Books

I'm catching up here a bit so forgive me.

The Queen of New Beginnings - Erica James

The book is easy to read and probably ideal for reading on a beach. It isn't ideal if you are trying to improve your brain. It made me smile in places but is wholly unbelievable. It features a woman trying to escape her past by moving back to the place she lived before, and a famous scriptwriter hiding out following an incident on national television and some neon garden ornaments. Don't get me wrong I like a giggle, and I guess I did enjoy it overall but it didn't grip me and hasn't left me with any kind of send of achievement.

5/10

As an antidote I'm now reading Catch 22, which is sending me to sleep after three pages a night.

I have also read two children's books aloud to Tilly in the last couple of weeks which count in my annual log too since they are long and/or classics.

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

I finally felt I could read this to Tilly, feeling that she could deal with the idea of characters being killed off if I discussed it with her carefully. She was extremely concerned about whether the pig would be killed but ironically didn't seem particularly worried about the spider. I, on the other hand, cried. As usual.

I'm sure everyone knows the story. I had it read to me as a child and remember loving it. A girl raises the runt of the litter by hand and his friend Charlotte saves his life along with the help of an obnoxious rat and some fancy spinning.

The ultimate good review of a book for Tilly though is if it makes her laugh. She was in fits of giggles about him being compared to washing powder and having "radiant action". It was probably the thought of a pig doing back flips. So for this ten minutes of life alone I am extremely grateful.

If only I could write something half as entertaining and emotionally moving.

8/10

The Tovers - Elizabeth Beresford

I read this book when I was younger and thought the idea of magical characters would appeal to Tilly's current fascination with all things elfin. It's a hard book to read aloud as it has references to their own language and some tricky concepts for small people, but she seemed to enjoy it.

Essentially it's fairy like creatures, each with a different trait, living together despite their differences. It's actually pretty relevant from a society point of view.

I know you can't compare but The Wombles is of course her finest hour. I imagine it was hard to follow. But this is everything that little girls like - the idea that magical creatures live amongst us, in some cases helping humans out with problems. We liked it.

7/10