Lovely Blogs and useful links

Blogs that I love reading:


Beffy is an author who deserves more recognition; her blog ramblings are great.

Useful sites if you are new (like me) to blogging:

An opportunity to read books before they are published and additionally not pay for them.  I've lived in Yorkshire a while now.......

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I write this sitting in the kitchen sink; what is a classic?

My new discovery of  I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith  led me to wonder what other classics I had missed and additionally what is a classic?  In my mind it is a book that was around when I was child that my mum or penguin told me I should read, or perhaps was part of the A level English Lit syllabus.  Richard Davies ( 50 classic books ) defines as  “ If people are still reading the book 50 years after it was published then it's probably on its way to being a classic.”   I have to agree with him though, the pressure of reading books because you should disappears after the end of our formal study of English Literature.  I hated Austen's "Emma" although I was brave enough to read "Pride and Prejudice and actually enjoyed it but this forced reading of Austen put me off classics for a long time.   It has to be something more than just note-worthy, it has to be enjoyable and still resonate however many years after pub...
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To review or not to review?

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When I started the blog, I did a bit of research about the art of the review.  The words of Jessica Parker rang in my ears "When it comes to love and life, why do we always believe our worst reviews?".  The google searches and Netgalley advice all pointed to the always see the positive approach.  My mum's favourite saying seemed to be at the forefront: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?".  Looking back, this did explain the long drawn out silences in our house.  Particularly when I got a new haircut...... I cannot always see the positive though.  I'm a real person.  And books that I do not enjoy make me angry.  I feel like I have wasted my time.  In the wise words of a psychoanalyst though, I cannot control the book but I can control my reaction to it.  This public reviewing lark should be a good exercise for life methinks. So.  I got asked to do a review.  I was so excited....
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The Macroodelzig by Beffy Parkin

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Why? See my post " Review or not to review? ", I volunteered to review this!    What? Otherwise known as amazon spiel: Not all pets are sweet and fluffy, some are silly, chaotic and scruffy. The Macroodelzig Amazon link Rusty words  ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕  " Just because she's quirky, doesn't mean she's no good! We're on the same wavelength, we're misunderstood! " I love this book.  As stated in my Amazon review, i t is Julia Donaldsonesque but funnier and with a nice moral undertone.  The illustrations by Tommings are brilliant; simple, funny and bright.  They fit perfectly with the story. We read this the first time with both my four and eight year old.  It stimulated some good conversations.  When the eight year old asked why there was a Mama and a Mum, eyes were rolled by the four year old as he reminded his sister that two ladies can fall in love and have babies.  "Of course!" was the response and ...
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