Book Review: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. Sadly, she dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Clearly history (and Kate Atkinson) have plans for her: In Ursula rests nothing less than the fate of civilization. [from Goodreads]

I think reading this rather than listening to an audio book would have been better, especially towards the end when everything gets a lot more mixed up and difficult to keep track of however I still enjoyed the book and was able to keep track (I think) of what was going on.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book, it seemed to begin on a fast changing roll of events then builds slowly throughout ending with a fast paced turn of events towards the end.  Some of the scenarios played out really made it feel like you were getting several novels in one.  I took to the main character Ursula throughout her scenarios and the different ages, she was a strong enough character to hold the entire novel together.

Overall an enjoyable listen.

I also found an excellent review on the Guardian site, check it out here.

Book Review: The Small Hand by Susan Hill

In this short book written by Susan Hill of 'Woman in Black' fame we are told the story of Adam Snow, an antiquarian book dealer, who happens upon an old house and that's when strange ghostly events begin to happen.  Adam is haunted by the ghost of a child and although it begins quite benevolent terrifying events begin to occur.  This book is only 167 pages long so its difficult to give a detailed synopsis without giving too much away.

Even though it was short I thoroughly enjoyed it as a proper spooky ghost story which suited the wintry, stormy weather we've been having recently.  The story although not exactly gripping in my opinion set the scene and atmosphere perfectly and you could quite easily put yourself in Adams' shoes...not that you would want to!  I found it hard to date and it wasn't until towards the end that I mention of the internet helped me place the story in recent times, afterwards I discovered it was published in 2010 but honestly it could have taken place any time between 1850 onwards.  Everything had that feel of dark and enclosed, almost claustrophobic feel, until the very end when doors are open wide and bright lamps are put on.

I found all the characters intriguing in their own way and although we followed the story of Adam I thought that each character played their part well and was believable.

If I had to select a favourite scene it would have to be anywhere at 'White House' where the author goes into great and glorious detail about the state of the house and gardens.  I feel it sets the background for a proper haunting very well without being overly hacked.

Although I enjoyed that the story was short and character backgrounds were kept to a minimum I felt that I came away with a lot of questions that should have been answered, but then a good ghost story should let you make up your own mind I suppose.

Physically I thought the book had a wonderfully ornate cover (shown above), I had the hardback version, and I liked the feel of the paper and the look of the font used throughout.  I liked that the initial in each new chapter was made to reflect the growing of the garden which was at the heart of the story.

If you are looking for a good proper spooky ghost story then this should be your first choice...then read the Woman in Black.

Progress?

Well my last post was all about my aims for this month which were:

• Knit a square for the knitted blanket (still not started)
• Give away or knit an item from my stash (I may start on that tomorrow)
• Paint a watercolour for January (done!)
• Sew some napkins (sort of done)
• Read Stephen Kings' 11.22.63; Listen to Kate Atkinson Life After Life (started)
• Write book reviews for the above
• Do 4 Yoga sessions, 4 swimming sessions and get out walking (1 walk and 1 swim done)

Today I painted a watercolour based on a photo we took whilst on holiday in Pembrokeshire.  I'm quite impressed with myself as I even managed to sketch it out first and I can not draw.  Anyhoo the original photograph was this...

... Somewhere along the Pembrokeshire coastline between Druidstone and St David's.  The watercolour became this...

It definitely reflects the stormy, dark skies of this January but the hope that spring and blue skies are not far away.  I think I made the grass too bright and think I should have done an entire back wash in dark grey but hey that's why I'm learning to paint.  

The next part of the to do was sew some napkins which ok I've cheated. I was in Tesco and they had a pack of four white napkins for £4, so I just got them BUT they could do with jazzing up and I think a nice silvery grey strip or ribbon would look lovely.

I've also had an email from the Reading group and the next read is Susan Hills' The Small Hand so I need to add that to my reading list and get going. Oh and I set myself a challenge on Goodreads, read 25 books in 2014. I thought if I read 12 books with the book group I could read/listen to (I'm counting my audible books) an additional 12...wish me luck!  I can't wait for my underwater MP3 player charger to arrive so I can get some audio books on their for my swimming.  I went swimming on Friday (6pm is a good time to go) and did miss having something to distract me/ keep me going! 

Happy 2014!

Hello and welcome to my first post of 2014.  We're now two days in to the new year and I have been thinking about what I would like to accomplish this year. So here goes:

Knitting

• Finish the knitted squares/blanket from 'Art of Knitting' magazine.  This blanket has been around 6 years in the making and I would love to get it finished this year.  From what I can remember I am half way there and on the learning how to do cables so its quite an exciting project made up of lots of quick, fun knits.
• Stash busting - either sell (eek), give away (bigger eek) or actually use the yarns in my stash.  I'm thinking each month I will make something or give away/sell something that should cut it down by quite a bit.
• Learn to knit in the round.  I realised making the Robin decoration in December I hate making up so think knitting in the round will suit me nicely.
• Knit a pair of socks.  I would love to learn to do this and would really love to start with a book I have called two at a time knitting.  

Watercolour

• Paint a picture representing that month/moment.  Each month aim to paint a picture using my watercolours that represents what is happening that month, any moments or just for fun.
• I'm very much the beginner so anything I do with watercolours is completely new and exciting and I know I have so many techniques to learn.

Sewing

• I want to have a go at making some items I can wear.  I can't help think I'm struggling to find nice pyjamas so might give that a go.  I have a giant white cotton bed sheet we never use so might use that to have a practice
• I also need some napkins for the dining table, not sure what colour or how yet but thats another idea.

Books

• The plan is to go swimming every Friday and I have a waterproof MP3 player that I am hoping I can add an audio book to so I can listen to an audio book each month.
• Each month I attend the Builth Wells Reading Group so have a monthly read from them an often find it difficult to make it through any more books but I do have a wishlist on Amazon the length of..well...the Amazon and a whole bunch of unread books on the bookshelf and on my kindle so it would be nice to make a dent in them this year.

Creative writing

•  I haven't done any since that course last September and it would be nice to try writing something each month but think I may have given myself enough tasks!  Although I hope to use what I learned to write a good book review each month if nothing else.

Exercise

• Keep up the weekly Yoga sessions although this time at home and not at a class.
• Start weekly swimming sessions, Friday nights will probably work best as Mr C is often out with friends so I get a bit of time to myself.
•  In general I'd like to up the amount of walking I do, both throughout the week and a big weekend walk with Mr C.

I think that's quite enough for one year!  So my aim for January is to:

• Knit a square for the knitted blanket
• Give away or knit an item from my stash
• Paint a watercolour for January
• Sew some napkins
• Read Stephen Kings' 11.22.63; Listen to Kate Atkinson Life After Life
• Write book reviews for the above
• Do 4 Yoga sessions, 4 swimming sessions and get out walking

By the way my official new years' resolution is this, to be more optimistic and a friendlier person.  I wasn't sure exactly how to word that and then I seen the new years' message from the Dalai Lama and it clicked.  So my new years' resolution is this...

One week off and look...

...not even half way through my week off and I've finished a re-read of Stephen Kings 'Salems Lot AND knitted up a funky Robin for the Xmas tree. I love Christmas mainly for the holiday!

First off the book review.  I've read 'Salems Lot before although it was around 15 years ago (eek) and have to admit I enjoyed it as much this time around.  The book follows the story of Ben Mears who returns to a small town in the back of America to find he's not the only 'new' face on the scene.  The town is swiftly taken over by vampires and the horror begins.  I re-read it as I'm making my way through the Dark Tower series and the next book features heavily Father Callahan from the 'Salems Lot book so I wanted a refresh of that character and what he went through.  In saying that my favourite character was, and still is, Mark Petrie. Mark is a young boy who although a bit of a loner and a geek manages to stand up to both bullies and scary vampires. He also accepts the existence of vampires so quickly it means his story develops quickly and is more action packed than the others who as adults need more convincing before things get underway.  A great spooky read and I've still got the deleted scenes to read at the back of the book which I'll maybe do in daylight!

To the knitting now. Ok so I never got around to knitting up the baby hat but I decide to move on.  I bought Let's Knit magazine number 72 Christmas 2013 which had a great kit for knitting Robbie Robin. Robbie looked quick and easy to knit up and uber cute too so I decided to get to work.  It took me two evenings to knit and make up.  I hate making up. I hate hand sewing. I hate stuffing.  I think this shows as he isn't as cute as the magazine version but is perfectly suitable for sitting at the top, back, of the tree. My colourwork could do with some work too as I wasn't sure about the red breast.  I did however get to refresh SSK and learned how to knit an icord which was super easy. Instead of turning the knitting you move it up to the other end of a double pointed needle and knit, repeat and you get a long tube like cord effect...simples.  Unfortunately I'm writing this from the iPad and can't figure out how to upload photos direct into the post as soon as I do I'll upload them.

Meanwhile I'm taking a break over Christmas from anything crafty as we're spending Christmas week  at Bluestone, Pemrokeshire and I plan on lots of long coastal walks followed by large hot chocolates :). I will however be thinking of a crafty challenge for 2014 focusing on finishing some WIPs and stash busting and possibly even getting that knitted blanket finished!

Until the new year I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and Sanat is good to you :) x

Edit - you can see Robbie Robin in my Ravelry projects here http://ravel.me/thefunkylibrarian/84na7 

I am alive, honest!

Sorry again folks, it been a bit quiet on the crafting front as I have discovered my new passion, Watercolour painting.  Something else I enjoy but pretty much suck at.  Who cares though, I get to play with paint and call myself an artist!  I'll post some pics over the weekend of my creations.

For proper crafty related material I need to give myself a to do list.  First up is learn how to take up hems on curtains.  Our living room curtains are far too long and when I tried doing something like this before I made a right hash of it so I need to learn how to do this properly.

This is followed by taking up the hem on my wedding dress, something I wanted to do before the wedding but now I want to do it with an aim of being to wear it with other accessories.

In the knitting/sewing related category I need to sew buttons onto the cardigan I knitted for my friends son due in 8 weeks time and sew a little hat too.

I also have a tonne of yarn I just know I won't use so looking to sell some of it or give it to charity shops unless I can come up with a knitting to do list...if you're not on the list you're not getting knitted!

I did however manage to make a giant pom pom pumpkin for Halloween using orange yarn and some glow in the dark yarn I bought a million years ago on ebay.  I quite like him and he can come out to play every year, maybe next year I'll get around to making him some friends.

I've also been reading and listening to a lot of books lately...audiobooks, not just holding a novel to my ear...but haven't got through them either, specifically The Casual Vacancy or re-reading Salems Lot.  I went a bit Stephen King crazy after Doctor Sleep then Kindle Daily Deals gave me a load of King novels for £1.50, and I find it hard to knit and read at the same time.

So hence the to do list as even I am starting to lose track of what needs to be done.  Think I need to clear the decks a bit and get organised.  Oh and I have taken up running again, 3 times a week come rain, snow or shine.  Maybe I need to invent a running merged crafting sport although it already sounds dangerous!

Until next time...

Happy Birthday to me!

Today was my birthday and part of my present from Mr C, which included a trip to Cadbury World, was also a watercolour set.  I tried some watercolour art the other week.  My first ever go at it having never done painting or drawing of any sort since high school, and as I recalled I sucked then but without the pressures of teenagerdome and generally having an idea and painting it turns out it's really good fun.

I had a triptych of a flower that I was going to get rid of but decided to paint over the canvas and redo my own 'art.'  As I am also getting into yoga I wanted to do something to represent the serenity, relaxation, breathing and meditation.  

I quickly realised it wasn't as easy as it looked, but still fun.

I also created a little 3D canvas of leaves I collected from around the Groe and PVA glue which I called Autmnal Burst...

So with my newly gifted watercolour set I downloaded an Ebook from the Welsh Ebook service, alright I downloaded the dummies guide to watercolours, which is a great book and gave me some techniques and projects to try out.  I also learned from the book what I did wrong with my triptych including painting watercolour onto canvas (a no no) and not using enough paint or water!

First up was creating a garden of blooms.  Created by dripping either water onto colour or a heavy wet brush onto the paper.  The paper is pre wet with water before you add colour...

Then I tried out some different brush strokes...

The next technique was to draw a stripe with each colour in my palette to see what they are like.  I also  have coloured tubes in my new kit but I really liked using the cakes so stuck with them...

I also tried the techniques in the book on both wet and dry areas of a piece of paper, a la this...

So after all that, some reading, practice and general playing with my new toy I tried small project one a snowy landscape scene.  It didn't take long to do but the results are quite dramatic. I am super impressed with myself!

So that's been my day of arty crafty.  Next on the watercolour to do list is texture, the book has some ideas but I want to try using different knitting stitches printed onto the watercolours.

I also want to try a still life so now off on a hunt around the house to see what I can paint :-)