Find me online
Miss Write
  • Home
  • Blog
  • My Writing
  • About
  • WIP

Terminal Reading

8/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Holiday reads are one of the best kind of reads, but often I only really get to power through a novel when I'm in the terminal between flights. El Husbandio is not a huge reader, and often we're so busy and so tired at the end of the day while we're on holiday, not much reading gets done at our destination. If we did more poolside holidays, more might be read, but that doesn't happen with us! We're more backpacking, visiting family and cycling, if the last couple of years is anything to go by - not much pool time!

So, we're off to Costa Rica again on Friday and I've chosen my holiday reads. I finished Frankenstein last night, trying to get it under my belt by Thursday, and now I'm ready for a change. 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry ~ Mildred D. Taylor
I read this when I was in Secondary School (about 14 years old) and I remember loving it but can't remember why. I hope it lives up to the memory!

A Mersey Mile ~ Ruth Hamilton
This is a gamble - I've never heard of the writer before, but I got a 241 deal on another book I bought recently and picked this one up to try. It's my back up in case I finish Roll of Thunder. 

Have you read either of these? What did you think?
Picture
Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...and on Twitter
Born to be a Tourist
0 Comments

Honeymoon Holiday Reads

9/8/2014

0 Comments

 
Now, you may or may not know that my husband-to-be (12 days to go!) doesn't agree with reading books on holiday, when there's so much else to see and do (and I agree for the most part), but I sneak in a few pages when I can. This book-shunning is also a welcomed attitude when I enjoy flying solo! Those terminals in Miami and San Jose have become my 'safe reading harbour' in the many times I've flown to Costa Rica to see him. 

I leave on Thursday for Costa Rica again for our wedding - and I've chosen my holiday read. It's not entirely on-theme for the trip, but it'll be a good read, I am sure. The third part in a trilogy... I loved book #1 and #2 was alright. Here's hoping the author's back to her debut best!

This trip, I will be reading MAD ABOUT THE BOY ~ Helen Fielding (otherwise known as "Bridget Jones no.3")

I've also downloaded my first novel to my tablet. I tried out a short story earlier in the year and decided firmly I preferred paperbacks to ebooks, but as you can imagine, suitcase space is at a premium, especially when I have a wedding dress to transport! So, yesterday, I chose THE FAULT IN OUR STARS ~ John Green from my Google Play shop. Again, nothing taxing, but I think it'll be a good 'un.

Anyone else read these yet?

Bring on the uncomfortable seating at my flight's gate! I've been known to read an entire book while waiting for a departure (The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, August 2012).

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Books Are My Bag!

20/6/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
My wonderful local library, Towcester Library, are holding a book sale. This was no ordinary sale... Anyone can go along and grab a jute bag and fill it with books! Amazing idea - and it only cost £3 per bag. I say "per bag" because I could have walked away with one on each arm, but I showed great restraint in only filling one. That's more than enough to last me until the end of the year and through my next holiday, hooray!

I was a little disappointed there was no one volume there which was on my 'to read' list already, but all the better in a way - my 'to read' list has become longer and I am going to be trying new authors as a result of some literary gambles. Nothing could be worse than Don Quixote, the novel I'm reading at the moment for part of my 30 Before 30!

So how did I pick my books?

Three of them are a present for my fiance: Surviving Extremes (just his cuppa tea), Villainous Victorians (he loves history) and a book on how to improve your swimming technique. He wasn't too overjoyed with me choosing the last one for him - he's a good swimmer already - but I think he was 66% pleased, so that's not bad!

Another book chosen is intended as a present for a friend I'm borrowing a car parking space off next month. He loves to travel by bus and gets his money's worth of his pensioners bus pass, so the Great British Bus Journeys was irresistible as a little 'thank you' present. 

And the rest of the books - all for me! Whoopee! Cancel my social life, I'll be reading! 

I'm chuffed I found an Iain M. Banks novel (love him), and I know Small Island is a winner; I read it a few years ago and loved it - so glad to have my own (almost free) copy! Jodi Picoult is a throwback to my teen years, so it's a bit digressive, but I know I'll enjoy it. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will bring back memories to anyone in my Mr Leslie English class at school - we studied it for SATs or GCSE (I forget which) and I can't remember any of it, so I grabbed this copy to remind me. It's one of those ones you should read, if I remember correctly. The rest are total mysteries to me, author and title. I hope I'll discover a new writer I love... if not, they'll all end up in a charity shop!

I'm starting to wade through the volumes this lunch time with Paul Torday - The Girl On The Landing. 

#ILoveLibraries
#ILoveBooks


15 books for £3. That's 20p each. Bargain. Thanks, Towcester Library! 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

P.S. I pinched the title from an actual campaign - check out Books Are My Bag on Twitter or search #booksaremybag!

Picture
0 Comments

My Writer's Bookshelf

21/3/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
This is my book shelf. 

I love books and just wanted to share my shelves with you this week. It's nothing special, a fiver off a car boot sale, but these shelves are special to me. 

You can see it's not all books... I don't have a lot of storage in my current place and my DVDs need somewhere to go!

I have many more books than this - my windowsill is also piling up with books I want to read in the future. My elephants are kept company by books I love. 

I try to keep the books I know I will read again, but sometimes my list of books I want to read (and therefore have a copy stored somewhere) is an even bigger pile!

The ornaments are treasures from my life. I collect elephant figurines, so there's a few here. I also have gifts from my boyfriend, a hardy plant (can't believe it's still alive!), and one of my favourite photos of me. I really feel like these three shelves reflect who I am!

I will always have a book shelf. I tried out the phenomenon of the ebook last week, and I still prefer paperbacks. Even if my living quarters get too small one day for an actual bookcase, I'll probably pile my books on top of the toilet or something - somewhere!!

What does your bookshelf look like?

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

0 Comments

Holiday Reads: October 2013

10/10/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
I normally share my holiday reads with you, so here's the next installment. 

I'm jetting off to Costa Rica again tomorrow for 12 days. I have, however,  been told by my boyfriend in no uncertain terms there won't be much time for reading. I'm currently working my way through William Boyd's 'Restless', but I imagine I'll finish that before it's time to board the plane.  

I read 'Any Human Heart' by Boyd last summer and really enjoyed it, so no surprises, this volume is working out very nicely for me and my reading tastes... unlike when I read Tom Jones... A spy novel I can actually get on with! *shock*

Picture
I'm also going to sneak 'East of Eden' (1952) by American writer John Steinbeck into my luggage. Just one extra book. I don't intend onto finish this while I'm away, but it would be a tragedy to be without a novel on my return journey!

I've been recommended this book by a former colleague and borrowed a copy off my mum (who also enjoyed it), so it looks promising for what Steinbeck called his 'magnum opus - his greatest novel.  Steinbeck stated "it has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years." I look forward to it!

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, hence my weekly blog post is on a Thursday instead of a Friday. I'll see you in two Fridays time!

If you get bored in my absence, why not visit my travel blog? This blog is published every Monday, including while I'm away, so take a look! 

Recent posts include:

My Travel Life Story - in 150 words!
11 British Tourist Spots You Should Not Mispronounce 
How to find a Novel Set in the Country You're Visiting

Happy reading, writing and traveling, whatever you're doing in the next week or two - see you on the other side!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born to be a Tourist

2 Comments

Dearly Devoted Dexter: A Review

4/7/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
My chosen holiday read for my trip to Costa Rica and Panama last month was the second in the series of Jeff Lindsay’s gripping ‘Dexter’ crime novels: ‘Dearly Devoted Dexter’. I’ve been a huge fan of the TV series based on a fictional Miami Police Department blood spatter analyst serial killer for a couple of years now, but only really discovered the books this Christmas, courtesy of a well-chosen gift from my sister’s boyfriend. He really hit the nail on the head (unassisted??) with that present.

The TV series has been running since Oct 2006, but the books only just pre-date it (2004). I quickly spotted some major differences in the plot between the award-winning TV series and the books. The death of a major TV character in ‘Darkly Dreaming Dexter’ (book one) was a little surprising and disarming, as I really liked this character in the show (no specific spoilers here, I promise!). I also found the significantly smaller role of Angel Batista (David Zayas) a little disappointing, much more accustomed to a more prominent role in for the Latino Police Sergeant on TV. How different adaptations can be from the original texts the author intended… However, once I’d trained my brain to temporarily suspend my knowledge of the TV show content (difficult, as I am currently through four seasons of dedicated viewing), I thoroughly enjoyed the first instalment of Dexter’s serial killing spree put down on paper.

When reading the book, of course, I firmly had Golden Globe-winning Michael C. Hall cast in the protagonist’s role. How could it be anyone else?! This was closely followed by the strong portrayal of Dexter’s sister, Debra, the brilliant Jennifer Carpenter had etched in my memory. She’s a character I’d find hard to forget – love her! The other characters in the TV show were more easily reconstructed on reading the book, but naturally, there were new characters (mainly bad guys) to embellish on with my imagination.

‘Darkly Dreaming Dexter’ maintained the satisfaction I gained from the fast-paced, sometimes gory, Miami based (but oddly, California filmed) storyline in the initial novel. Dexter has new challenges, both at work and home, and is still nourishing his ‘dark passenger’. I’ve been promised the lend of book three (‘Dexter In The Dark’) shortly, and can’t wait to see what else the author has created.

I wonder how Lindsay felt when the scriptwriters for Dexter, the TV show, pulled apart his well-deliberated and cleverly constructed debut novel plot. The evolution has created entirely different beasts – although the monster the series is centred around remains. I’m sure the royalties Lindsay’s undoubtedly received from the TV series and merchandise quietened any concerns, anyway. You can even get Dexter themed bin bags! 

The well-deserved Dily’s Award for Crime Fiction was a great call by the judges. I’m looking forward to more dark tales from hidden parts of Dexter’s life. I’m in luck – there’s seven novels and eight TV series in total.


Picture
As per my Goodreads review, I give 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter'...








Anyone else a big fan?

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
…And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist – my travel blog


** Added note**

Today, my latest Love Film (subscription DVD service, for anyone who isn’t aware) has arrived. It’s the first in the fifth TV season of ‘Dexter’. Time to forget all that happened in the book!


0 Comments

Holiday Reads: The Chosen One

13/6/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
I'm leaving for Costa Rica and Panama in less than 11 hours and I have packed. I have been immunised. I have my diary to record amazing memories. 

All I had left to do this week was to choose a book to take with me.

It took time. 

It took four phone calls to the only local book store I have, which is the same place where stock control is Neolithic. 

I drove 20 miles.

It cost me twice as much in store than if I'd bought it on Amazon a week ago, planning in advance. 

But I know I'll love it. 

DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER - Jeff Lindsay

As you can imagine, a holiday read is crucial to get right. You might be stuck with this novel and none other for a fortnight. This one has been carefully selected as an unchallenging but engaging read I can depend on. I loved the first in the Dexter book series and I ADORE the TV series, so book two will hopefully not be wasted backpack space. 

Have a great couple of weeks - doubtful I'll blog while I'm away (not sure how much internet I'll have), but stay safe and keep writing!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist

0 Comments

A Hard Decision

13/6/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
I will leaving for Costa Rica this week. Far from a holiday, I am going to be working on a Raleigh International expedition for 8 weeks, and have to select some books to take with me. Harder than it sounds! 

Should I choose the books with the thought of swapping them with fellow volunteers when I'm done with them? Should I take ones I wouldn't mind leaving behind should I struggle for backpack space on the return journey? Should I pick something trusty and well-thumbed? And most importantly, should I go for a new and unknown author and story, therefore taking a risk it might not be that great a read? I bravely went for the latter, choosing one by an author I discovered early this year, and one recommendation by a great friend of mine, Ali Walker. Thanks Ali - but on YOUR head be it! *jokes* Wish me luck!

Lou x

Picture
1 Comment
    Picture

    Author

    I'm a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I'm also working on a novel. Still. 

    Archives

    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    May 2017
    April 2017
    August 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 1970

    Categories

    All
    April 2013 Blog Challenge
    Baking
    Being A Mum
    Blog Hop
    Books
    Campaigns / Charity
    Christmas
    Competitions
    Contemporary Fiction
    Craft
    Cycling
    Ebooks & Apps
    Environment
    Events
    #fail
    Films
    Fun Life Stuff!
    Gifted Reads
    Guest Bloggers
    Halloween
    Holiday Reads
    International Women's Day
    Lockdown
    My Wedding
    My Writing
    Out And About
    Poetry
    Random Inspiration
    Rant
    Reading
    Reviews
    Social Media
    Treasured Reader
    Wedding
    Well Being
    Well-being
    Women Writers
    Writing
    Writing Tips

    Get your own free Blogoversary button!

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.