Knowing how I love hedgehogs you probably won't be surprised by my posting yet another game designed to help educate the public about these wonderfully cute little critters.
Designed by the Devon Wildlife Trust, click HERE to play. AND Talking of hedgehogs, here are two of my favourite favourite hoggy jokes. * The devout cowboy lost his favourite Bible while he was mending fences out on the range. Three weeks later, a hedgehog walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The cowboy couldn't believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the hedgehog's mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, "It's a miracle!" "Not really," said the hedgehog. "Your name is written inside the cover." ** What did the grape say when the hedgehog stood on it?
DEAREST ROSE by ROWAN COLEMAN. When Rose Pritchard turns up on the doorstep of a Cumbrian B&B, it is her last resort. She and her seven-year-old daughter Maddie have left everything behind. And they have come to the village of Millthwaite in search of the person who once offered Rose hope. Almost immediately Rose wonders if she's made a terrible mistake - if she's chasing a dream - but she knows in her heart that she cannot go back. She's been given a second chance - at life, and love - but will she have the courage to take it? ..... Outer back cover. FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): "Do you know what time it is?" An irritated woman's muffled voice was just about audible from the other side of the door. MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 99): It didn't help that she had rocked up in the tightest pair of white jeans that Rose had ever seen, with a full three inches of fake-tanned tummy blossoming over the waistband before barely being covered by a flesh-pink top that plunged in a deep V, leaving very little to the imagination. MY THOUGHTS: A friend of mine once said that the light at the end of the tunnel is the next train about to hit you - I mention this here because I think it describes perfectly Dearest Rose in that just as you thought something positive (dare I say it .... something nice) was about to happen to Rose another 'train' seemed to come trundling along knocking her back down again. Sounds depressing? I won't lie to you, there were aspects to the story that were harrowing but I wouldn't describe the story as depressing as there were so many elements that, though they had me reaching for the tissues, were what I can only describe as life affirming. Beautifully penned, Dearest Rose takes you on an emotional roller-coaster of a ride with some truly heart-stopping moments but what most impressed me was the depth of the characters. Concerned at first that this was going to be one of those novels in which all the female characters were written as paragons of virtue, the male characters as, well, less than desirable I was greatly pleased to discover a wonderful array of characters who, whether you loved them or hated them, brought something to the book as their part in Rose's life unfolded bit by bit. DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of Arrow (A member of the Random House Group) I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
A teenager has secured a six-figure sum for a vampire novel she wrote after being inspired by the Twilight saga. Abigail Gibbs, 18, of Brixham in Devon, who started writing the book, The Dark Heroine, aged 14, released chapters of her novel online, where the book eventually received 17 million hits. HarperCollins in Britain and America have now signed the talented author following her phenomenal internet success. More
It is rare for a sequel to live up to the original, but author Hilary Mantel's latest novel, Bring Up The Bodies, is on track to achieve the feat by scooping Britain's most prestigious literary award, the Man Booker Prize, three years after she won it for the first time with Wolf Hall. The other nominees being .....
We all know that children are, generally speaking, reading less BUT perhaps the saddest thing about this new research carried out by National Literacy Trust is that of the 21,000 children and teenagers who took part 17% said they would be embarrassed if a friend saw them with a book. AND, whilst half of those questioned said they enjoyed reading very much, or quite a lot, was almost the same as in 2005 when the figure was 51%, research also showed ......
Just three out of ten youngsters read daily in their own time - down from 4 in 10 in 2005
More than a fifth (22%) said they never read in their own time
Over half (50%) said they preferred watching television to reading
57% said they read magazines - down from 77% in 2005
Comic reading has dropped from 64% in 2005 to 50%
Rather more surprisingly, reading on websites has dropped to 50% compared to the 2005 figure of 54%. More
A rare copy of the second Peter Pan novel, Peter Pan In Kensignton Gardens, written by JM Barrie and signed and illustrated by renowned artist Arthur Rackham, has been donated to a charity shop who have decided to sell it at auction where it is believed it will raise as much as £800.
Published in 1906, the novel, one of only 500 copies to have been signed by Rackham himself, is set prior to the author's most famous work originally called Peter Pan and Wendy and features around 50 detailed illustrations. To read full article and see more of the beautiful illustrations click HERE
Remember my mentioning Fenton the dog in one of my Media Monday posts?
No? Well, here's a reminder .........
Anyway,
As well as a huge viral hit, Fenton is all set to become a book sensation as he stars in his own 'Where's Wally?' type book imaginatively titled 'Find Fenton'.
Posing readers the challenge of tracking down “the world’s most disobedient dog,” the book (published by Headline Books at the end of September) features Britain’s “naughtiest Labrador” on a rampage through such London locales as the House of Commons and the Royal Albert Hall. More And talking of Where's Wally?, the popular red-and-white-striped children's book character turned 25 on the 21st of September. More But Wally's not the only one to be celebrating as JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit turns 75 this week. And publishers Harper Collins are making the anniversary by releasing the first Latin translation of the book, Hobbitus Ille– "in foramine terrae habitabat hobbitus"; "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit") - as well as publishing a range of little-known sketches (one of which, The Lonely Mountain, can be seen on the right) done by Tolkien himself as he was writing the novel. More
Ever since she read THAT book, I've had to buy all kinds of ropes, chains and shackles. She still manages to get into the shed, though.
- Fifty Sheds Of Grey by CT Grey, published by Boxtree at £9.99
(For more extracts from the book click on the link at the end of article)
'Bonkbuster' queen EL James's novel, 50 Shades Of Grey, has seduced women - and baffled men. Now a spoof, Fifty Sheds Of Grey, offers a treat for men. The pocket-sized book which has fictional character Colin Grey recounting his love encounters at the bottom of the garden is full of horticulture-themed gags and graphic images ..... of sheds. More Isn't this amazing? A library I, for one, would give my eye-teeth for .....
One of the biggest private 'gentleman's libraries' has been revealed, containing first editions from some of Britain's most celebrated authors including Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot and William Thackery. The 4,000 book collection is the result of the life-long passion of lawyer, businessman and historian William Forwood, who died last year aged 84 and now other book-lovers will have the chance to admire the library which could fetch up to £200,000 when it goes under the hammer. The sale, titled 'A Gentleman’s Library', is being held at the Cotswold auction house where Mr Forwood, who claimed to have read every page, bought some of his volumes. Auctioneer Dominic Winter said: 'It is rare for a single library this size and of this importance to come up for sale. 'It is an old fashioned library that encompasses all that a well brought-up young man should know about.' More "Here's Johnny the sequel". Stephen King has revealed that the sequel to his 1977 classic horror story The Shining will be published on September the 24th 2013, 36 years after the original book was published. The long-awaited sequel, Doctor Sleep, follows the story of Danny Torrance, the young boy who survived the horrific events in the Overlook Hotel who, now an adult, works in a hospice helping his patients to die painlessly whilst also fighting a group of physic vampires. More
MIDWINTER by JOHN BUCHAN. The Jacobite army marches on into England and Alastair Maclean, close confident of Charles Edward Stewart, embarks on a secret mission to raise support for the cause in the west. He soon begins to suspect someone close to the Prince is passing information to the government, but just as he closes in on the traitor his own life is put in danger. Who is the turncoat and can Maclean save his own life and his Prince? ..... outer back cover. FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): The road which had begun as a rutted cart-track sank presently to a grassy footpath among scrub oaks, and as the boughs whipped his face the young man cried out impatiently and pulled up his horse to consider. MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 155): Once he seemed to hear the sound of breathing close at hand, and after some search traced it to the deep bed of leaves under which a hedgehog was snoring in its winter sleep. MY THOUGHTS:Not as you might expect a story of the season (though this is in fact quite beautifully described), Midwinter is the name of one of the main characters - a gentleman outlaw, the leader of a rather secretive band of men, a dweller in Old England. Originally published in the early 1920's and classed by some as a classic of Scottish literature and by others as one of the best historical novels ever written I feel a bit of an intellectual inferior in admitting that I didn't enjoy Midwinter, finding it, as someone brought up on a diet of Philippa Gregory, old-fashioned and, dare I say it, rather staid. Minus the introduction by Stuart Kelly and the preface by the editor, at less than 250 pages long, on the face of it this is a fairly short novel and yet given the minuscule size of the typeface used in this 2008 Polygon edition and the somewhat meandering plot it seemed so, so much longer. By no means a book for me, a knowledge of the Scottish history of the time would certainly be a bonus AND I suspect that given the secret society nature of much of the novel this may well be a book better appreciated by male readers. KEEP IT OR NOT?: A reading group read I have no desire to obtain a copy of this.
THE HAUNTINGby ALAN TITCHMARSH. William walked around to the mill leat to see what was causing the problem. At first he could see nothing at all - the morning sun shining on the rippling surface of the gin-clear water dazzled him. He put his hand up to shade his eyes. The water seemed to be flowing quite evenly. It was then that he saw, not the broken branch that he expected to see, but instead a pale hand protruding from a waterlogged sleeve .... How can the mysterious disappearance of Anne Flint and the drowning of a young girl in a chalk stream in 1816 possibly affect the life of schoolteacher Harry Flint some two centuries later? When his marriage fails and he leaves his job, Harry begins to research his ancestors. The deeper he digs, the more he realises that the past is closer than he ever imagined. ..... Inner front cover. FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): It was not a day for death. MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 278): ".... You have heard the parable of the marriage, haven't you?" "What?" "It says that if you put a coin in a jar every time that you make love during the first year of your married life, and if you take a coin out every time you make love for the rest of your marriage, then the jar will never empty. MY THOUGHTS: What a pretty cover, perhaps a bit too pink but still pretty and very glittery - you can't really see it here but trust me it is liberally sprinkled with silver glittery bits. Anyway, An OK read, what I would describe as undemanding and perfect for these lengthening autumn nights. The Haunting is a nice gentle, thankfully non-sloppy, totally inoffensive (any real shows of passion are left up to the readers imagination) tale of romance and intrigue that takes place over two time zones set centuries apart. Not always easy to do, Mr Titchmarsh expertly and seamlessly manages to intertwine the historical and modern. Not able to recommend this one as highly as I might otherwise as to me the author's strengths lie not in his characterisations BUT in his powers of description and in particular his observations on nature which, given that he is probably better known as a gardening expert, I suppose is only to be expected. Conversations also proved a bit of a sticking point for me in that they just weren't somehow or other convincing - nothing I can put my finger on, they just didn't always ring true. Also, more to do with me than any fault on the authors part, I have the tendency to give voices to characters and given Alan's well known and distinctive voice I found myself unable to do so hearing only his strong Yorkshire accent which I confess did mar my overall enjoyment of the book. KEEP IT OR NOT?: Borrowed from the Ma-in-Law, I shan't be keeping this.
Now that's what I call a wake-up call! A couple from Epsom, Surrey, had a rude awakening after an out-of-control car flew 80ft through the air and into their upstairs bedroom as they slept. More Way to go Joyce ...... Meet the world's oldest papergirl , Joyce Pugh, of Shropshire, who has been doing the same round for 41 years. The great-gran, 81, began delivering her local newspaper each evening in 1971 to help top up her income. Since then Joyce has dropped an astonishing 291,000 copies through residents’ letterboxes, pedalled more than 10,000 miles and never taken a day off sick AND she still gets paid only 60p a day. More And film-goers won't find this distracting? The Prince Charles cinema in London's Leicester Square is clamping down on inconsiderate film-goers with the help of a team of 'cinema ninjas'. Anyone caught flouting the rules will be targeted by an army of volunteers dressed in black skintight lycra suits, who in return for their time can watch films for free. More
Cute animal story of the week ....... Jess, a 10 year old Springer Spaniel, loves to help out on owner
farm in Devon, having been trained from a puppy not just to round up the lambs but also to help feed the 300-strong flock and in return gets her tummy rubbed by some very grateful sheep.More Geordie Pantsman and his record haul of 302 pairs of underpants! 53 year old Dad-of-three David Craig (nicknamed Geordie Pantsman) covered himself in glory by pulling on a world record breaking haul of 302 pairs of underpants in front of a crowd of 1,000 cheering fans at Gypsies Green, South Shields. More And talking of pants ....... Sales of Boris Johnson pants have exploded since the London Major's popularity soared. A website selling the white y-fronts with politician's faces on the back has crashed 14 times in the last week due to the demand for BoJo ones. More
And now its the turn of my favourite article of the week ....... With tiny tables, colourful cloths and a cordoned off dining area these British Telecom workers sick of the usual cold pasties and soggy sandwiches tuck into today's special - coq au van. More Not that I'm condoning this woman's behaviour but I admit I had to laugh at this headline ....... 'I'm a pirate, I'm Jack Sparrow' shouted drunken woman before hijacking passenger ferry. More
Aaaahhhh, how romantic (though you have to wonder what he'd done that flowers or chocolates weren't a big enough apology) A heartbroken van driver parked next to a busy roundabout and poured out his feelings on the side of his vehicle in big orange letters. The silver VW vehicle was left parked prominently beside the George Reynolds industrial estate outside Shildon, County Durham, with the words: "Linda, I'm sorry," printed on the side. The message continued: "I'm a fool and an idiot sometimes, I love you with all my heart! Please come home and put this right. WE MISS YOU! I MISS US. I want to grow old with you. WILL YOU MARRY ME? More And finally ...... Husband dearest's pick of the week. Residents are baffled after council contractors painted a stretch of double yellow lines - just 21 inches long. Motorists will be fined £50 or £70 if they park on the lines in Canterbury, Kent, which aren't even big enough to paint a skateboard. More
12-21 by DUSTIN THOMASON. An ancient prophecy foretells that the world will end 21 December 2012. In Central America, a treasure hunter discovers a Maya relic - a mysterious and ornate codex - but when he smuggles it into the US, he brings with him an old and deadly secret ... Early in December 2012, the codex comes to Chel Manu, a Maya world authority. She is torn between the chance to translate the codex herself and her duty to alert the authorities. Meanwhile, in an LA hospital, an unknown man is dying of a rare, contagious disease. When Dr Gabriel Stanton is called in, he realises that this is no ordinary infection - and it will spread uncontrollably. Stanton and Chel must race to decipher the codex's secrets and prevent the prophesied apocalypse... ...... Outer back cover. FIRST SENTENCE (Prologue): He stands silently in the moonlight against the wall of the temple, the small bundle held tightly under his arm. MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 39): Some experts believed sleep recharged the brain, assisted in the healing of wounds, Some suggested it protected animals against the dangers of the night or that sleep was an energy-conservation technique.
MY THOUGHTS: Ancient prophecies, relics AND a medical mystery 12-21 was a novel that could have been penned with me in mind. An 'the end of the world is nigh' type story, the author manages to seamlessly blend modern, topical science with the story of an ancient Mayan civilisation that, having gripped me from the start, proved to be a real roller-coaster of a read that provided a slightly different slant on the apocalypse type predictions that surround the Mayan calendar. Fascinating stuff, thought provoking and, thanks to the 'mad-cow' type disease that Stanton and Chel find themselves up against, often quite scary. I really liked most of the characters though there were one or two that had me wondering as to their purpose. And whilst I did enjoy the inclusion of the passages written by the ancient Mayan scribe I confess I found them heavy going because of the of the italic font used. Highly recommended even if it is just one book amongst the many with a similar theme. DISCLAIMER: An uncorrected advance proof copy read and reviewed on behalf ofNEWBOOKS magazine I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
Amazed as I am that's its been 26 years since we said I do, I'm even more amazed that despite knowing everything there is to know about me Husband dearest still loves me. It being his turn to do the honours this year without further ado I invite you all to join us HERE at his blog.
CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY by LISA BECKER. Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgemental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with "my buddies and I were out drinking one night", to the egotistical B celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with Bcc's, Fwd's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers will root for Renee to 'click' with the right man. ...... Outer back cover. FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): From: Mark Finlay - January 2, 2011 - 9.30AM To: Renee Greene Subject: Pretty Please!!!! Thanks for staying late to help me clean up yesterday. MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 125): From: Shelley Manning - April 17 - 10.18 am To: Renee Greene Subject: Re: One more try Please tell me you didn't email him right after emailing me. No offense, sweetie, but nothing smacks more of desperation than getting an email from a girl at 2.30 am. MY THOUGHTS: On hearing this drop through the letter box my first thoughts on opening the package were great cover (simple and yet sweet) followed by oh no! It's written not as a traditional novel but as a series of emails - hardly my favourite format. Worried that it may not flow well as a story, annoyed to think that it may be full of abbreviations I did not understand (thankfully there were few) and concerned it might all be a bit voyeuristic, a bit like reading an email left open on a colleagues computer, I need not have worried as this turned out to be a highly enjoyable read that was both funny, occasionally 'naughty' and surprisingly quite moving. My only criticism, if it can be called that, I would love to have heard more of Mark's story. Hopefully there's another book featuring this in the pipeline. DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf ofthe author I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
Perhaps stronger on character portrayal than plot which for me did not always flow as well as it might, in penning Victoire Charpentier the author has created a wonderful heroine who captures both the heart as well as the imagination. Well researched, the sights, the sounds, the smells and, yes, even the mentality of the people are all brilliantly recreated by Liza Perrat, an author who is undoubtedly skillful in her use of language. DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf ofthe author I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
After several complaints that last week's Media Monday post wasn't long enough I hope you enjoy today's bumper collection. PW Remember the article involving the art exhibition in which a real-life 'sleeping beauty' signed a contract agreeing to marry the person who woke her with a kiss? Well .......
Participant Yana Gurzhiy's prince turned out to be a princess after she decided to open her eyes when she was kissed on the forehead. 'I was astonished when I opened my eyes and saw a girl,' explained the 24-year-old translator. Ukraine does not allow gay marriage however, making it impossible for the pair, who have signed a contract, to tie the knot. More
(Hmm, as I suspected, obviously a publicity stunt - I mean who in their right mind was going to sign a contract agreeing to marry a complete stranger who happened to 'awake them with a kiss'? How convenient that this young woman happened to be awoken by another young woman and as gay marriage isn't allowed there never was any danger of anyone 'having' to get married PW)
And what about last weeks Media Monday post and the article about Mars bars? Now it's the turn of McDonald's who claim one of its fizzy drinks is healthy. A small 250ml serving, which costs 89p, has 100 calories and 25g of sugar (around 6 teaspoonfuls) and yet this children's fizzy drink has won the right to be labelled as one of the recommended five-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables putting it in the same category as eating an apple. More I'm sure they'll laugh about it ..... one day. It is the stuff of sitcoms and nightmares: the best man loosing the ring in the middle of a weeding ceremony. For one couple, the scenario was all too real. Elizabeth Gray and Lewis Aubrey were in the middle of their vows when Lewis’s brother, Matt, dropped the ring. Flower displays were pulled apart, carpets lifted and floor grates removed, all to no avail. The mortified best man even let guests rummage inside his sporran, but the ring was nowhere to be found. More
From the Petty Witter Times ...... Thankfully no such disaster befell my blogger buddy Dizzy C who on the 8th of September became Mrs Wright. My congratulations to the beautiful bride and her groom. And staying with weddings ........ A pair of newly weds are celebrating after becoming the first couple in Scotland to get married .... in a shopping centre. Craig Anderson and Emma Murphy tied the knot as hundreds of surprised shoppers looked on at Greenock Oak Mall in Greenock, Inverclyde. More
Way to go Mr Beale ....... Being kept awake at night by noisy neighbours is a familiar annoyance among city dwellers. But instead of burying his head under his pillow, one resident decided to give his over exuberant neighbours an X Factor-style appraisal when they disturbed his sleep with a raucous karaoke session. Oli Beale pinned his written verdict on his neighbours’ unwelcome Saturday night performance to the communal notice board at the block of converted warehouse-style flats where he lives in Hackney, east London. More
Could this be the most cheerful car park in the country? A car park has been hailed the 'most cheerful in Britain' for cheering up commuters on their way to work as the managers of Westgate car park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, decorate its stairwells with posters displaying jokes for commuters to enjoy as they make their way to the office. The car park also offers the chance to win prizes with regular competitions for free car parking - and the cheerful ticket-man hands out lollipops to parkers. More
So embarrassing!!!! Firefighters had to be called out to a play park after a red-faced uncle got completely stuck when he tried to take his baby niece on a swing designed for children. More
How romantic ...... Amateur gardener Mark MacDonald was blooming astonished when he discovered this romantic sunflower in his back garden. Mr MacDonald, from Hackney, had never attempted to grow the towering plants before and was pleased when his first efforts reached 6ft. But his delight turned to amazement when he discovered the heart shape at the centre of one bloom. More
But not as romantic as this ........ Love was quite literally a rollercoaster for this thrillseeker whose boyfriend proposed to her on a log flume ride at Thorpe Park theme park in Surrey. Sophie Stock (20) had no idea her partner of five years Lawrence Key (19) had popped the question until they climbed off the ride and collected their souvenir photo. More Well said!! Elderly couple, George and Mary Truell of Lympstone, Devon, erected a fake road sign (shown left) warning drivers to slow down. More
And talking of pensioners, my favourite news story of the week ...... Pensioners, Seb Craig and Patricia Kane, with a combined age of 158 have become Britain's oldest stunt riders .... on 80mph mobility scooters. Seb (75) and Patricia (83) feature in the hilarious new advert for bingo website Jackpotjoy which shows them speeding down a runway on specially modified mobility scooters.More
And last but not least, it's goodbye from me and cheerio from Tarbu....... The African Grey parrot Tarbu, believed to be one of the world's oldest domestic parrots, uttered his final cheerio to Nina Morgan, 89, as she made her way to bed. Tarbu who, having lived an eventful life having been rescued from an animal trader in Tanzania in 1957 and once being taken into police custody after going missing,was known for being vocal and would shout "Cheerio, bye, see you soon" to Mrs Morgan every time she left the house as well as squawking "woof, woof" at dogs, and "miaow, miaow" at cats that passed his window. More
