LITERATURE BUT NOT AS WE USUALLY SEE IT.

I don't know how I missed this.

A Guardian article in January of this year starred a blog with the glorious title of LOUSY BOOK TITLES:"Just because you CAN design your own book cover doesn't mean you SHOULD" which, as the title suggests, features some pretty awful book covers, one of my 'favourites being .....

Be sure to click on the above link to view more.


Oh my goodness, how amazing is this .......

Turning The Page, a free exhibition (running until the 25th of May 2013 at the British Academy) shows the work of paper sculptor Justin Rowe who delicately carves books, folding them to form landscapes and characters that literally pop up from the page. MORE

Interesting ...... Recent research has shown one in 10 women feels more intensely for a make-believe male such as James Bond than for their own partner. (Hmm, I wonder which make-believe male YOU favour. PW)

From Margaret Atwood to Jeanette Winterson - authors add hand-written notes to first editions to raise money for ENGLISH PEN.

Take for example how JK Rowling annotated this first edition copy of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone .....

Title page [beneath title] 'changed my life forever.'

Title page 'No shield here - crest. I mean all that came in the later editions. This one's a bit wonky but you get the idea. Perhaps Hufflepuff house would have the respect it deserves from the fans if I'd stayed with my original idea of a bear to represent it?'

p.18 [beneath drawing] 'Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking.'

p.133 [beneath 'Quidditch'] '-was invented in a small hotel in Manchester after a row with my then boyfriend. I had been pondering the things that hold a society together, cause it to congregate and signify its particular character and knew I needed a sport. It infuriates men, in my experience (why is the Snitch so valuable etc.), which is quite satisfying given my state of mind when I invented it.' MORE

Well done to my blogger buddy Lyndsay over at THE LITTLE READER LIBRARY who, along with Daisy (that's her bottom right) and some of her fellow villagers, has created a library/book exchange in their old village telephone box. - Face Book

Tired of/worried about the sexist images gracing many of our sci-fi/fantasy books?

Then you may very well find THIS ARTICLE an interesting read. 

Featuring Jim Hines who, believing many sci-fi book covers objectify women, is 'aiming to zap gender stereotypes'. The article whilst making a very serious point shows the fantasy fiction author (above) straddling the remnants of a defeated alien species (a table), clasping a pistol (a toy gun) as he triumphantly raises a cyborg's head (a toaster) as well as in many other similar poses.

The thing I found most interesting though was THE HAWKEYE INITIATIVE which started in December 2012 swaps male and female characters in an attempt to challenge the portrayal of women in comics. The aim being that if   'Hawkeye' can replace the female character without "looking silly or stupid, then it's acceptable and probably non-sexist.

Please note: All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission.
In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.

VORTEX ESCAPING WORMS, DEFLATED DUCKS AND MORE.

A portal to other times, places and dimensions, really? A concerned Brighton resident out walking his dog claims to have 'noticed' the opening of a giant wormhole or vortex which 'on closer inspection seems to be the opening to be some kind of portal to other times, places and dimensions' that a week later 'seems to have got worse – it is now emitting an unsettling yellow light and a large snake appears to be emerging from the wall.’ MORE

How romantic ..... A man who did not so much forget his wife's 40th birthday as 'ran out of time and did not meet her expectations' has avoided her wrath by placing a whole page ad in his local paper saying simply 'I Love You - R'. MORE

The most unlikely getaway vehicle ever. Police are trying to track down an elderly gentleman who they believe can help with their enquiries. Captured on CCTV in a Portsmouth supermarket he was last seen making his getaway at 4mph in a mobility scooter. MORE

And meanwhile ...... The Military of Defence has launched an urgent appeal to  find two men photographed walking in Dorset with what were thought to be two unexploded bombs on their shoulders. MORE

Whoops! That's an embarrassing expensive mistake to make. The owner of a brand new Porsche has been left counting the cost of a gear mistake after crashing his car into a discount supermarket. Staff at the Aldi store in Cardigan, west Wales, said the unlucky driver thought his luxury sports vehicle was in reverse when he attempted to pull out of a parking bay - but instead drove ahead into a fire escape. MORE

Favourite article of the week .....  Star Wars fans and Doctor Who fans had to be separated by police after a brawl threatened to break out at a special sci-fi convention. MORE (I bet the Star War fans were hoping the Force would be with them. PW)

Remember my mentioning the giant rubber duck floating down the Times? Well ..... The world famous duck has been found deflated in the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong and whilst no one is quite sure what caused the massive yellow duck to lose all of its air rumours have been circulating as to the cause of the duck’s demise. (I personally think it was fowl play. PW) MORE



To be demolished because its 75 centimetres too wide? Rowley Arts Centre, a partly built £7 million cinema complex in Cambridgeshire, has to be knocked down after it was ruled that at 75 centimetres too wide it was too close too neighbouring houses. MORE

You don't say ....... After a man was found stuck in a baby's high-chair in one of its Irish fast food restaurants a McDonald's spokesperson had this to say "“McDonald’s is aware of the incident involving a customer who decided to sit in one of our children’s high-chairs in Winthrop Street – and as you can see, we recommend that children don’t use the high-chair without adult supervision!” MORE

Why its never a good idea to eat when stealing from someone's home ......  Having stopped for some Jaffa Cakes and a pasta meal a burglar was spotted at the home of an elderly couple and neighbours contacted the police. Denying that he had committed the crime, forensic experts found imprints of his fingers on the Jaffa Cake box which meant the evidence 'literally pointed' at him. MORE

And if being caught out by a Jaffa Cake wasn't embarrassing enough how about ...... A Cardiff burglar was arrested after a hero literally caught him by his trousers. The burglar having wriggled out of his trousers and fled in his underpants was later arrested after being identified by his DNA. MORE

Protection: All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission.
In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.

ZAREMBA OR LOVE AND THE RULE OF LAW.

ZAREMBA OR LOVE AND THE RULE OF LAW by MICHELLE GRANAS.

In Warsaw, a shy and high-minded polio victim lives a life of seclusion caring for her odd family until a chance encounter plunges her into the intrigues of dirty politics. Zaremba, a wealthy businessman, is about to be arrested on trumped-up charges and only she can save him. Swept along by events, Cordelia finds her feelings increasingly involved with a stranger for whom she is both rescuer and victim. When Zaremba disappears, Cordelia is painfully uncertain if she has been abandoned and must overcome surveillance, corruption, the media, and mounting humiliations and difficulties to learn the truth.

Although set in Poland, this is a story that could happen anyplace, as young democracies struggle against the temptations of covert operations and older democracies sometimes lead them astray.
..... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Part 1: Chapter 1): Sometimes Cordelia wished that she could keep her eyes tight closed for the entire journey.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 175): "Nothing is less likely than that the police should have an arrest warrant for me. The government doesn't just want me in custody - it would spoil the show entirely if some patrol car were to pick me up quietly; they want to arrest me with maximum amount of fuss and publicity......"

MY THOUGHTS: A debut novel from author Michelle Granas which, once I'd got used to the wonderful but highly implausible idea of thirty plus polio survivor Cordelia with her withered leg and hand as the most unlikeliest of action heroines ...... ever, I quite enjoyed.

Though essentially a story of politics played dirty, of corruption in high places,  of the abuse of power, if like me you aren't a huge fan of this genre please don't dismiss this quirky novel out of hand as Zeremba has much more to offer. 

A story of relationships - I did enjoy the contrast between Cordelia's highly academical, Shakespeare quoting, father and her 'mentally absent' mother, between Cordelia with her unshakable honesty and Zaremba whose own honesty wasn't always so evident  - at the heart of which is a tender (and thankfully non-soppy) love story.

At times a bit far-fetched and perhaps at over 500 pages a tad too long but, worth persevering with, this is a novel for those who enjoy strong (and generally eccentric) characters and good character development.

Disclaimer: Read and reviewed on behalf of the author,  I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
Protection: All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission.
In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.

THE SILENCE OF GETHSEMANE.

THE SILENCE OF GETHSEMANE by MICHEL BENOIT.

On a Passover night, in the midst of an olive grove, a young rabbi from Galilee is waiting. He knows that his people have abandoned him, that he will be arrested. Alone with the stars, he relives the events which have changed his life – his meeting with John the Baptist, his stay in the desert, followed by his two years of wandering – and reiterates his personal message to the world, a message which was misunderstood by his followers, rejected by the authorities and which ultimately leads to his betrayal and downfall.

Michel Benoît constructs a lively and entertaining novel, based on rigorous research and analysis, and gives voice to an ordinary man whose teachings, subsequently distorted by the church establishment, delivered words of hope on the eve of catastrophe.
..... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Part 1: Chapter 1): In the dark of night I lean back against an olive tree.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 79): So it was the son of Joseph, brought up in the purest of Jewish traditions, spent two days among people who had broken away from Judaism, and were hated by his fellow countrymen. Slept under their roof, ate food from the same dish, food that had been prepared by the unclean hands of their womenfolk.

MY THOUGHTS: Perhaps a bit slow to begin with but certainly well worth persevering with, translated from the French by Christopher Moncrieff, overall I thought The Silence Of Gethsemane, a fictionalised account of the ministry of Jesus up until the time of his arrest in Gethsemane, as interesting as it was controversial.

Written by former unordained Benedictine monk Michel Benoît, the thirty years spent researching and analysing certainly show in what is one of the most thought provoking books I'm ever likely to read.

Taking great pains to portray the 'historical' Jesus as opposed to Jesus 'the son of God', I loved the fact that the author went to such lengths to portray and explain Jewish life and the religious laws of that time thus putting the 'miracles' into a different context. That, written in the first person', he had the Jesus of the novel describe himself as an ordinary man, a rabbi, and never the Messiah.

Powerful stuff and so very different from any of the other 'Life of Jesus' novels I've ever read, I can't begin to put into words all of the thoughts this book conjured up for me but I will say that as a non-believer it opened my eyes to the possible ministry and teachings of Jesus the man which makes a lot more sense to me than that of the divine Jesus of the bible.

Disclaimer: Read and reviewed on behalf of the publishers, Alma Books Ltd, I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
Protection: All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission.
In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.

DRAMA COMES TO PRIOR'S FORD.

DRAMA COMES TO PRIOR'S FORD by EVE HOUSTON.

Actress Meredith Whitelaw, axed from a popular television soap, has descended upon Prior's Ford to 'rest' - but instead she creates havoc for the local dramatic society.

Clarissa Ramsay, travelling the world, keeps in contact with her friend Alastair Marshall, who finds himself missing her more with each letter that arrives. Then Clarrisa aloof stepdaughter Alexandra bursts into his life, in search of refuge and consolation.

Unexpected news for Lewis Ralston-Kerr causes alarm and apprehension to his parents, busy refurbishing their tumbledown manor house. And Jenny Forsyth and her husband Andrew discover, when Jenny's long-lost stepdaughter Maggie moves in, that the sweet little toddler has become a difficult teenager with a grudge to settle ....
...... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): The red Post Office van provided a welcome splash of cover in the grey December landscape as it drove down the lane from Tarbethill Farm and turned left towards the village of Prior's Ford.

MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 190): "You're beginning to sound like a grumpy old man."
"That's because I feel like one, and what's wrong with that? Maggie's allowed to have her hair gel and her glittery belly-button, why can't I be allowed my grumpiness?

MY THOUGHTS: If like myself you haven't read the first book in Eve Houston's Prior's Ford series, Secret's In Prior's Ford, please don't be put off reading this, the second book, as it really does work perfectly well as a stand-alone novel.

A bit like becoming a newcomer to the village of Prior's Ford itself it took me a while to get to know my fellow villagers but once I did I found myself engrossed in the lives of characters such as the wonderfully out of touch (as for as teenagers go anyway) Andrew Forsyth  and, my only criticism, the under-used Reverend Naomi Hennessey (think a Jamaican Vicar of Dibley type character with a son) who I hope we get to see lots more of in future books.

Warm, gentle, and yet with just enough soap opera type drama to make it feel realistic and not too sugary-sweet, this really is perfect armchair reading that because of the somewhat open ending will leave you wanting more.

KEEP IT OR NOT?: Ex-library stock. Alas not one for the shelves but I know several people who will love this.

Please note: All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission.
In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.