A quiet Sunday, here on the ranch. We went to the revamped Dinosaur Hall in the natural history museum this morning and the children were fascinated by a 3D dinosaur in a cage effect. They were also terrified, particularly when it banged its head on the glass and cracked it (immediately restored by the wonders of technology). Jurassic Park, how are you?
This afternoon we walked, very, very slowly to the park and when we got there it started to pour down; a particularly icy shower too.
This is what happens to your blog when you write every day.
In other news, we recorded, for posterity, the Princess singing a song my brother taught her.
Finally, thank you all very much for the glasses advice. Most helpful.
NaBloPoMo – K is for Keyes, Keillor, Kellaway, Kingsolver and Klein
I like Marian Keyes. Irish romantic fiction (no sniggering at the back, please). I have bought all of her books. They are readable and funny. Unfortunately, she suffers from the same problem as Maeve Binchy, her 20 year olds are not 20 they are the same age as she is. That was less of a problem when she was in her 30s but she’s well into her 40s now and her younger characters aren’t cutting the mustard for me (am I or am I not the queen of cliche?). I think she should bite the bullet and have her main characters all be in their 40s. To hell with the 20 somethings. If you want to give her a go, I recommend “Watermelon” as your best bet. It may interest you to know that my husband’s family lived second next door to the Keyeses when he was growing up (fame!) and he says that the kitchen described in “Watermelon” as “the kitchen that time forgot” is very familiar to him.
It was Garrison Keillor who first alerted me to the fact that a whole swathe of North America is actually Scandinavian. I love the gentle humour of his books and their timeless quality. I suppose they might be a bit annoying, if you are actually from the prairie.
Lucy Kellaway writes the “Martin Lukes” column in the Financial Times and for, at least, the last seven years, my loving husband and I have dutifully shared his highs and lows. Of course we bought the book when it came out. It’s hard for “Who Moved my BlackBerry?” to have the hilarious immediacy of the column, but it’s not bad. If you care, Martin has just been made chief exec of A-B Global and his new wife is expecting triplets. For a taste of marvellous Martin, try this.
I enjoyed “The Poisonwood Bible” very much as did Oprah’s book club. I also liked “The Bean Trees” but I am slightly reluctant to attempt Ms. Kingsolver’s latest offering which has been so positively reviewed. I mean, really, is it likely to endorse my choice of fishfingers as a foodstuff suitable for my children?
I wouldn’t say that I am a Naomi Klein fan but I did enjoy “No Logo” and it briefly made me stop in my consumerist tracks.
I liked Marian Keye’s “Sushi for Bieginners” a lot. It was a great summer read.
I love Kingsolver’s fiction but I thought her latest was very preachy. I preferred Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma.”
I have also enjoyed Marian Keyes’ books that have turned up at my bookclub and I agree that Watermelon is her best. I am a sucker for anything Barbara Kingsolver writes. I particularly loved Prodigal Summer. And I have indeed read Who Moved My Blackberry. Shall we just go ahead and apply for twin status?
Garrison Keillor is fab! especially on his widely syndicated radio show “Prairie Home Companion.” I’m sure Ms Waffle didn’t mean to overlook Thomas Kennealy’s “Schindler’s Ark,” but I’m glad she didn’t wax lyrical about Milan Kundera – I thought “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” was dire.
From the dusty looks my (Minnesotan) in-laws gave me when I mentioned Garrison Keillor, I think the folksy Prairie home companion schtick does get a little old over time…