a cup of tea. You write straight away. Well I began to carry out this ritual at the beginning of last week and I have say it does work. My brain is full to the brim of things I would like to write about, all desperate to have their five minutes of fame. I can highly recommend this activity.  It has helped me to come up with different ideas for my blog as well as for my two first drafts.If you want to write, but find it hard to let your writer muse out, then try out the morning journals.

I am joining a creative writing group this week too, which I am really excited about. The group is run by an ex journalist from Writers News, so I am looking forward to learning from her.

On a final note, I went to my book club last Thursday and we picked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson for our next read.  We discussed The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and I was surprised to find that quite a few of the book club members really didn't like it at all. They found it boring and slow.  I loved it, but I think you have to enjoy that kind of genre to be able to get into it.

That is a round up of my bookish news this week. What have you been up to?

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

Pages - 265

Published in 2010 by Orion.

The earth quakes, the graves burst open, the dead arise and stream on in endless procession. The trumpets of the apocalypse ring out.

Normally I like to write my own blurb, but I think the book's blurb says it all perfectly, so why mess with perfection.

'Two lives, two centuries apart. But they walked the same paths,, lived in the same house, became obsessed by the same question.
When city girl Rebecca steps into the quiet streets of Winterfold that relentlessly hot summer, her uneasy friendship with strange elfin Ferelith sets in motion a shocking chain of events.'

I loved this book. It was dark, it was creepy and it really was a modern Gothic thriller. The story appears fresh and original and full of the unexpected. 

The story is told in three parts which are all intertwined as the book progresses, each revealing a little more as you read it. In the first part you have the narrative told from the point of view of Ferelith, a young elfish looking girl who takes an uneasy interest in the lonely Rebecca.  Ferelith is rather fixated upon Rebecca and you can't help but wonder whether she is in love with her. Yet the way she treats her, is strange and frightening.  One evening with Ferelith and you would want to be put in a straitjacket. She really is scary or perhaps misunderstood.

The second part is written in diary format but in third person, so you view the story from Rebecca's viewpoint.  This shows you how Rebecca deals with her sudden exile to the seaside and how she copes with the uneasy friendship that blossoms between Ferelith and herself.

The last part dates back to the 17th Century and is the diary of  the local rector who lived in the house where Ferelith now resides.  He talks about his involvement with the new arrival and the sinister turn their friendship takes.

This story is breathtaking. The characters are so well written and so believable, each conjuring up a past that shows exactly why they ended up in the situations they did.

No book has scared me this much, since The Little Stranger which I read last year.  There was one part in it, where I made my husband stay up with me until I had finished it, because I was really quite scared and I couldn't work out which way the story would go. One of the later settings in the book has the most macabre feel towards it and you wonder how Rebecca didn't leave the book a gibbering wreck.  It was darker than Du Maurier's Rebecca, much darker, but had that eerie quality to it.  It isn't a horror book, but it is definitely creepy. The ending was a shock, but if I had really thought about it I should have seen it coming. Sedgwick really is a master of disguise when it comes to setting up clues. They were there, I just didn't see them.

The book takes a deep dark exploration into the existence of God and you cannot help but feel that the characters carry out an experimental if not macabre investigation.  I dare you to follow their investigation to find the truth.

Cover Lust

This is a new feature on Serendipity which I hope to run on a regular basis. As you know, I am shallow and just like a magpie I follow glittery things and lust after pretty items. Well I also love looking at books covers and each week I want to show at least one I have fallen in love with.

The  first cover that I have fallen in love with is the cover for Amy Plum's debut novel 'To Die For' which is released by Atom and Harper Collins in May. This is a young adult novel.

The cover is so striking, the red really stands out and I want this as a picture for my wall.

This book follows the story of 16 year old Kate who moves to Paris after her parents death. She falls in love with Vincent, who isn't your typical French teenager. This book is full of romance and horror. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

If you want to find out more about Amy's book then please visit her blog site here.

Good luck Amy with your debut.

Ophiuchus? Isn't he the guy from The Matrix films?

OK, I went to bed last night and I knew who I was. An Aries.  A good old fashioned, head strong ram who jumped in feet first into everything. Mouth never in gear with the mind, always forever apologetic afterwards. That is me. I wake up this morning and I am someone else. A Pisces!  Didn't see it coming, though from what I can gather, neither did half the world. Apparently now I am an understanding (pah!), dreamy, impractical person. Well I have always been impractical and dreamy so I will take those two, but understanding, I don't think my family would be in agreement.

So if you have just got up and haven't realised the world as we know has changed. You may be one of the lucky ones and still be the same, or you may have fallen down the sides and crawled back up with a new star sign pinned like a name badge to your chest.

A thirteenth (unlucky for some) zodiac sign has been added to the original 12 and all the others have had to shift and squeeze out of the way to make room for the mighty Ophiuchus.  Why Ophiuchus? Why not something a bit more simple. I keep saying it over and over in my head and I have no idea whether I am pronouncing it right. My children have only just learnt their last star sign, now I have to present them with this. They will think I have either gone stark raving mad, or that April Fools has come early. Personally, I think who ever named it, should stay away from The Matrix films. Anyway, after doing a little research, I discovered that the new star sign has been named after a star constellation which is linked to a real man from Ancient Greece called Imhotep. Now I know he was definitely in a film! The Mummy Trilogy, I think.
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So where has the new star sign been seated in the Great Zodiac circle. Well it seems after a bit of a shuffle, he replaced  a bit of Sagittarius in December.  So if your birthday resides between November 29 and December 17th you are now a Ophichusian ( I think!). Oh how your friends will laugh.

As all the other signs have moved around the zodiac, being pushed and pulled and squeezed dry. My thoughts must go out to the Scorpions, who have seriously been demoted in the Zodiac. The Scorpion sign used to cover the days between October 24th and November 21st. According to my sources, Scorpio is now from November 23rd to November 29th. Scorpions have only a week full of dates in their sign. Will they become an elite group where only the exceptional people reside or will they be scorned and turned upon for being the minority group in the star sign. Whilst they debate their future, the fat cat Virgos (September 16th to October 30th) stalk the planet for world domination as their star sign spreads out and takes over.

The dates are hilarious and need to be laughed at.  You have to see the funny side, (unless you are one of those people who lives by your star sign and have just found out that your whole world has gone down the toilet with your star sign, then I seriously apologise for making fun of your situation).

As I read it, I did wander if perhaps our new British government had been involved in these changes. I mean, they are cutting back on everything else, why not cut back on our star signs too. Squeeze them a little, to make room for one more. What next? Will they change the length of the year? Will I discover that a month or two has been taken from the calendar and I am really 50 years old now. 

So why has it changed? Well apparently the Earth moved.  Didn't notice it myself, but it did. It shifted on it's Axis and changed it's relationship with the Sun, which has caused the star signs to change around. So after 3,000 years and a little shifting around, it was believed that a new star sign should be added.

So I now raise my glass to the new star sign Ophiuchus, who apparently wasn't Neo's leader in the Matrix or the guy from the Mummy films.

Just as one final note, I have absolutely no idea if the changes are true or not, but they have entertained me no end today and made a hilarious conversation starter!

Cheers.

Friday's Tale of Mystery

Whilst sorting out our garage last week, I came across this book amongst my late father in law's belongings. I couldn't part with it once I realised the authors that were hiding amongst the short stories within it.

 The book dates back to 1934, so hubby is convinced it belonged to his grandparents. It is in fantastic condition and smells that lovely old book smell. It also has pictures printed in it, where the next page is then blank.

 The book is broken up into three sections of short stories:

1. Stories of Mystery and Adventure
2. Stories of Crime and Detection
3. Stories of the Supernatural

The book consists of short stories by literary greats such as Bram Stoker, Wilkie Collins and H.G. Wells.

So after taking a little look through it, I decided that I would try to read and review a short story from it every week.  I don't normally read many short stories but I thought that perhaps it was about time to change that. As the stories are quite old, I thought I would try and find free links to the stories in case you felt the urge to the read them too.

There are 51 short stories altogether, so I aim to read and review one a week up until Christmas.

The first story I read from this book is called Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty by Stacy Aumonier.

I tried to find some of Aumonier's longer works, but seemed to only come across his short stories.

Mrs Bracegirdle is the sister of an English clergyman who was the only person available to travel on her own to a hotel in Bordeaux to meet her sister in law returning from South America . She arrives late at the hotel, exhausted and desperate for a bath. When she closes the door of her room after returning from a bath, she finds a man asleep in the bed. She realises then she is in the wrong room, but the door handle has come off in her hand, and she can’t get out. Then she discovers the man is dead.

Mrs Bracegirdle is a wonderful character. She is a God fearing, church going spinster who instantly realises what a terrible situation she has landed in. She is not about to make a spectacle of herself by screaming, as she does not want to cause a scandal for her family.  In a few short pages you get a real feel of the character and I can only commend Aumonior for a wonderful character study.   I could feel the pain her dilemma was causing her right from the start.

The story has a real twist at the end, that I was expecting at all. The story gripped me right from the beginning and I really enjoyed the ending. For such a short story, it was packed full of tension and drama. Oh and did I mention the fantastic twist! Sorry, I know I did, but it was brilliant.

I tried to find this story online but I am afraid I couldn't find it. If anyone has read it online, let me know and I will add the link to the post.
Mrs Bracegirdle was made into a TV drama by Alfred Hitchcock in the first series of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Has anyone read any of Aumonier's short stories, if you have let me know as I would be interested in reading more.