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Post by Amazing on Jan 3, 2009 19:02:56 GMT 1
I got, wait until I go and have a look. 'The Garden Sourcebook' The essential guide to planning and planting. General Editor, Caroline Boisset.
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Post by Teddy on Jan 3, 2009 20:20:10 GMT 1
Didn't get any books for Xmas, but OH got another Laura Lippman (Baltimore, detective) out of the library, and we both ripped through it in the Xmas hols. I also just finished reading The Herbalist, by Benjamin Woolley, a book about Nicholas Culpeper and the times he lived in; very interesting, good on general historical detail, but by the end I was feeling that there was too much history and not enough about the man himself. A bit frustrating. And last, but not least, I gave a friend one of the books I had most enjoyed in the last year, Too Close to the Falls, by Catherine Gildiner - a quirky but uplifting tale of an unusual childhood in Upstate New York.
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Post by Mommydoos on Jan 3, 2009 20:46:36 GMT 1
Oooh - haven't been on this thread yet! I love books, but admit I go for the 'frivolous' sort i.e I love Jill Mansell & anything where girl is with boy, they fall out, she is friends with someone who she loves but can't tell etc. etc. Sorry for being sooo shallow! On the other hand, if we were to vote for our favourite book of all time - mine is 'Forever Amber' I've even emailed beeb to get Andrew Davies to do a Pride & Prejudice type thingy! How sad am I (not at all!) mommyxx
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Post by beej on Jan 3, 2009 20:56:54 GMT 1
Now then, different books for different people & on different occasions!
I've just finished Half of a Yellow Sun which I really enjoyed even though it was about a rather harrowing time & place. A good read!
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Post by Juliet on Jan 4, 2009 0:12:37 GMT 1
Amazing - I've got the Garden Sourcebook - mine's probably an older edition though, I think I got it in a charity shop a while ago. Mommydoos - have you read any of Meg Cabot's adult books? (I don't mean adult in the x-rated sense, I mean she also writes The Princess Diaries series & various other books for teenagers.) R & I both like them (he'll read anything except gardening books), & the slightly tamer ones for teenagers too - they're great for reading in the bath or when you're ill & want something mindless. Titles like Boy Meets Girl, Size 12 Is Not Fat, and Every Boy's Got One. For Christmas I got Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde and His Lordship's Gardener by Ann Barker - am reading the latter at the moment. I bought R Un Lun Dun by China Mieville (which we have both already read & if he hadn't put it on his list I would have put it on mine, so that was handy ;D), a Stephen Donaldson, and two Saint books he didn't have (he collects them & they are hard to find - early editions are worth a fortune) - can't remember which were for Christmas and which for his birthday now. He also got several other books - he'll probably get more as we haven't exchanged presents with his mum & stepfather yet, but I'm more likely to get DVDs &/or NGGVs as there was only one other book on my list (Christopher Paolini's Eldest) & it's not their sort of thing. I might get it from BIL, but he's a bit erratic about present-buying - sometimes we don't get them, sometimes they arrive in February!
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Post by Teddy on Jan 4, 2009 0:25:06 GMT 1
Juliet - I've got The Eyre Affair (on your recommendation) on my bedside table, but I'm finding it a bit hard to stick at . . . wish me luck for 2009!
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Post by Juliet on Jan 4, 2009 20:07:35 GMT 1
Ooh, I do hope you get into it Green(T)eddy, I love it but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea
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Post by kath on Jan 4, 2009 23:38:50 GMT 1
I bought myself some books for Christmas. I got Rachel Allen's "Bake" for OH - he cooks main courses but nothing sweet so I want to encourage him to extend his repertoire. While I was on Amazon I thought I'd get some for myself. One of them's about cricket, might not be of much interest to the rest of you. I also got The Morville Hours, by Katherine Swift, which was not as much about gardening as I thought it would be. It has this lovely poem, written by an Irish monk to his cat:
I and Pangur Ban, my cat, 'Tis a like task we are at; Hunting mice is his delight, Hunting words I sit all night.
Better far than praise of men 'Tis to sit with book and pen; Pangur bears me no ill will; He, too, plies his simple skill.
'Tis a merry thing to see At our task how glad are we, When at home we sit and find Entertainment to our mind.
Oftentimes a mouse will stray Into the hero Pangur's way; Oftentimes my keen thought set Takes a meaning in its net.
'Gainst the wall he sets his eye Full and fierce and sharp and sly; 'Gainst the wall of knowledge I All my little wisdom try.
When a mouse darts from its den. O how glad is Pangur then! O what gladness do I prove When I solve the doubts I love!
So in peace our tasks we ply, Pangur Ban, my cat and I; In our arts we find our bliss, I have mine, and he has his.
Practice every day has made Pangur perfect in his trade ; I get wisdom day and night, Turning Darkness into light.'
Translation by Robin Flowers
I also ordered the 3000 mile garden secondhand but it hasn't come. Someone on the beeb board recommended it.
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Post by janerowena on Jan 5, 2009 11:12:23 GMT 1
I've got a huge pile of books! They are all upstairs, and i can't remember what they all are, but one of them is a Meg Cabot and very good. Some are very serious looking, but I haven't had time to look at them all properly. I was just amazed that no-one bought me a gardening book, although one of them is a chicklit about a garden.
Lovely poem, Kath.
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Post by janerowena on Jan 6, 2009 14:31:39 GMT 1
I've just started one of my xmas presents. It's called Spotted Pigs and Green Tomatoes, and is by Rosie Boycott. I've always wanted to keep pigs, goats and chickens and run a nursery, and she has managed to do all that - better finances than mine - and the book, as far as I have got, is very good. She also has a walled garden to do it in, so my teeth are grinding with jealousy, as my patch in Lincs was on a high windy hill from which I could see Lincoln 22 miles away in one direction, and the lights of Newark in another.
Mind you, I also got to see the Red Arrows doing their practice sessions every morning in the valley below - something I never tired of.
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Post by Aspidistra on Jan 6, 2009 22:47:24 GMT 1
I wondered about that Rosie Boycott one, Jro but I thought I have read so many of those sort of smallholding set up books that I gave it a miss, but maybe I will get it.
I bought my Mum Half of the Yellow Sun, Beejay. I'm afraid we have a deal going where I buy her lots of books and then I get second dibs on them! ;D
I got the Culpepper one a while back, Teddy. Looked very interesting but I'm afraid its sitting on the shelf half read, along with this year's 'worthy' historical book which is about Paracelsus. Interesting, but can't keep my eyes open.
|I just started the Shadow of the Wind by Carlos someone or other. I think I am going to really like it, it seems to be beautifully written which matters to me when I'm reading. In fact I think I will be very good and go to bed early and have a read tonight.
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Post by Sunny on Jan 6, 2009 23:13:31 GMT 1
Half of the Yellow Sun is a fantastic book. Better than Kite Runner.
Have any of you read A thousand Splendid Suns. Its also a great, can't put you down book.
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Post by janerowena on Jan 7, 2009 9:30:48 GMT 1
It's a really good book, aspi. I've just read the bit about her being in a car accident and being an alcoholic, so definitely not all about The Good Life! She writes very well - so she should, as ex-editor of the Express!
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Post by Teddy on Jan 7, 2009 10:06:20 GMT 1
I read Shadow of the Wind about 18 months ago, Aspi - v good read.
Has anyone read Two Caravans? By same person wot wrote A Short History of Tractors - both v good books, IMHO - Two Caras a bit like the Road Home.
Well, I'm off across the icy M62 to visit my mum - a car crashed into me yesterday (v slowly - he was coming out of a side road and I was travelling slowly up the main road) - not too much damage done, and no-one hurt, but I had horrible dreams last night. Wish me luck!
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Post by beej on Jan 7, 2009 12:02:37 GMT 1
Yep, Shadow of the Wind is an excellent read as is A Thousand Splendid Suns 'though I did prefer the Kite Runner: more ups & downs!
Now I didn't think that much of the Tractors book!
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Post by Aspidistra on Jan 7, 2009 12:47:53 GMT 1
Lover the Kite Runner, haven't yet read the thousand spendid suns but I wasn't that keen on the Two Tractors book or whatever it was called. A bit rambly for me... ;D
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Post by Aspidistra on Jan 7, 2009 12:48:23 GMT 1
Should say 'Loved' not 'Lover' previous post
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Post by beej on Jan 7, 2009 13:55:40 GMT 1
Should say 'Loved' not 'Lover' previous post Aspi, if you look at top right of your post you will see 'Modify'. If you click on that you can then change any spelling mistakes.
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Post by Aspidistra on Jan 7, 2009 14:17:11 GMT 1
Oh cool, Beejay! The challenge will be remembering that next time...with my memory
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Post by janerowena on Jan 7, 2009 23:29:58 GMT 1
Good Luck, greeneddy. Drive carefully. What horrible weather to have to go out in on such horrible roads.
Are we talking about the Ukraine tractor here? I rather liked that book, it was different.
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Post by Amazing on Jan 8, 2009 17:58:17 GMT 1
I've just found Tom's Midnight Garden. So will get reading it soon.
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Post by Mommydoos on Jan 8, 2009 18:13:58 GMT 1
Hi Juliet! Only just picked upon this thread again!Don't think I've read any Meg Cabot, but as I work in a secondary school I might have a look there for any in the Library! Although its a children's book, I also love 'Goodnight Mr Tom' - having seen the programme with John Thaw, which was good, I found the book really lovely - couldn't put it down until I'd finished! (It was purloined from the Library of the school where I worked before, which closed!) Bought 'The Duchess' - hadn't seen the film, but the book was 'orrible - haven't even bothered to finish it! Sure the film would be better. Love Maeve Binchy type books too - just imagining that Irish accent! mommyxx
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Post by Juliet on Jan 9, 2009 23:41:48 GMT 1
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Post by Sunny on Jan 10, 2009 0:03:30 GMT 1
I have just started reading The secret life of bees today, has anyone else read it? Its very good.
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Post by Aspidistra on Jan 10, 2009 0:55:45 GMT 1
Oh HSL, that is just a superb book, absolutely lovely. I believe it has been made into a film now.
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Post by Flumps on Jan 10, 2009 11:55:37 GMT 1
I gots lots and lots of books for Xmas Some gardening, some not. Currently reading the Twilight series - a bit gooey and teenage angsty but ok as long as you're expecting escapist trash and not great literature. Too busy at the oment for "proper" books! A Thousand Splendid Suns is on my "waiting to be read" pile. It's been there for months but someone told me it's even more heart-wrenching than the Kite Runner so I'll have to wait til I'm in the right mood...
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Post by janerowena on Jan 10, 2009 16:17:24 GMT 1
Apart from the spotted pigs and green tomatoes book, my sister also bought me
The secrets of Jin Shei, by Alma Alexander
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See
The Distant Land of my Father, by Bo Caldwell
A Handful of Honey, by Annie Hawes
The Wise Woman, by Philippa gregory
Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami
Has anyone read any of these? I used to love books like this (apart from the Philippa Gregory) but my tastes have changed. I've gone all light and frothy, like mommy. That's when I'm not reading books about dissecting people, or whodunnits. Or things about gardens and gardeners.
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Post by Mommydoos on Jan 10, 2009 16:34:58 GMT 1
Can't beat a bit of frothy JRo! xx
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Post by Nooj on Jan 10, 2009 17:25:02 GMT 1
I think Phippa Gregory is great - you can tell its all really researched but she makes hisrory into real characters I'm jusr finishing the new Kathy Reichs, and have finished the new Particia Cornwell. Both good fun if you like forensic style thrillers.
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Post by janerowena on Jan 10, 2009 17:26:55 GMT 1
I just found another one that had slipped behind the rest
The Hand that I Fan With, by Tina (can't remember) McElroy Ansen? something like that (toolazytogobackupstairssmiley)
There seem to be a lot of oriental things and fans in her selection.
I consider myself lucky this year. She often gets me lots of books on self-improvement, without telling me exactly what it is she thinks I ought to be improving.
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