Jul
31
2009
3

July books

411t7wx6tbl_sl500_aa240_Tuesday’s Child by Louise Bagshawe is an ok book. Lucy Evans is a computer-game-playing-Metallica-tshirt-wearing-tom-boy who lives with her best friend Ollie, a lawyer. When Ollie gets engaged to his vile and posh girlfriend Victoria Lucy has to move out of the flat. As a result she sets about reinventing herself and dressing in ‘proper’ clothes and wearing tights and high heels. She meets a rich man and life seems to be going swimmingly until she finally makes the realisation that she is actually in love with Ollie. This is a predictable but nice book but not one I will bother re-reading!

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21qvhfr6gml_sl500_aa180_A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is a delightful little jaunt through the year of the author and his wife. They moved to a little French village and this is a month-by-month account of their struggles to do up their property and hassles they encounter with French bureaucracy and workmen. It’s very sweet and often funny book but I think I preferred The Olive Tree series by Carol Drinkwater. An enjoyable read though.

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d8ec36c622a01a61bfc17110l_aa240_Innocent Graves by Peter Robinson starts with the murder of a 16 year old girl. She is found in a graveyard by the vicar’s wife, the vicar himself having been accused of being a homosexual. The story is told in parallel, one by the investigating officer and one side by the man accused of the murder.

This is a perfectly good, if rather pedestrian, murder mystery novel. It killed a few hours nicely but it didn’t have any great twists that I hadn’t seem coming which made it a rather disappointing ending.

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41g0nged81l_bo2204203200_pisitb-sticker-arrow-clicktopright35-76_aa240_sh20_ou02_Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen is a really interesting book. I saw the film starring Winona Ryder and Angeline Jolie, but I never realised that the book was the memoir of the author’s stay in a mental institution.

I am still gobsmacked that they managed to get a whole film out of this book. There is very little to it in some ways. The explanations of mental illness are just broad brushstrokes, but somehow they seem reflective for the author’s state of mind and her inability to concentrate on anything. I also thought it was a very sad book. The author’s diagnosis of borderline personality disorder with bipolar affective disorder seemed to be based on very few facts other than she was a difficult, sullen and stroppy teenager. I wonder how many teenagers were hospitalised because they were not understood.

I really enjoyed it. A fascinating read.

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5cd0f96642a0bb12b02b7110l_aa240_Speaking in Tongues by Jeffrey Deaver is one of his earlier novels, and to my knowledge it predates his Lincoln Rhyme series which I think are fantastic books.

In this book, Aaron Matthews, a psychologist gone bad, kidnaps the daughter of a lawyer and tries to kill her. It’s a fairly typical suspense drama with several twists and turns. All highly improbable, but I really enjoyed it.

I have load of books on my bookshelf that I have read over the years. I have decided that after re-reading them unless I really love them then I will Bookcross them. I need to make space on the shelves. I enjoyed this book, but it is not a keeper!!!

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51FCPnZSpdL._SL500_AA240_I listened to The Various Flavors of Coffee by Anthony Capella during my recent travels. It was an absolutely fascinating book.

Set in the late 1800’s the star of the book is Robert Wallis. A poet who as grand ideas about his poetry and his thoughts of earning a living through his art. Due to a fortuitous meeting with a coffee merchant who employs him, he starts working with coffee. The descriptions of the process of grinding, blending and making the coffee as well as the evocative descriptions of the scent made my mouth water.

Initially this book seems like it is going to be a straightforward romance novel, however, with Robert being sent off to Africa to set up a coffee plantation the subjects of power, slavery, deforestation and female objectification raise their heads. On return to London issues around the suffrage movement and fair trade also surface and these issues make this is a fascinating book. So many issues and a good, but quite slow story. I really enjoyed listening to it, and it has really made me want to read more about the suffragettes, in particular the experiences of those who went to prison and went on hunger strike.

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41N132E0BML._SL500_AA240_Lazy Ways to Make a Living by Abigal Bosanko is a rather nice chick lit.

Rose Budleigh moves back to Edinburgh with a PhD in Lexicography. After spending a bit of time staying at her sister;s flat and doing dull market research jobs she meet a bloke she used to play chess with years ago. There begins a rather unconventional relationship which doesn’t exactly take a smooth course. There are lots of chess and word references which I really enjoyed. Not a bad book, but it had been on my bookshelf for too long so it is going to be Bookcrossed!

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41EPGNYF05L._SL500_AA240_Without Fail by Lee Child is a fairly predictable but quite good crime drama. Jack Reacher is summoned by the powers that be to find out who is sending threats to one of the candidates for Vice President. There is lots of shooting, running around and drama Not exactly high brow reading but I quite enjoyed it.

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41s6ASwiywL._SL500_AA240_Handbags and Gladrags by Maggie Alderson is a really nice read. Emily Pointer is a fashion stylist with trendy chic magazine. She is married to a dull and rather irritating husband however the excitement of the fashion shows and the attention of a hunky Australian photographer turn her life around. Whilst this is a book about a torrid affair there are also some rather interesting twists and turns about Emily’s background. A nice read, but I am sure I enjoyed it more when I read it years ago!!!

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41XM0DQNZYL._SL500_AA240_The Stone Money by Jeffrey Deaver is one of the Lincoln Rhyme crime novels. It is a complicated story about a group of Chinese refugees whose ship gets blown up by the man who is ‘importing’ them. The story focuses on the investigation is trying to find this man, called The Gui before he kills any witnesses to his crime.

This is a really good book, surprisingly not too confusing even though it is very involved. A great read and well written.

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96d8f96642a02d4e611c7110.L._AA240_Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes is a really mediocre book which I thought was a shame. I usually really like her books. Fintan, Tara and Katherine have all been friends since they were at school, they grew up together, moved to London, shared a flat and discovered boys together. When Fintan is diagnosed with cancer their live start to fall apart, until they all begin to rebuild them into what they should have been to start off with. I think I just found this book a bit slow going. It was adequate I suppose, but I don’t think that’s a compliment!

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51IW46XP3lL._SL500_AA240_My final book of the month is Storm Force by Eric Gaudion. Eric is a very dear friend of mine who has suffered with acute and chronic pancreatitis for 12 years. Very often he is in a great deal of pain which is only controlled through the use of morphine and he has had numerous operations to try and remedy the situation. As yet he remains uncured and unhealed by God.

This book is directed at this people for whom healing has not been forthcoming. He is very clear that often churches preach a false theology of healing, and for those for whom it does not happen the feelings of guilt and shame can be dramatic. Part of this book involves debunking traditional viewpoints of theology and suggesting how church leaders, as well as friends and family members can learn to live with, and support the individual who is suffering.

Eric is an amazing guy and along with his wife Diane they have been incredibly helpful to me over the last couple of years. They took time out with me when I was really struggling with my sister getting remarried and I have so appreciated their kindness and their love. The book is amazing, but so are Eric and Diane and I love them both. If you are interested in Eric’s story he has a blog which can be found here. If you have a spare moment please pray for them both as Eric is currently in hospital following another major procedure.

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: ,
Jul
31
2009
2

Guernsey Day 5 – Town and Banana-bas

Today has been a day of rest and relaxation. Instead of rushing out of the house to go and visit some tourist attraction we took things easy. Mum picked Barnabas up as my sister had had a bad night with him. As a result I spent a very pleasant hour this morning with him asleep on my chest. After that we visited Grandpa at the nursing home and wandered around town for a few hours and we had lunch with my aunt and uncle. So, as far as photos go, there are none of Guernsey but plenty of me, Paul and our nephew (who we think looks a little like Albert Steptoe when he makes funny faces!)

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags:
Jul
30
2009
5

Guernsey Day 4 – Herm Island

Another marvellous day. The Mister and I took a trip over to Herm Island along with my Mum and Auntie Josie. We also met up with my cousin Dan, his wife and their kids as they are staying in their permanent tent over there.

So, we got the 10.15am boat from Guernsey to Herm and then walked around half the island before finding our way to the gorgeous Belvoir Bay where we had lunch and sat for several hours. We had a little bit of peace and quiet before the rest of the tribe descended but it was gorgeous. We went swimming in the coldest water ever and just chilled out. Herm has no cars on the island, just a few 4 wheeled motorbikes to take the goods and luggage to the various self-catering accommodation. It is covered with bracken, gorse and other hardy plants. It can be a pretty windy island and in the winter I imagine it is a pretty bleak place to live.

I love Herm. It is probably one of my favourite places in the whole world and even these pictures will not demonstrate just how beautiful it is.

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
Jul
29
2009
1

Guernsey Day 4 – Victor Hugo’s House and Castle Cornet

Well, the weather report wasn’t too good today so The Mister and I donned jeans and trainers and went into town. Of course that meant it was boiling hot all day and the heavens only opened on the way home!

First of all we went to visit Victor Hugo’s house, Hauteville House where he lives during his exile from 1832-1848. It is an absolutely fascinating property and many of the furnishings and decor was designed by Victor Hugo himself. It would seem that he was a bit of a fan of recycling and some of the sideboards etc. have been made up from a variety of old chests, chairs, tables, doors etc. The lower floors are really dark and quite melancholy, but as you get further up the house you get treated to this gloriously light study and bedroom with the most sublime views of the other Channel Islands and Castle Cornet. It was well worth a visit and we had a truly fabulous tour guide who was really knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the role she has in retelling the story of Victor Hugo.

P1010487After a spot of lunch The Mister and I headed off to Castle Cornet. When you arrive at Guernsey harbour on the boat this is one of the first things you will see. There has been a castle in existance there since about 1206 and has gone through various stages in its history. Inside the castle there are several museums (some of which we went to seem, some of which we couldn’t be arsed with), but we also managed to see a Living History performance which was really well worth seeing. The woman performing was really good and she was full of useful information.

The other thing that was on at the Castle was an installation by Anthony Gormley called Lot. There were five different figures, all set up high on the castle walls. They are tall, skinny and quite imposing figures. I thought they were dramatic, but wasn’t exceptionally blown away by them. There are a few pics on my flickr account though, so have a look if you fancy it.

Tonight we went to dinner at my aunt’s house, where two thirds of the coven (ie. my two aunts) slightly gave The Mister a bit of a grilling. Or as my cousin Nic put it, “it’s more like the firing squad”. The Mister coped admirably I think!

Anyway, pics from the day…

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
Jul
28
2009
4

Guernsey Day 3 – The Folk Museum

P1010424Another shiny and sunny day in Guernsey. After a visit from one of the aunts for a coffee in the conservatory, The Mister and I went up to Saumarez Park to go to the Guernsey Folk and Costume Museum. I probably haven’t been to it for about 20 years and over that time they have done a brilliant job of tidying it up and adding more exhibits.

I was particularly fascinated with the exhibition of Singer sewing machines, embroidery samplers and a lovely patchwork quilt. They also had a display of wedding dresses and many tools and craft equipment from over the centuries, as well as farm implements and a brief history of tomato cultivation on the island. There are lots of things I love about this place, partly because there are many exhibits that I can recall seeing in my grandparents houses. They also had a display of Cobo Alice dolls. These are dolls, originally made in the 1870’s from unbleached calico and then stuffed with sawdust. They were then dressed with offcuts from clothing. They are a fantastic piece of social history, and the clothes that they were dressed in showed the fashions though the ages. I would love to work out how to make them but there seems to be very little information available online.

After our educational trip to the museum we had lunch with my mum, sister and baby nephew who remained asleep all the time. I don’t know how my sister can moad about how tired she is… he is always asleep when I see him!!! (Louise – just in case you are reading this and are feeling especially sensitive – this is a joke!!!) We then headed to the beach and went swimming – it was unbelievably cold water though. The Mister confirmed that it was indeed ‘bollock-retracting cold’, which was good to know I think!! Can I just say though, it is BLISSFUL to actually spend some proper time with The Mister!!!

More pics….

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
Jul
27
2009
8

Busy bee

I have been very busy making things for my nephew. First of all here is a cross-stitch and secondly here is a patchwork that cost me a lot of money to make and many many hours. I hope they will love them though.

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
Jul
27
2009
1

Guernsey Day 2 – The Occupation Museum

After a late start due to the arrival of my sister and her Spawn, because Louise was “bored” and therefore we had to have coffee with her… and the the arrival of my aunt and her grandson, The Mister and I finally got out of the house. We went to The Occupation Museum for a wander. I have been around this museum many times, but it still fascinates me. Even the fact that it smells like great-gran’s house is interesting. I have blogged about this museum before so I am not going to do it again, but if you are interested you can read it here. I did take some pictures though which are below.

After the museum we went for a yummy baguette and coffee before driving around the coast in my Mum’s poser car and we went to L’Ancresse beach and had a little walk and counted the number of fortifications around that one beach (at least 10) before having a little cuppa.

Now, we are off to the pub for a pint. Marvellous!

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,
Jul
26
2009
2

Guernsey Day 1 – Les Babouins de Torteval

P1010298The Mister and I have had a really nice day today. My sister and her husband came over and I met my new nephew Barnabas. It was really hard, but I managed to get through it without crying which I think was a bit of an achievement.

After this we went to the Les Babouins de Torteval which means in English, The Scarecrow Festival in Torteval. It was fab. Along a set route local people created various scarecrows. They were really creative, including two of Michael Jacson. The one that really made The Mister and I laugh was a scarecrows of MJ which had been half buried, with a sign next to him saying ‘We Know Where You Are Michael.’ and then one next to it saying ‘You’re to Torteval’. There was also a cabbage in a jar… pretending to be his brain! It was one of those hilarious festivals which I am almost sure you wouldn’t see anywhere else. Completely random, parochial and really rather wonderful. Here are some pics for your perusal. If you want more. Click on one to go to flickr!

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,
Jul
20
2009
2

Why I’d Never Want to be an Elder

When I wrote my blog post on Women and Newfrontiers I had not realised that the article in the magazine was written by the same woman who writes the blog Unfurling Flower.

When she wrote on her blog about her article, I posted a comment with a link to the blog post I had written in response. Whilst the comment appeared for a very short period of time she has now removed it. There was nothing inflammatory on there, but merely a link to my blog. I feel that this is a shame as it is once again (in my mind anyway) reflective of this lack of willingness to discuss any issues. Whilst I am more than happy to link to Emily’s blog, it is such a shame that she feels unable to extend the courtesy to those who read her blog but might have a differing viewpoint.

Maybe I should write an article entitled ‘Why I’d Never Want to be an Elder’. My first point would be that I never want to be an elder in a Newfrontiers church, not because I am a woman, but because I believe that open and honest communication and discussion is crucial to developing individuals and promoting healthy Christian adults. Anything less means having people who are followers who have no idea who or what they are following and why they are doing so. Not wanting to be an elder has nothing to do with my gender, but my passion for honesty.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,
Jul
19
2009
2

Another leaving do.

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Well, I have had another amusing day. I went to my Auntie Cath & Uncle Nick’s second leaving do, which was at his family’s house. They are all very nice, but it is somewhat daunting to meet up with another big family. I got some idea of what it must have been like for The Mister to meet my entire family at Christmas. Anyway, lots of good food and laughter, that seems to be a good thing. Above is a lovely photo of me and my two cousins, Chloe and Stefi. I continue to be amazed how alike we look at times.

Families. I couldn’t do without mine. Chloe and I commented in the car on the way home that there is something very important about being able to belong. I know that I can totally rely on my family and they make me feel connected. We don’t always get along or agree, but that is one of the beauties of being part of a family. You can’t change it. You are either in or out, but they are always there.

The other thing that really made me laugh us that Auntie Cath gave me another present from her house. It was a tapestry cushion that was (badly) made by Auntie Rita, the sister to Auntie Doris who was the namesake for this blog, and my alter ego. It is hilarious, especially the cat with the flat head on the right hand side, but I somehow love it and it will take pride of place on my sofa!!

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Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized | Tags: , ,

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