Beatles Talk

I saw this on blogland this morning - sooo cute.  You do need to have the volume up, for it to make sense.

What I Thought I Knew - Alice Eve Cohen

What I Thought I Knew - Alice Eve Cohen (2009)

I read about this little book on Blogland, and got it out from the library on Monday, and started it Monday night at 11pm and had it finished by an hour and a half later, ready for sleep time.

In this memoir we meet Alice, who at age forty four is finally settled in her life.  With a new partner after a divorce,  a job teaching and a loved daughter she finds herself with bloating and abdominal pain.  Visits to various doctors are unable to find the cause, and so she is sent for a CT scan, where it is found that she is six months pregnant.

With no prenatal care, multiple risk factors and minimal health insurance it becomes difficult to find a doctor to take on her care.  Then with a varied diagnoses of problems with the baby, we get to follow Alice along with all of her choices and questions regarding the birth, adoption, abortion, marriage. breast feeding and family life.

I enjoyed this little book, as she is honest and open to talking about all the crazy questions that must come up when you are surprised by a late pregnancy, especially when you are told you are infertile.

4/5

Music Monday - Adele "I'll Be Waiting"

I saw Adele interviewed on the tele last week.  What a lovely girl and an amazing voice that sounds better live than on the CDs.  Can't say that about many other artists, especially all the lipsinking band of girls - bluhh.

I'd buy tickets to see her if she toured.  There aren't many artists I would like to see - but I would have to think Adele would be my number 1.

Shoe Sunday

I am thinking that all three of these cute sandals would do me for next summer here in NZ.  Our weather is packing in, and I am packing away the birkenstocks and pulling out all of the tights/boots and closed in shoes.  The Uggs are out too - but they are only for wearing at home, never to leave the premises.

Anyways these cuties are from Topshop  and are 25 pounds each.  There is free shipping if you spend 100 pounds, so four pairs would be a good deal  for next summer, or if you live somewhere hot, they would be perfect for right now.

Good to see some cute flat summer shoes, hidden away between all the crazy high heels that no one can walk in. 

Your Voice in My Head - Emma Forrest

Your Voice in My Head - Emma Forrest (2011)

Emma Forrest moves to New York at 22 to be a journalist, and finds herself in a series of bad relationships and dwindling self esteem.  Bouts of bulima, cutting and suicide attempts put her under the psychiatric care of Dr R,

Unaware of his illness, she is suprised to read an email from Dr Rs brother in law announcing his death.  This sends her on another downward spiral as she seeks alternative care and guidence. 

In the end though, I was just annoyed with the girl.   I didn't find her story a fairy tale or romantic.  It was just sad and confused, and she was lucky that she could function with all of her issues.  She was lucky to be able to hold a well paid job, and maybe a lot of her success was due to a celebrity relationship that kept her in the public eye.

2/5

Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult (2012)

I was looking at a few reviews of Jodi Picoults books on Goodreads, and was surprised at the backlash of lots of people who haven't enjoyed her books.  I understand they're not for everybody, but I was suprised at the amount of venom injected in some reviews.

I must admit to loving The Pact and The Plain Truth, but then she kind of fell out of flavour with me.  I do like the family part of the story, but the lawyer/court part sort of drags on and I could do without it, as the stronger part of the story is always about the main characters reacting with each other.

In Lone Wolf,  a father and daughter are involved in a road traffic accidents that results in the father Luke Warren with a head injury and in an extended coma.  Cara Warren, is 17 and looked after her father for six years, but has been injured herself in the accident, resulting in surgery and pain relief.  Hearing of the accident,  her estranged brother, Edward returns from where he is teaching in Thailand to help look after the family.    After doctors describe the poor prognosis for their father,  they find it difficult to agree on how they precede with their care.

In the back of the story, we hear about the lives of wolves as Luke Warren has spent the past few decades living in the wild with a wolf family and looking after a pack in captive care.  He learns their ways and becomes accepted by the wolves, but is away from his own family much of the time, and is not sure anymore where he fits.  I liked this storyline, and did wonder why the family did not refer to it more often.  If your father was a man who lived outside, loved the wild - he would hate to be trapped in a hospital bed - he would want to be free.

I liked the story, but I like hospital tales and feel like this is a discussion more families should have.  Should talk about what they would want to happen to them, what they would want their family to do in similar circumstances.  4/5

MWF Seeking BFF - Rachel Bertsche

MWF Seeking BFF - Rachel Bertsche (2011)

At first I thought this book was a bit American look at me story, but once I got through the beginning chapters I began to enjoy the journey.  Rachel is newly married and moves with her husband from New York to Chicago.  Once there, she finds herself without a best friend, someone she can just ring and ask out at short notice.  So she gives herself a year and goes on a friend hunt.

Trying to use any opportunity to make friends, she decides to search many avenues to finding new girlfriends, which comes across much like dating and finding a man.  I thought it was a bit silly, but speaking to some girls at work in similar circumstances, I think many people find it hard as they get older to make new friends.  We all have lots of acquaintances, but it is so much harder to find a friend that you want to share secrets with, or can rely on in a crisis.

So for that I think it is worth a 4/5.

Music Monday - Nick Cave 'Into My Arms"

My Week with Marilyn - Colin Clark

My Week with Marilyn - Colin Clark (2001)

I was glad that with this one that I had seen the movie first, which is often the wrong way round, but the story was  much the same, except I think that the movie captured the youth of the author in a much fresher clearer way.

It is the true tale of Colin Clark, a young privledged young man who works for Sir Laurence Olivier on his production with Marilyn Monroe in the late 50s.  As an assistant on the film, he finds himself becoming more involved with Ms Monroe, evetually spending a lost week with her.

Short and sweet, it an interesting glimpse of the crazy world surrounding this amazing woman.

3/5

Summer Daydreams - Carole Matthews

Summer Daydreams - Carole Matthews (2012)

The one benefit to the flu fairy visiting is not feeling guilty about lazing around in bed reading, instead of doing gardening or other chores.  However, this bug hasn't really let me concentrate on much.  I had begun this one earlier in the week, and was looking forward to being able to get stuck in.

It is the rather simplistic story of Nelle, who works in the local fish and chip shop.  She dreams of bigger things and after a failed attempt at college, she sets up business making handbags. 

You can guess what happens, stuggles and rip offs start, will she stay with her partner, will she ignore her daughter, will she find happiness and will she become rich?

It was ok - I just felt a bit cheated as it felt a bit of an old chick flick story, one I feel I had read before.  2/5