tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82210617953716886592024-03-18T03:03:10.840+00:00Secluded CharmMusings on various maladies - writing, books and entertainment included.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.comBlogger781125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-55144729303369917402016-08-22T09:12:00.001+01:002016-08-22T09:12:50.480+01:00My New HomeHello all.<br />
<br />
It probably hasn't escaped your notice than I'm no longer here. That's because I've decided to self-publish my novels and am now blogging over on my new website. If you're interested in reading, please visit <a href="http://www.kiteyre.co.uk/">www.kiteyre.co.uk</a>. You can also sign up for updates and be one of the first to find out when my debut novel is available to buy.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading over the years.<br />
<br />
Here's to the next step in my journey.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cQA1CqEkkPg/V7qz1_StDRI/AAAAAAAACPA/bnuDaBkSMSIDiObL-kiWOrViDfTarRbgQCLcB/s1600/kit-eyre-logo-final-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cQA1CqEkkPg/V7qz1_StDRI/AAAAAAAACPA/bnuDaBkSMSIDiObL-kiWOrViDfTarRbgQCLcB/s320/kit-eyre-logo-final-01.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-2361433126337723952016-04-13T08:46:00.000+01:002016-04-13T08:46:47.380+01:00Book Review: Death of an Avid Reader by Frances Brody<i>Death of an Avid Reader</i> is the sixth novel in the Kate Shackleton private detective series (the previous five have all been reviewed on this blog). It's set in 1920s Yorkshire and has become one of my favourite book series ever.<br />
<br />
This novel straddles two investigations. Kate is originally tasked to track down the illegitimate daughter of Lady Coulton and throws herself into that investigation with the aid of her partner Jim Sykes. However, she is also plunged into a murder mystery when Dr Horatio Potter is found dead in the basement of the Leeds Library following an exorcism.<br />
<br />
This was another thoroughly enjoyable read from Brody, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I particularly liked the involvement of a Capuchin monkey and the way the story revolved around the library. It is pretty much like heaven for me to read a murder mystery set in a library, especially given how things wrapped up. There were some interesting tangents but, unlike some mysteries, the whole thing fit together very nicely in the end. The character introduced were necessary for the plot and they were well written - as usual.<br />
<br />
Without ruining the various plot twist there's not much more I dare say about the novel. I will say, though, that the scenes involving the monkey were some of the most memorable. I just wish she'd kept Percy at the end of it all!<br />
<br />
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-49405281661829594482016-04-12T08:55:00.000+01:002016-04-12T08:55:45.513+01:00Book Review: Daughters of Jerusalem by Charlotte MendelsonSet in the claustrophobic world of 1980s Oxford, <i>Daughters of Jerusalem</i> tells the story of the Lux family and the façade of respectability that crumbles through the course of the novel. It's an hilarious and dark novel that perfectly captures the bitterness of life with vivid characters who jump from the page.<br />
<br />
Chief amongst these is the eldest daughter, Eve, who loathes her younger sister with a passion. Phoebe is spoiled and always gets whatever she wants whilst intelligent Eve feels sidelined. As the novel progresses this loathing takes a more sinister turn and Phoebe's machinations against her sister have dire consequences. Mendelson's portrayal of Phoebe's selfishness is exquisite, especially because we've all encountered someone like that in our lives.<br />
<br />
Jean Lux's attention to her daughters is diminished by the desire for some excitement in her boring life. Her husband is far more interested in a Lectureship that's threatened by the arrival of an old enemy and her friend, Helena, has a bombshell to drop about the nature of their relationship that impacts the whole family. I really enjoyed the development of that storyline and how it fit into the claustrophobic environment.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, <i>Daughters of Jerusalem</i> is so enjoyable because it's so real. It melds the academic life with a dysfunctional family life. It doesn't shy away from showing parents with favourites and how this can affect the children. It's a novel about misunderstandings and things being left unsaid. The final chapters manage to bring everything together without tying it all neatly in a bow and there are some truly satisfying moments in the last third that are just reward for reading - even if the entire book wasn't enjoyable in numerous little ways.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-13593188008157345952016-04-11T10:25:00.000+01:002016-04-11T10:25:00.768+01:00Things ChangeIt's been a while since I posted anything on here. I apologise for that - I know you must all be waiting with bated breath... Well, perhaps not, but I apologise nonetheless.<br />
<br />
There have been quite a few changes in my life in the last few months. Perhaps the most fundamental of these was that my grandmother died at the end of February. Long-time readers of this blog will recall our stresses moving her from her home to sheltered accommodation to one residential home and, finally, to another. She settled there at least, and the staff were brilliant. When the end came, that plucky old lady survived for a week without food or water, just lying there in her bed listening to Radio 3. She slipped away with one of her best friends by her side and, honestly, it was time. I owe a lot to that little old lady, I really do. I wouldn't have my MA or my PhD if it wasn't for her support, and one of my most vivid memories of recent years is telling her I was now 'Dr Lucy Brown'. That expression of delight will stay with me forever.<br />
<br />
Along with Grandma, other things have changed. While I'm still interested in pursuing an academic career at some point, I've come to accept that I'm not ready for that. I need to concentrate on staying healthy and looking after myself. I'm not the first to conclude that academia isn't conducive to that! So what am I doing instead? Well, I've turbo-charged the freelance work I was doing before into something akin to a proper job - with caveats.<br />
<br />
I've acquired several ongoing clients who are currently bringing me in a steady income. However, I'm not actively touting for extra work right now. I'm in the very fortunate situation of not needing to bring in a living wage, thanks to living with my father and therefore not having those pesky bills that everyone else has to deal with. This gives me the opportunity to keep my freelance workload manageable and focus on other things as well.<br />
<br />
Top of this list is, naturally, my fiction. Expect an update on my projected timetables over the next few weeks but I'm cracking on with the 12 (!) novel drafts in various stages of completion and rewriting that I've got in the bank. They're not going anywhere till I'm happy with them and, fortunately, the freelance work gives me the chance to continue working on them properly.<br />
<br />
I'm on a good path at the moment and there are other things in the pipeline too. Let's see how it plays out, shall we?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JcZ9v-dNGN8/VwttHK9HIDI/AAAAAAAACOA/IR615izaoaY4QpDeHd8nd3mlfJp-k1gOQ/s1600/12512288_10153908744401070_2324902891468182802_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JcZ9v-dNGN8/VwttHK9HIDI/AAAAAAAACOA/IR615izaoaY4QpDeHd8nd3mlfJp-k1gOQ/s320/12512288_10153908744401070_2324902891468182802_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-49159990072859062302016-03-08T12:37:00.000+00:002016-03-08T12:37:17.307+00:00Short Story Publication - PongoAs I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/09/after-all-its-step-in-right-direction.html" target="_blank">reported</a> last year, I was short-listed in the 2015 Exeter Story Prize. I'm now pleased to tell you that my story, 'Pongo', has been published in their anthology of winning and short-listed entries.<br />
<br />
'Pongo' is a bit of a dark story. It takes place on Boxing Day at a fairground but it isn't one of those typically fluffy Christmas stories. I'm quite proud of it and I hope some of you will get the opportunity to read it. When I have success with a short story featuring lesbian characters I'm honestly delighted. That's the bread and butter of my work and I'm grateful it's reaching a general audience as well.<br />
<br />
You can buy the anthology from Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/2015-Exeter-Story-Prize-Collection/dp/1523831790/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RDEPW52QR1SKM94AHC0" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
In addition, please check out <a href="http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk/" target="_blank">Creative Writing Matters</a> who host these annual competitions. They do a lot of good work with writers and are a lovely bunch.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_561561652"></span><span id="goog_561561653"></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGgEADrnMNg/Vt7HSrjvDaI/AAAAAAAACNk/H6yhjPizrpA/s1600/IMAG0232.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGgEADrnMNg/Vt7HSrjvDaI/AAAAAAAACNk/H6yhjPizrpA/s320/IMAG0232.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-52140391241454947012016-02-10T19:09:00.000+00:002016-02-10T19:09:25.414+00:00Short Story Publication - Dear Violet At the end of last year I was delighted to be awarded third prize in the Fabula Press Aestas 2015 competition. My story has now been published as part of their winners' anthology and is available to buy online for just £5.99.<br />
<br />
'Dear Violet' is a story that came to me when I heard about a postbox that hadn't been emptied for years and started wondering about what kind of letters could've languished in there. I received some fantastic feedback from the judges and it's really been a pleasure working with the editor getting this story ready for publication so thank you to Fabula Press for that. I haven't had chance to read the other stories yet but there are some interesting titles in there and I'm sure it's going to be excellent.<br />
<br />
You can buy the anthology from Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aestas-Fabula-Press-Anthology/dp/1523728264/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455130576&sr=8-1&keywords=fabula+press" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CSv61TMjxTA/VruKZSrDA3I/AAAAAAAACNE/pMkZ8T2HP94/s1600/12688176_10153848366581070_7577431362100577653_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CSv61TMjxTA/VruKZSrDA3I/AAAAAAAACNE/pMkZ8T2HP94/s320/12688176_10153848366581070_7577431362100577653_n.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-8019292903443108232016-02-08T10:18:00.000+00:002016-02-08T10:18:24.726+00:00Book Review: Wild at Heart: A Life by Suzanne RodriguezNatalie Clifford Barney was at the centre of decadent Paris in the opening decades of the 20th century. In this biography, Rodriguez examines the life of a controversial woman, famed more for her scandalous affairs with women and her literary salon than her own literary pursuits.<br />
<br />
Barney is one of those subjects it's difficult to like. Rodriquez doesn't flinch away from examining her flighty nature and the selfishness that permeates the book is a bit overwhelming at times. However, it's balanced out by her generous acts and determination to help fellow writers in various ways. It creates something of a contradictory human being and that, of course, rings completely true.<br />
<br />
Born into a life of privilege, Natalie Clifford Barney defied expectations by refusing to settle down and marry. Instead, she embarked on a series of intense love affairs with women from an early age. She didn't believe in fidelity, though, which caused problems with some of her more important relationships, In truth, it becomes a bit dizzying and her treatment of some of her partners doesn't portray her in a positive light.<br />
<br />
It's easier to be impressed by her literary salon and the spasmodic efforts she put in to championing various writers and artists. The names peppered within this book read like a who's-who of the 20th century artistic scene with Ezra Pound, Rainer Maria Rilke and Ford Madoz Ford popping up. One of the most laudable of Barney's endeavours was to host nights specifically for celebrating women such as Gertrude Stein and Anna Wickham, one of the first attempts to draw attention to the achievements of women when men were getting most of the glory. The most amusing anecdote in the book comes via the retelling of Barney's single, disastrous meeting with Marcel Proust. It's worth reading just for that.<br />
<br />
Barney's lack of application to her own literary talents is frustrating. Editing wasn't something she was interested in, meaning that her potential was never fulfilled. For me, anyway, this was one of the things that annoyed me about her and I was left wondering what could've been if she'd been forced to write to earn her living. However, that would've negated a lot of what made Natalie Clifford Barney who she was.<br />
<br />
In the end, Rodriguez manages an intimate yet unflinching portrait of a flawed woman of privilege. The portrayals of American high society and Parisian life are evocative of a lost age and, overall, this is an excellent biography of a woman who, nevertheless, I couldn't bring myself to like.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-68531918180659297462016-02-07T16:41:00.000+00:002016-02-07T16:41:55.819+00:00Some Tentative Goals So, here we are, six weeks into 2016 and I'm finally getting some goals sorted in my head. Things are still bumpy but I'm feeling ever-so-slightly better. At least I've got my motivation back, even if I've accepted that I need to stop pushing myself quite so hard and give in to the frequent necessity to burrow away and hide. Fortunately, I've mastered the art of relaxation. Way back before Christmas I got a new bed and reorganised my room. It's now much more comfortable and devoid of 'proper' work. I sit up there listening to music and watching my water-effect speakers, colouring, reading and writing fan fic. It's a little retreat and I'm building something of a postcard collection on the walls - John Atkinson Grimshaw and Rita Hayworth - brilliant bedfellows.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zE1pi1ZxEa0/Vrc_bZZ2GQI/AAAAAAAACMg/v43kEpGAHB8/s1600/IMAG0137.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--MWhihN_-Us/Vrc_rH09JDI/AAAAAAAACMo/3-kstaKu9mY/s1600/IMAG0138.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--MWhihN_-Us/Vrc_rH09JDI/AAAAAAAACMo/3-kstaKu9mY/s320/IMAG0138.jpg" width="179" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zE1pi1ZxEa0/Vrc_bZZ2GQI/AAAAAAAACMg/v43kEpGAHB8/s320/IMAG0137.jpg" width="179" /></div>
<br />
These are tentative goals centred on a couple of areas of my life that I have control over. As things stand, I have a trickle of money coming in from freelance writing and tutoring work. It's not a lot but enough to cover my meagre expenses and ensure I can still visit Create for my afternoons of writing. I need to work on my long-term plan but, really, thinking along those lines was proving unhelpful so, for the time being, short-term goals are best.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>'Max' Fourth Draft - </b>I've had fun and games with this one in the last few months (see <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/11/peril-of-naming-walk-on-character.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2016/01/one-in-one-out.html" target="_blank">here</a>) but I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It knows what it's doing and my aim is to finish the fourth draft by the end of February. It's currently at 43,046 words and I've got clear plans for the rest of the draft. It's half-editing and half-rewriting huge chunks but I'm confident I can make a huge dent in that in the next three weeks. </li>
<li><b>'Danni' Seventh Draft - </b>I stopped mid-draft last year, having done most of the difficult rewriting but I'd gotten bogged down with the close editing. This one's at 54,342 words and it's reasonable to say I could complete it by the end of March. </li>
<li><b>Other Novel Drafts - </b>There are nine of these in various stages of rewriting. I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/just-write.html" target="_blank">listed</a> them comprehensively last July when I was in a better frame of mind and I think the order of priority probably still sticks. If you add in my aborted NaNo project, <b>'Jess'</b>, then that's actually ten and that's a bit scarier. Optimistically, I'd like to work on four of them this year - <b>'Liz' </b>has a complete plan and needs the second draft completing, <b>'Izzy' </b>and <b>'Vic' </b>need the second drafts planning and writing and <b>'Kathy' </b>is a fragment of a first draft that needs rewriting in first person and completing. We'll see. If I can keep myself in the writing zone then anything's possible.</li>
<li><b>Short Stories - </b>I didn't submit any short stories in the last three months of 2015. I've already taken steps to remedy this and submitted three in January whilst devoting more time to my short story writing, rewriting and editing processes. I've got a little notebook that lists which stories are at what stage - 'Ready', 'Final Touches', 'Line Edits', 'Rewriting in Progress', 'To Rewrite' and 'Unsure'. Currently, I've got four that are ready to submit and three more that are nearly there. It's time to go through my list of magazines and competitions and find some appropriate venues and, if there aren't any right now, they'll pop up eventually. I'm not putting a figure on the number of stories I want to submit or write but I do want the list to be moving. </li>
<li><b>Academic Work - </b>Now, this is where I'm completely at sea. I'm deliberately not attending conferences this year as I just can't do it and my academic work's stalled somewhat. I've got one half-written paper, plans for several others and I wanted to rewrite and edit two chapters of my thesis to submit to journals. So what happened? Well, my anxiety kicked in. The fact that it's a year ago this week that I submitted my thesis isn't helping, nor is the fact that my certificate arrived in the post this week. I couldn't make it to graduation because of, yep, anxiety so it doesn't really feel as though I've achieved anything. Actually, it feels like a colossal waste of a chunk of my life right now. I have no idea what happens next with my academic work but the frustrating thing is that I still have ideas for papers and the desire to research. I'm a contradiction.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_toXIlNV6Y/VrdxPi0fHWI/AAAAAAAACM4/p5Al7_LTOtQ/s1600/12642682_10153836019316070_5083084516227593847_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_toXIlNV6Y/VrdxPi0fHWI/AAAAAAAACM4/p5Al7_LTOtQ/s320/12642682_10153836019316070_5083084516227593847_n.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anyway, with a bit of luck I'll manage to pull at least some of this off. I nabbed myself a cheap gym membership to get me out of the house and filled a playlist full of cheesy pop like Steps, SClub7 and Boyzone to get me through it. About a third of the songs on there are by The Nolans (and, as I'm typing this my iPod's thrown their 'Song Sung Blue' at me from over 8300+ choices) so at least I can have some fun whilst exercising. There's something especially amusing about listening to 'Don't Make Waves' whilst on the rowing machine - or is that just me? </div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-76828017287147928522016-01-29T12:41:00.000+00:002016-01-29T12:41:20.710+00:00Book Review: The Complete Package by Ann Roberts<i>The Complete Package</i> tells the story of Lenny Barclay, mayor of a sleepy Colorado mountain town, who hasn't been able to pick herself up following the death of her partner. Estranged from her son and having let her business go to pieces, nothing seems to touch her any more. When a corporate planner, Sloane, arrives intent on changing the face of the town forever and buying her business, Lenny gets a bit of her bite back, but it turns into far more than a professional battle.<br />
<br />
As a romantic read, this one ticks most of the boxes. Lenny and Sloane develop an entirely realistic antagonistic relationship and both are difficult to like at times. There are some genuinely funny moments - for instance, the log incident - and it builds to a satisfying romantic resolution that doesn't dodge the issues of the two characters. Equally, the use of location in this novel is superb. The landscape is integral to both the plot and Lenny's characterisation and it's definitely another character in itself, maybe the most important one. Something else I liked was the twist towards the end, entirely in keeping with Sloane's character.<br />
<br />
However, there were aspects of this one I didn't like and they're probably more personal preferences than anything else. I'm not a fan of giving animals viewpoint chapters in the middle of adult novels and those chapters took me out of the narrative a little. Similarly, some of the sex scenes might've been indicative of character but they took time away from other things in the book I found more important.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, <i>The Complete Package</i>, is a nice, easy read that deals with universal themes of grief and greed. It might build to a expected conclusion but it's nice getting there. For all the emphasis on Lenny in the narrative, though, it's Sloane who's stuck with me since I finished this book.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-17295633232739382702016-01-21T11:47:00.000+00:002016-01-21T11:47:24.251+00:00One-In One-OutDon't you just love it when a writing project develops legs and waddles in a completely different direction to the one you'd carefully plotted out for it?<br />
<br />
Back in November, I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/11/peril-of-naming-walk-on-character.html" target="_blank">wrote</a> about the perils of naming a walk-on character in the fourth draft of my current WIP. One of my protagonists had walked into a cafe and started chatting to the owner. It's very unusual for me to actually want to write heterosexual romances into my novel drafts but these two just clicked. So I began hastily thinking about rewriting that protagonist's arc a little bit. Fine. It was going to be tricky but I could do it. <br />
<br />
But something else was niggling. My other protagonist becomes embroiled in a fling halfway through the novel that doesn't add much that couldn't be taken on by another character. The more I thought about it, the more I had to concede that my novel was operating a one-in one-out policy of its own accord and I'd be foolish to argue. For all the good reasons it threw at me to bring in Ed, there were correspondingly sound ones to remove Selina.<br />
<br />
This character extraction is proving a little trickier. I've been working from a heavily marked-up third draft with notes that are now completely obsolete as I rewrite entire scenes from scratch. To combat that sensation of being adrift, I've created a chapter check list about what needs to be added/removed in each chapter. Once the fourth draft is done some earlier chapters will need ironing out to remove stuff that's now irrelevant. Yet it's all perfectly doable.<br />
<br />
The fourth draft's currently at 31,170 words and I'm making slow and steady progress. I'm labouring under the assumption that the novel knows what it's doing. Let's hang onto that for as long as possible, shall we?<br />
<br />
And the good news? At least I'm writing again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LfK-B8f8GKA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LfK-B8f8GKA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-15030219438549342902016-01-07T10:12:00.000+00:002016-01-07T10:12:50.983+00:00Classic Film Review: The Dark Mirror (1946)<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038455/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3" target="_blank">The Dark Mirror</a></i> stars Olivia de Havilland as twins Ruth and Terry Collins. A man is murdered and the woman suspected is Ruth. However, thanks to some complex legal wrangling, neither she nor her twin sister Terry can be convicted of the crime because no one knows which of them did it. Lieutenant Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) is determined to solve the case and asks psychiatrist Dr. Scott Elliot (Lew Ayres) to work out whodunnit.<br />
<br />
My Olivia de Havilland education is sadly lacking with <i>The Dark Mirror</i> only my third film of hers (see reviews of <i>Government Girl</i> (1943) <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2013/07/classic-film-review-government-girl-1943.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i> (1939) <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2013/07/classic-film-review-private-lives-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>). However, it's not as though I'm unaware of her excellence and maybe her centenary year is the right time to delve further into her career. Certainly, she is the reason why <i>The Dark Mirror </i>is so interesting. The psychological discussions seem a little dated now but the nuances of character that de Havilland brings to both women are excellent. She plays a nice woman and an evil one with such subtlety that, even when you're clued in on what's going on, it's a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle. It's not difficult to see how the special effects of de Havilland playing both parts was managed but it doesn't have to be complex, it just has to work, and it does. If you didn't know there was only one actress involved, I doubt you'd be able to guess.<br />
<br />
It's an atmospheric film and I'll admit I was getting nervous the closer I got to the end. There's a twist that I was both expecting and hoping for and the reasoning behind the murder comes across as refreshingly human in the end. Ultimately, I was gripped by this one and my tiptoeing into the films of Olivia de Havilland is going well.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8mpoWtOKas/VolsNosE91I/AAAAAAAACLk/wEVW5UjuThA/s1600/4427-3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8mpoWtOKas/VolsNosE91I/AAAAAAAACLk/wEVW5UjuThA/s320/4427-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-78672775506938925442016-01-01T20:21:00.001+00:002016-01-01T20:25:36.062+00:00Farewell 2015...You know, every year I seem to write in these posts that things got worse when I thought they couldn't. Guess what? Yeah, same goes.<br />
<br />
Quite frankly, I'm a mess and there's no way of fixing me. Thanks to my anxiety, my world has continued to shrink all year until I'm capable of doing very little beyond sitting in this chair. That makes a celebration of 2015 a little redundant and it certainly doesn't bode well for 2016.<br />
<br />
So, yes, I finally completed my PhD in 2015 but so what? It's not like I can do anything with it. I can't apply for the jobs I want or volunteer for teaching experience so, essentially, I've wasted my time.<br />
<br />
People in my life like to point to the PhD as a sign of success in the same way they talk about the short stories victories I've had this year and the fact that I twice stood for local election. What they don't seem to understand is that it's all pretty irrelevant when you can't build on it. After all, the intention wasn't to get a new certificate to brighten up these four walls.<br />
<br />
And what about the writing? Well, back in July I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/i-hate-july.html" target="_blank">wrote</a> this: <i>But so I can write - so what? That makes no difference to anything, it changes nothing. The things I can't do are weighing down the scales on the other side and I'm not making enough headway with my writing to keep me afloat. So...what? Well, I don't know. </i>It still stands. Writing is one of the only things I've got left but I can barely bring myself to focus any more. The sad thing is, there are all these stories <i>I've</i> written or partly written and I'm the only one who can work out how they should ultimately look but I can't do it. I've been writing primarily for myself for a while now but maybe there just comes a point where happy endings don't come easy. And my characters... Well, they deserve happy endings.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, I don't think this is my fault. I tried this year and I pushed myself hard. People who suggest otherwise don't know a thing about it. The things I can't do are the things other people do without thinking and it isn't just vague anxiety stopping me - it's acute and it's debilitating. Faced with that, what do you do?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK0p7kiVNU9HM8YExh2Gbdg_hN2CHFdgFTvPzHOSq48GiiKrexqvLgzXScQPpZFw9WghPfi9-_xHzvuI2d8Sjq4X0mDkhOOA9BccKGgHGIWzAJyyIZBjYyFKXCZoFaW5u03f0qzLYS0DU/s1600/12049603_10153594189886070_2433712682168130120_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK0p7kiVNU9HM8YExh2Gbdg_hN2CHFdgFTvPzHOSq48GiiKrexqvLgzXScQPpZFw9WghPfi9-_xHzvuI2d8Sjq4X0mDkhOOA9BccKGgHGIWzAJyyIZBjYyFKXCZoFaW5u03f0qzLYS0DU/s320/12049603_10153594189886070_2433712682168130120_n.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<br />
There won't be a traditional companion piece looking forward to 2016 because I can't write one. However, I do have some positive memories of 2015 before things got quite this bad. Viva day was enjoyable, as were London and York, plus all the afternoons spent with my nieces watching Disney films on repeat. Election night was great and I met some wonderful people this year, both politically and otherwise. Thanks to them, primarily for putting up with a hell of a lot of rubbish when other people wouldn't have bothered. Have a little Carol Burnett from me...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ixV-D0juskE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixV-D0juskE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-81445362403016011982016-01-01T18:48:00.000+00:002016-01-01T18:48:17.115+00:002016 Reading ChallengesGiven that I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2016/01/2015-reading-challenges-round-up.html" target="_blank">failed</a> miserably with reading challenges in 2015, I've decided on a new approach for 2016 that doesn't require me to commit to external challenges. Maybe this is another sign of me regressing but it's the only way I'm going to put together a 2016 challenge list so que sera sera.<br />
<br />
There are three categories in my personal reading challenge with all books identified beforehand. I might have more success with these categories and the first two will at least attack my TBR pile. There'll be individual reviews for the books in those categories then one master post detailing my thoughts on the rereads of the third category.<br />
<br />
This post will be updated throughout the year with links. Theoretically.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Challenge One - TBR Pile</b></div>
<b><br /></b>
Twenty books taken from my TBR bookcase. Only stipulation is that they can't be classics - they get a list of their own.<br />
<ol>
<li><i>The Friendly Young Ladies</i> by Mary Renault</li>
<li><i>Collected Stories</i> by Dylan Thomas</li>
<li><i>Pages for You</i> by Sylvia Brownrigg</li>
<li><i>Author, Author</i> by David Lodge</li>
<li><i>Son of a Witch </i>by Gregory Maguire</li>
<li><i>The Selected Letters of Charles Dickens</i> ed. Jenny Hartley</li>
<li><i>Love Game: A History of Tennis</i> by Elizabeth Wilson</li>
<li><i>Shadows of the Workhouse </i>by Jennifer Worth</li>
<li><i>Wilkie Collins </i>by Peter Ackroyd</li>
<li><i>The Debs of Bletchley Park</i> by Michael Smith</li>
<li><i>Events, Dear Boy, Events: A Political Diary of Britain 1921-2010</i> ed. Ruth Winstone</li>
<li><i>The Walk</i> by Robert Walser</li>
<li><i>Confronting the Classics</i> by Mary Beard</li>
<li><i>Underworld London</i> by Catharine Arnold</li>
<li><i>The Bletchley Girls</i> by Tessa Dunlop</li>
<li><i>Virginia Woolf</i> by Mary Ann Caws</li>
<li><i>Cathedrals and Castles</i> by Henry James</li>
<li><i>The Invention of Murder</i> by Judith Flanders</li>
<li><i>Too Many Mothers</i> by Roberta Taylor</li>
<li><i>The Devil in the Marshalsea</i> by Antonia Hodgson</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Challenge Two - Classics Challenge</b></div>
<b><br /></b>
Twenty books taken from my TBR classics Kindle list and bookcase. I should really have read some of these already and several of these have been on TBR lists for the last few years.<br />
<ol>
<li><i>The Mill on the Floss </i>by George Eliot</li>
<li><i>Jude the Obscure </i>by Thomas Hardy</li>
<li><i>Tono-Bungay </i>by H.G. Wells</li>
<li><i>Mary Barton </i>by Elizabeth Gaskell</li>
<li><i>Wives and Daughters</i> by Elizabeth Gaskell</li>
<li><i>Barnaby Rudge</i> by Charles Dickens</li>
<li><i>Our Mutual Friend</i> by Charles Dickens </li>
<li><i>Dombey and Son</i> by Charles Dickens</li>
<li><i>The New Magdalen</i> by Wilkie Collins</li>
<li><i>Barchester Towers</i> by Anthony Trollope</li>
<li><i>The Europeans</i> by Henry James</li>
<li><i>Mathilda</i> by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley</li>
<li><i>The Evil Guest</i> by J.S. Le Fanu</li>
<li><i>Born in Exile</i> by George Gissing</li>
<li><i>The Whirlpool </i>by George Gissing</li>
<li><i>The Mystery of a Hansom Cab</i> by Fergus Hume</li>
<li><i>Charlotte's Inheritance</i> by Mary Elizabeth Braddon</li>
<li><i>Henry Dunbar</i> by Mary Elizabeth Braddon</li>
<li><i>Anna of the Five Towns</i> by Arnold Bennett</li>
<li><i>In the Days of My Youth</i> by Amelia Edwards</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Challenge Three - Rereading Challenge</b></div>
<b><br /></b>
I don't reread enough and I want to. Reorganising my books a few months ago reminded me how many fantastic books I have that I'd like to read again. This list is longer than the first two for a very good reason - <i>Harry Potter</i> has seven books in itself!<br />
<ol>
<li><i>Tell it to the Bees</i> by Fiona Shaw</li>
<li><i>The Help</i> by Kathryn Stockett</li>
<li><i>The Green Mile</i> by Stephen King</li>
<li><i>The Lifeboat</i> by Charlotte Rogan</li>
<li><i>Westwood</i> by Stella Gibbons</li>
<li><i>Wicked</i> by Gregory Maguire</li>
<li><i>Gillespie and I </i>by Jane Harris</li>
<li><i>Sing You Home</i> by Jodi Picoult</li>
<li><i>Emma </i>by Jane Austen</li>
<li><i>The Night Watch</i> by Sarah Waters</li>
<li><i>Save Me the Waltz</i> by Zelda Fitzgerald</li>
<li><i>Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee</i> by Meera Syal</li>
<li><i>Man and Wife</i> by Wilkie Collins</li>
<li><i>Persuasion</i> by Jane Austen</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</i> by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i> by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban </i>by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire </i>by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix </i>by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince </i>by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows </i>by J.K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Little Face</i> by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>Hurting Distance </i>by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>The Point of Rescue </i>by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>The Other Half Lives </i>by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>A Room Swept White</i> by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>Lasting Damage</i> by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>Kind of Cruel </i>by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>The Carrier </i>by Sophie Hannah</li>
<li><i>The Telling Error </i>by Sophie Hannah</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8EH4qClu-g/Voa6HdABurI/AAAAAAAACJ4/doMQ2v5xoWI/s1600/10428096_10153052171186070_6820927151385124981_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8EH4qClu-g/Voa6HdABurI/AAAAAAAACJ4/doMQ2v5xoWI/s320/10428096_10153052171186070_6820927151385124981_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-64365394264852499562016-01-01T18:44:00.000+00:002016-01-01T18:44:52.411+00:002015 Reading Challenges Round UpWell, I failed quite spectacularly at all the challenges I attempted. No surprise there but the books I did manage to read are linked below.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>New Author Challenge</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
I suppose, in my defence, I read other books by 'new to me' authors so this looks worse than it was. Out of the three I got to, <i>Dead to Me</i> was my favourite and I'll be reading more of Staincliffe's work in the future. </div>
<div>
</div>
<ol>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-middlesteins-by-jami.html" target="_blank">The Middlesteins</a></i> by Jami Attenberg</li>
<li><i>After Me Comes the Flood</i> by Sarah Perry</li>
<li><i>The Failed Assassin</i> by Richard Pierce</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-dead-to-me-by-cath.html" target="_blank">Dead to Me</a></i> by Cath Staincliffe</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-accidental-mother-by-rowan.html" target="_blank">The Accidental Mother</a></i> by Rowan Coleman</li>
<li><i>Heresy</i> by S.J. Parris</li>
<li><i>The Bawdy Basket</i> by Edward Marston</li>
<li><i>The Lost Abbot</i> by Susanna Gregory</li>
<li><i>The Heir of Redclyffe</i> by Charlotte Yonge</li>
<li><i>Patricia Brent, Spinster</i> by Herbert George Jenkins</li>
<li><i>The Betrothed </i>by Alessandro Manzoni</li>
<li><i>The Mystery of a Hansom Cab</i> by Fergus Hume</li>
<li><i>King Solomon's Mines </i>by Henry Rider Haggard</li>
<li><i>The Angel of Terror</i> by Edgar Wallace</li>
<li><i>The Bartlett Mystery </i>by Louis Tracy</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDo2R2C3UlMdKheylXOcSjfmz2UiWTQYQ309olHvIfBgGgnxz2UXPqv3_AQdjID8SXc60nl1NASzM3I-Xqt5xDLYRDBHjOgtWLfjIcp3Q1WTUV8uaDjfAQctMn8eRij_E3d7pAX4XWPV0/s1600/NAC.2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDo2R2C3UlMdKheylXOcSjfmz2UiWTQYQ309olHvIfBgGgnxz2UXPqv3_AQdjID8SXc60nl1NASzM3I-Xqt5xDLYRDBHjOgtWLfjIcp3Q1WTUV8uaDjfAQctMn8eRij_E3d7pAX4XWPV0/s1600/NAC.2015.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Women Challenge</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
I did a little better with this one and, again, I read other books by women not related to the challenge. Thoroughly enjoyed the Frances Brody novels I read this year and Stella Gibbons is always a favourite. </div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><i>The Mill on the Floss</i> by George Eliot</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-brick-mother-by-sj-bradley.html" target="_blank">Brick Mother</a></i> by S.J. Bradley</li>
<li><i>The Lovels of Arden</i> by Mary Elizabeth Braddon</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-paying-guests-by-sarah.html" target="_blank">The Paying Guests</a></i> by Sarah Waters</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-here-be-dragons-by-stella.html" target="_blank">Here Be Dragons</a></i> by Stella Gibbons</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-sylvias-lovers-by-elizabeth.html" target="_blank">Sylvia's Lovers</a></i> by Elizabeth Gaskell</li>
<li><i>In the Days of My Youth</i> by Amelia Edwards</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-murder-on-summers-day-by.html" target="_blank">Murder on a Summer's Day</a></i> by Frances Brody</li>
<li><i>Mathilda</i> by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley</li>
<li><i>Camilla</i> by Fanny Burney</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-pride-and-prejudice-by-jane.html" target="_blank">Pride and Prejudice</a></i> by Jane Austen</li>
<li><i>Wives and Daughters</i> by Elizabeth Gaskell</li>
<li><i>Nancy</i> by Rhoda Broughton</li>
<li><i>Miss Marjoribanks</i> by Margaret Oliphant</li>
<li><i>The Story of an African Farm</i> by Olive Schreiner</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Me9Jq-Tl9OI/VKHd7N8b5pI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/QCi7r1EfP8E/s1600/women3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Me9Jq-Tl9OI/VKHd7N8b5pI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/QCi7r1EfP8E/s1600/women3.PNG" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>TBR Challenge</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
Failed at this before and failed again. <i>The Lazy Tour</i> was rather good though. </div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><i>Author, Author</i> by David Lodge</li>
<li><i>Mutants</i> by Armand Marie Leroi</li>
<li><i>Radclyffe Hall: A Woman Called John</i> by Sally Cline</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-lazy-tour-of-two-idle.html" target="_blank">The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices</a></i> by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins</li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-secret-diaries-of-miss-anne.html" target="_blank">The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-800-years-of-womens-letters.html" target="_blank">800 Years of Women's Letters</a></i></li>
<li><i>Collected Stories</i> by Dylan Thomas</li>
<li><i>Henry Dunbar</i> by Mary Elizabeth Braddon</li>
<li><i>The New Magdalen</i> by Wilkie Collins</li>
<li><i>Our Mutual Friend</i> by Charles Dickens</li>
<li><i>The Moon and Sixpence</i> by W. Somerset Maugham</li>
<li><i>Witch Stories </i>by Eliza Lynn Linton</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PTsP4DkHcDY/VKHguxVDQDI/AAAAAAAAB4c/xL2zfF8H2U4/s1600/2015tbrbutton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PTsP4DkHcDY/VKHguxVDQDI/AAAAAAAAB4c/xL2zfF8H2U4/s1600/2015tbrbutton.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Victorian Bingo Challenge</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
Er, yes, failed miserably. However, both books I read from this challenge have found their way into my favourites so it can't be all bad. </div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Book Published in the 1840s - <i>Dombey and Son</i> by Charles Dickens</li>
<li>Male Author - <i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-warden-by-anthony-trollope.html" target="_blank">The Warden</a></i> by Anthony Trollope</li>
<li>Female Author - <i>Charlotte's Inheritance</i> by Mary Elizabeth Braddon</li>
<li>Book with a Name as the Title - <i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-felix-holt-radical-by.html" target="_blank">Felix Holt, the Radical</a></i> by George Eliot</li>
<li>Book Published in Serial Format - <i>The Cloister and the Hearth</i> by Charles Reade</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NIhPpX6deQ0/VKHihpsSBtI/AAAAAAAAB4o/xGhxM4UQLvA/s1600/VictorianReadingChallenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NIhPpX6deQ0/VKHihpsSBtI/AAAAAAAAB4o/xGhxM4UQLvA/s1600/VictorianReadingChallenge.png" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Reading England Challenge</u></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
Alas, not a page turned. </div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Berkshire - <i>Jude the Obscure</i> by Thomas Hardy</li>
<li>Essex - <i>Barnaby Rudge</i> by Charles Dickens</li>
<li>Derbyshire - <i>Rookwood</i> by W.H. Ainsworth</li>
<li>Nottinghamshire - <i>Sons and Lovers</i> by D.H. Lawrence</li>
<li>Somerset - <i>Lorna Doone</i> by R.D. Blackmore</li>
<li>Lancashire - <i>Mary Barton</i> by Elizabeth Gaskell</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEqSWwSd0CFjKfPvswx8nr9-gIvsh1fVvM6mCDuQDEMVdDWYCo1orve5iDDQsjs3I9Cf5-xzhdk1dvHmlQ5ImRg8RU2XNHsCwrnENY_PQBIAvYf-RhUUWK8wsbS4hHoYd0i3nzcSE7a5B/s1600/reading+england+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEqSWwSd0CFjKfPvswx8nr9-gIvsh1fVvM6mCDuQDEMVdDWYCo1orve5iDDQsjs3I9Cf5-xzhdk1dvHmlQ5ImRg8RU2XNHsCwrnENY_PQBIAvYf-RhUUWK8wsbS4hHoYd0i3nzcSE7a5B/s1600/reading+england+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-27760992584477700502016-01-01T18:42:00.000+00:002016-01-01T18:42:27.968+00:00My Favourite Books of 2015One benefit of not reading enough is that the good books I've read stand out that little bit more. Interesting thing? I read all of these in the first seven months of the year. You can find the complete list of books I've read this year <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2016/01/collected-book-reviews-2015.html" target="_blank">here</a> but these are my top five, in no particular order.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Dead to Me</i> by Cath Staincliffe</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4g2ftFhnAfQ/VobHgSVxqII/AAAAAAAACKI/HvINDm51HIg/s1600/13495678.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4g2ftFhnAfQ/VobHgSVxqII/AAAAAAAACKI/HvINDm51HIg/s320/13495678.jpg" width="205" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The first book I read in 2015 is still one of my favourites. A prequel to the <i>Scott & Bailey</i> television series, this was an excellent read and the plan is still to read the next novel when I get a chance. My full review can be found <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-dead-to-me-by-cath.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Felix Holt, the Radical</i> by George Eliot</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRR8_7KLcV4/VobHjMqSdoI/AAAAAAAACKU/XQnsdfh-Ekc/s1600/5185HPw9-yL._SX320_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRR8_7KLcV4/VobHjMqSdoI/AAAAAAAACKU/XQnsdfh-Ekc/s320/5185HPw9-yL._SX320_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="206" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's taken quite a while for me to find an Eliot book that really got me but <i>Felix Holt </i> turned out to be it. Almost a year later I'm still thinking about the evocative riot scenes and this is one of those rare novels I remember exactly where I was when I read it, down to the bumps on the track between Wakefield and Sheffield. My full review can be found <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-felix-holt-radical-by.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Inseparable: Desire Between Women in Literature</i> by Emma Donoghue</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2pPik93OvXc/VobHsG4wJ2I/AAAAAAAACKg/qk5YJBk-8TQ/s1600/41tWV-2c4wL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2pPik93OvXc/VobHsG4wJ2I/AAAAAAAACKg/qk5YJBk-8TQ/s320/41tWV-2c4wL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My favourite non-fiction book of the year, this is an excellent analysis of same-sex desire that has provided me with so much potential reading material that it's already paid for itself ten times over. My full review can be found <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-inseparable-desire-between.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Murder in the Afternoon</i> by Frances Brody</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sphMfVCTmO0/VobH1_Geq8I/AAAAAAAACKs/tfAsryyCgRY/s1600/afternoon.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sphMfVCTmO0/VobH1_Geq8I/AAAAAAAACKs/tfAsryyCgRY/s400/afternoon.jpg" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My infatuation with Kate Shackleton doesn't seem to be easing but who cares? Out of the three Brody novels I reviewed in 2015, this one is my favourite thanks to the Wakefield setting. My full review can be found <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-murder-in-afternoon-by.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Here Be Dragons</i> by Stella Gibbons</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uo7DNEEYUs8/VobII0kKJwI/AAAAAAAACLE/Hy3AG74hrws/s1600/11100043.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uo7DNEEYUs8/VobII0kKJwI/AAAAAAAACLE/Hy3AG74hrws/s320/11100043.jpg" width="208" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here's another author who I could read forever. No matter what I think of a Gibbons plot, the settings are evocative and the characters memorable. <i>Here Be Dragons</i> is another excellent examination of post-war London and it struck a chord. My full review can be found <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-here-be-dragons-by-stella.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-13793828638139205092016-01-01T18:34:00.001+00:002016-01-01T18:34:46.191+00:00Collected Book Reviews 2015Every year this list seems to get smaller and every year I wish I'd read more. Alas, 2015 is no exception. Here are the books I managed to read this year.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-dead-to-me-by-cath.html" target="_blank">Dead to Me</a></i> by Cath Staincliffe<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-felix-holt-radical-by.html" target="_blank">Felix Holt: the Radical</a></i> by George Eliot<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-lazy-tour-of-two-idle.html" target="_blank">The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices</a></i> by Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-medal-for-murder-by-frances.html" target="_blank">A Medal for Murder</a> </i>by Frances Brody<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/02/book-review-four-stories-by-alan-bennett.html" target="_blank">Four Stories</a></i> by Alan Bennett<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-middlesteins-by-jami.html" target="_blank">The Middlesteins</a></i> by Jami Attenberg<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-warden-by-anthony-trollope.html" target="_blank">The Warden</a></i> by Anthony Trollope<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-call-midwife-by-jennifer.html" target="_blank">Call the Midwife</a></i> by Jennifer Worth<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-dead-duke-his-secret-wife.html" target="_blank">The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse</a></i> by Piu Marie Eatwell<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-inseparable-desire-between.html" target="_blank">Inseparable: Desire Between Women in Literature</a></i> by Emma Donoghue<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-paying-guests-by-sarah.html" target="_blank">The Paying Guests</a></i> by Sarah Waters<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-rubyfruit-jungle-by-rita.html" target="_blank">Rubyfruit Jungle</a></i> by Rita Mae Brown<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-sylvias-lovers-by-elizabeth.html" target="_blank">Sylvia's Lovers</a></i> by Elizabeth Gaskell<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-murder-in-afternoon-by.html" target="_blank">Murder in the Afternoon</a></i> by Frances Brody<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-hild-by-nicola-griffith.html" target="_blank">Hild</a></i> by Nicola Griffith<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-800-years-of-womens-letters.html" target="_blank">800 Years of Women's Letters</a></i> ed. Olga Kenyon<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-here-be-dragons-by-stella.html" target="_blank">Here Be Dragons</a></i> by Stella Gibbons<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-review-accidental-mother-by-rowan.html" target="_blank">The Accidental Mother</a></i> by Rowan Coleman<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-murder-on-summers-day-by.html" target="_blank">Murder on a Summer's Day</a></i> by Frances Brody<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-secret-diaries-of-miss-anne.html" target="_blank">The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister</a></i> ed. Helena Whitbread<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-echoing-grove-by-rosamond.html" target="_blank">The Echoing Grove</a></i> by Rosamond Lehmann<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-brick-mother-by-sj-bradley.html" target="_blank">Brick Mother</a></i> by S.J. Bradley<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-pride-and-prejudice-by-jane.html" target="_blank">Pride and Prejudice</a> </i>by Jane Austen<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-review-incredulity-of-father-brown.html" target="_blank">The Incredulity of Father Brown</a></i> by G.K. Chesterton<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-review-comedienne-by-vg-lee.html" target="_blank">The Comedienne</a></i> by V.G. LeeCharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-90889175551466476862015-12-14T11:57:00.000+00:002015-12-14T11:57:36.353+00:00Book Review: The Comedienne by V.G Lee<i>The Comedienne</i> is a rather episodic book about Joanie Littler, a woman who struggles through a selection of unequal relationships before inventing a lover to allow her back into the world. From her days caring for her mother - who disapproves of her first lesbian relationship - to finally 'breaking up' with Freddy and opening the door to new possibilities, <i>The Comedienne</i> covers two decades in Joanie's life.<br />
<br />
This is a genuinely funny novel in places and I laughed out loud a few times. The conversational first-person tone of the narrative is pretty engrossing and the characters really do spring from the pages. At the beginning, Lee depicts the intense irritation that living with a parent as an adult can induce. Her mother's interference in her relationship with Susan leads to one of my favourite moments of the book and it involves slippers.<br />
<br />
All the imaginary girlfriend stuff was amusing to start with but, I have to say, by the end I was wondering why Joanie had carried it on so long, considering how little she got out of the whole thing. It allowed for on-going humorous and tricky situations but condemned her to the loneliness she was hoping to avoid by inventing a girlfriend and gaining access to couples' dinner parties. It left me a bit ambivalent.<br />
<br />
The episodic nature meant that some scenes were included while others weren't. I was rather disappointed that we got a full depiction of Joanie attending one old woman's funeral but not her own mother's. I felt like I wanted the circularity of that in the novel as a reader. Similarly, I wasn't sure about the ending for opposite reasons. All that said, I enjoyed it for the amusing book it was and I'll know what not to do next time I invent an imaginary girlfriend.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-62996458161268661972015-12-02T12:19:00.000+00:002015-12-02T12:19:10.520+00:00Book Review: The Incredulity of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton Despite owning all the Father Brown stories, I'm taking my time reading them because I enjoy them so much. You can find my reviews of <i>Innocence</i> and <i>Wisdom</i> <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-innocence-of-father-brown.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-wisdom-of-father-brown-by.html" target="_blank">here</a> but <i>Incredulity</i> is the third collection and feels as though it goes in a slightly different direction.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Location plays a big part in these stories with Father Brown encountering different cultures and, significantly, several of them are set in America. I like these explorations and it's amusing how Father Brown is never a fish out of water - he blends into the background of any community.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed all the stories in this collection. However, some are more enjoyable than others, of course. 'The Resurrection of Father Brown' is the first story and begins with the cleric's death. It's a charming little story, made all the more enjoyable by his irritation at becoming a celebrity. 'The Arrow of Heaven' deals with the murder of a millionaire, a circumstance that 'is, for some reason, treated as a sort of calamity'. Chesterton, naturally, then proceeds to include three dead millionaires in his story. In 'The Oracle of the Dog' I was tickled by the resolution and the peculiar murder of Warren Wynd in 'The Miracle of Moon Crescent' had me completely perplexed for a time. While I enjoyed the sensory details and depictions in 'The Curse of the Golden Cross', that might've been the weakest story in terms of progression, for me anyway. 'The Dagger with Wings' is one of the more atmospheric pieces, although I was slightly disappointed with the ending, probably on grounds of personal preference.<br />
<br />
The final two stories in the collection are my favourites. 'The Doom of the Darnaways' takes the old trope of a decaying British manor with a foreign heir and creates a memorable story revolving around a photograph. In that story, the last lines are typical of Father Brown and, perhaps, that's why I enjoyed it so much. Lastly, 'The Ghost of Gideon Wise' really kept me on my toes with an atmospheric look at the murders of another three millionaires. That Chesterton still has the ability to startle me after three volumes of Father Brown stories is delightful.<br />
<br />
These are gentle mysteries that visit the hard edges of humanity. If that sounds like a contradiction then that's probably because you're unfamiliar with the central character. There are lengthy dialogue digressions which won't appeal to all but I like being made to think as well as follow a mystery to its conclusion. I'll ration myself again before I read the fourth collection, <i>The Secret of Father Brown</i>.</div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-80956862461429641782015-12-01T13:21:00.001+00:002015-12-01T13:21:21.341+00:00Quite a WeekTo say last week was interesting would be a bit of an understatement. I'm used to the ups and downs that life (and my anxiety problems) tend to throw at me but I rarely have as many blips, bumps and jumps in one short period as I did last week.<br />
<br />
My Monday began with computer problems and rapidly escalated with some frustrating family stuff. I escaped to my writing haunt and had a burst of inspiration about the direction of my WIP (I wrote about that <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/11/peril-of-naming-walk-on-character.html" target="_blank">here</a>). By the time I got home I was all energised then there was some more family stuff that triggered this response:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
In the last half an hour I got inspired and optimistic. Then someone dropped a house on my head. Back to square one.</div>
— Dr Lucy Brown (@CharmedLassie) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharmedLassie/status/668842131600056320">November 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
On Tuesday I had the delight of a few hours to myself then it all fell apart again. Normality ensued as I dragged myself in the rain to get some shopping whilst having a mini panic attack. However, as I was walking home I received a text from a Yorkshire First colleague of mine about the meeting later that night and I was back in positive mode. That meeting was excellent and I came away as energised politically as I had been in the creative sense the day before:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
One thing I do appreciate about the meetings, though, is that I morph into a confident human being who can hold a conversation.</div>
— Dr Lucy Brown (@CharmedLassie) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharmedLassie/status/669268495885029377">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
For me, that's pretty successful. So, despite a concerted effort by some people in my life to bring me down, I prolonged my positive mood into Wednesday - then the fun really started when I went to co-working at my writing haunt. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Hearing <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;">"that's not a customer, that's Lucy, she's part of the furniture" set things up nicely along with an epic breakfast.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> </span>I was in the writing zone anyway but getting an email confirming that I'd won third prize in the latest <a href="http://www.fabulapress.com/" target="_blank">Fabula Press</a> competition set me singing in public. That story will be published at some point so I'll let you know when it's available but it's one I'm very proud of.<br />
<br />
I dragged my father to a couple of stops on the Artwalk that night, which I thoroughly enjoyed (and picked up a couple of souvenirs below), then came home for a celebratory singalong. Treating myself after every bit of success is proving to be very pleasant and reminds me that I'm probably not completely rubbish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NkXrlLrzRbhhiphQvwokcBGcsJMtkkcWrWb79q_dBlRX21-isGZDazvroCzXZfdpz8JPpV0m8tKq4DnIXvxApmYBYWAeMPScakt6PLczIcVlk84DQRvy-avVxcyWNQ1v9RmIiZCo5b9v/s1600/12278742_10153696199586070_5911113266079055120_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NkXrlLrzRbhhiphQvwokcBGcsJMtkkcWrWb79q_dBlRX21-isGZDazvroCzXZfdpz8JPpV0m8tKq4DnIXvxApmYBYWAeMPScakt6PLczIcVlk84DQRvy-avVxcyWNQ1v9RmIiZCo5b9v/s320/12278742_10153696199586070_5911113266079055120_n.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<br />
On Thursday I was meant to be having a freelance meeting but that turned into a six-hour meeting interspersed with checking on a poorly six-year niece. Making her smile was more important than any work, though some of that got done as well. The night ending with me tipping a bucket of filthy water over my legs wasn't the best thing that could've happened however. My trainers still stink.<br />
<br />
Then Friday... Well, I'd just sat down to lunch when I heard that my grandmother had fallen face-first out of her chair at her residential home and was bleeding quite badly. They called an ambulance and, while the details of what happened that day aren't something I should share on a public forum, suffice to say there'll be a complaint going in to the NHS about the treatment. Fortunately, she's going to be okay, even if she looks like someone ran her over and she's got a broken cheekbone. At 92, she should really know better than to chuck herself over the room like that. It certainly gave us all a scare and, as a consequence, I spent the weekend hibernating and watching tennis. Britain winning the Davis Cup was the appropriate end to a wacky week.<br />
<br />
I'm drowning in work this week and my priorities are all over the place. A little stability and time to work without the bumps and jumps would be a good idea. Then again, I did rather enjoy last Wednesday immensely. I'd better write some more short stories, huh?CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-79015492324804299542015-11-24T11:05:00.000+00:002015-11-24T11:05:04.486+00:00Peril of Naming a Walk-On CharacterI've <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/11/interlocking-projects.html" target="_blank">written</a> a bit recently about attacking the fourth draft of my WIP <b>'Max'</b> (by recently, I mean Friday!). Funny how just when you think you're on track with a project it decides to surprise you all over again. You see, this one follows a mother and a daughter (from the perspective of the daughter and the mother's lover) and I'd pretty much accepted the fact that the interactions that needed fixing in this draft were the ones involving the lover. Apparently not.<br />
<br />
I was in my writing haunt yesterday afternoon warming through with caffeine and clutching my editing rock for inspiration (don't ask) while I was reading the detailed notes for the rewrite of chapter eight. The location needed to have greater significance so I began wondering why my character chose that cafe out of all the others and a waiter trots into the scene. Fine, I thought, let's give him a name. Big mistake.<br />
<br />
As soon as I named him and he started talking to my viewpoint character, I liked him. Disaster. The love interest for this character is a little bit square and boring and, ultimately, they don't end up together. But this guy... Well, he comes from a completely different background, he's cheeky and he has connections with her past that the other lad doesn't understand. In short, he's perfect for her and, what's more, it fits the overall narrative of the parallel plot of the mother.<br />
<br />
Now, I may be stuffing a new character into my novel for no reason. I may have to extract him from the fifth draft with tweezers. However, I think it's definitely worth a shot. It's going to mean some exceedingly careful consideration of the rest of the novel. To be fair, though, that was already necessary anyway. The extensive notes I marked up for the fourth draft aren't obsolete as much as complementary to the notes I'm keeping in my head about new directions and backgrounds. What I really need is to get this written down. And, in the meantime, Ed's here to stay. As is my editing rock.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_LT_m9qpGY/VlREDnZ_GTI/AAAAAAAACJI/bKNVxhtG70M/s1600/CQzT5keWUAAXnwW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_LT_m9qpGY/VlREDnZ_GTI/AAAAAAAACJI/bKNVxhtG70M/s320/CQzT5keWUAAXnwW.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-9923314282144968622015-11-23T11:43:00.000+00:002015-11-23T11:43:32.297+00:00Television Review: River It's been a long time since I published a television review on the blog. In fact, checking back through the <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/p/television-reviews.html" target="_blank">list</a>, the last one <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/television-review-happy-valley.html" target="_blank">was</a> <i>Happy Valley </i>in June last year. I suppose it's only right that my review this time should be the outstanding hit of 2015, while <i>Happy Valley</i> was undoubtedly the 2014 equivalent.<br />
<br />
<i>River</i> begins as a typical crime drama. There are two officers in a car, vastly different in personality but very at ease with each other. It turns into a chase with a suspect that results in the young man jumping from a balcony. Then, ten minutes in, the twist emerges and you realise this isn't your typical crime drama with a love story thrown in for good measure: it's so much better than that.<br />
<br />
The twist is that DI River (<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stellan <span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;">Skarsgård) is talking to a manifestation of his dead partner DS 'Stevie' Stevenson (Nicola Walker) as he attempts to find the person who brutally gunned her down in the middle of the street. From childhood, River has struggled with these manifestations, a recurrent one being the nineteenth-century poisoner Thomas Cream (Eddie Marsan). River is quick to point out to his therapist Rosa Fallows (Georgina Rich) that these aren't ghosts he sees and this is evident in the narrative - Stevie never gives River fresh information that aids the case but we see her reacting to the secrets he uncovers about her life in a way that says more about him than her. It's exquisitely clever and, from the pen of Abi Morgan who also wrote <i>The Hour</i>, I expected nothing less. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;">At the heart of <i>River</i> is an eccentric man trying desperately to solve the murder of one of the few people in the world who he ever allowed himself to be close to (though not close enough). It's a love story about closing the chapter with Stevie but it's also about him opening up to other people in his life such as Rosa, DCI Chrissie Read (Lesley Manville) and DS Ira King (Adeel Akhtar). While the twists and turns of the actual murder investigation held my interest, the focus on River himself was far more riveting and the entire cast is phenomenal.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;">Ultimately, while <i>River</i> startled and unsettled me at times, it also made me smile. The final minutes of the first and last episodes are stunning and I'm not ashamed to say I ended this one in tears. It was one heck of a rollercoaster ride over six weeks and I loved it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_WcSgQNmEmfCBMz7aTOPl5rnEa_-YioRWBgNG98cGeuCzFlPW8tiIpxjjwsAw6ABHEMtGlkrxZZSPjkJHOA7n7oa4rObI7yFkoZwKk2rr796rcTqji_j9tU_DGAUpRxCup2VvhrEoGpO/s1600/1968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_WcSgQNmEmfCBMz7aTOPl5rnEa_-YioRWBgNG98cGeuCzFlPW8tiIpxjjwsAw6ABHEMtGlkrxZZSPjkJHOA7n7oa4rObI7yFkoZwKk2rr796rcTqji_j9tU_DGAUpRxCup2VvhrEoGpO/s320/1968.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(185, 185, 185, 0.0980392); line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-62447618160804744712015-11-20T14:06:00.001+00:002015-11-20T14:06:12.060+00:00Interlocking Projects Since I decided to <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2015/11/blogging-nanowrimo-2015-time-for-doubts.html" target="_blank">knock</a> NaNo on the head, I've felt <i>a little</i> more in control. Keeping up with an arbitrary word count wasn't for me at the moment and anybody who seeks to rub their 'success' in my face can honestly save their time. At the end of the day, it's better for me to be editing a project that's captured my heart instead of fighting an imaginary battle. I'm just not in the mood for it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The truth is, there are three things at the moment that are feeding into one another. It's created something of a fire storm in my head - I'm always thinking of one or other of these things and, fortunately for me, they're proving productive. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The first of these is the novel fourth draft I'm working on - <b>'Max'</b>. It's amusing in some respects. When I wrote the first draft I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-which-i-discuss-all-my-major-writing.html" target="_blank">remarked</a> that, 'The least said about this one, the better! I didn't want to write it in the first place but I was...compelled.' Thinking about the second draft, I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2013/10/first-draft-finished-looking-forward.html" target="_blank">wrote</a>, 'I know how I want the rewrite of this to pan out but the thought of writing it makes me feel queasy.' I finally got round to writing the second draft late last year, adding a second viewpoint and making the 'antagonist' a little more well-rounded. My goal, as I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-solid-writing-goals.html" target="_blank">explained</a>, was to delve into the characters: 'The first draft was an exercise in cleansing my mind; now I know more of the characters and I'm ready to create something a little better.' So the second draft twisted things a little and I ended up with a happy ending. The third draft earlier this year removed some secondary characters and replaced them with others who complemented the overall plot. And, once again, my antagonist got a bit nicer. In this fourth draft, she's not quite wearing a halo but it's not far off. I understand her. I understand why she makes some terrible decisions and why she comes across as completely selfish and the work I've done on my protagonist to explain why she reacts the way she does has helped. All in all, I think I'm really getting somewhere with this one. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My epic fan fic venture is another thing keeping me occupied. Now, I know people have varied opinions about fan fiction but I've always found it keeps my mind focused on writing and I can tell stories I want to for my own personal amusement. If it also helps me unwind then that's no bad thing. This story I'm telling at the moment, though, is one that I've needed to write for a decade and it's consuming me a little - I haven't done a complete word count lately but I suspect we're over the 400,000 word mark. So much for a hobby! However, I'm enjoying writing it and I'm enjoying reading back over it. For me, that's the most important thing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The third thing that's feeding into my mental state at the moment is <i>Once Upon a Time</i>. I won't go into details but, for those of you who haven't watched the show, it's a retelling of certain fairytales that has a pretty important 'friendship' going on between two female characters. I'm drowning in fan fic and gifs - again, a hobby, but one that's aiding my productivity on the novel draft and the fan fic.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3G_dVdcEiJA/Vk8ncWSGgsI/AAAAAAAACIo/g_F-1fU_FBA/s1600/787a46f7d9d0b8b5bf03f4eae358ca29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3G_dVdcEiJA/Vk8ncWSGgsI/AAAAAAAACIo/g_F-1fU_FBA/s1600/787a46f7d9d0b8b5bf03f4eae358ca29.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><span id="goog_101260384"></span></div>
<div>
You see, there's a good reason these three things are coexisting in my life at the moment. All of them have family at their root. I learned during the second draft of 'Max' that it was the integral theme of the novel and that's only strengthened as time's gone by. In the fan fic, it's emerged as the defining theme and, well, <i>Once Upon a Time</i> is meant to be about family, even if it's not always clear that the writers know what they're doing. The novel draft, the fan fic and <i>Once Upon a Time</i> all have two parents (one not blood-related) and a complex familial relationship at the heart of them. And, perhaps, that's why everything's working so well at the moment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's no doubt in my mind that writing this fan fic and getting overly involved in <i>Once Upon a Time</i> is helping my novel draft. Call it a waste of valuable time if you want but I don't believe that - you can't write before you've learned the value and cost of a particular story or theme. Slowly, I'm figuring that out. </div>
CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-68338882623161749802015-11-13T11:10:00.000+00:002015-11-13T11:10:48.364+00:00Classic Film Review: Angel Face (1952)<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044357/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Angel Face</a></i> stars Robert Mitchum as ambulance driver Frank Jessup who becomes embroiled in the schemes of Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons) after being called out to a report of gas in her stepmother's room. Mrs Tremayne (Barbara O'Neil) is wealthy and supports her stepdaughter and novelist husband Charles (Herbert Marshall) but when Frank's employed as Tremayne family chauffeur, he really doesn't know what he's getting involved in. The cast also includes Mona Freeman and Leon Ames.<br />
<br />
From the beginning, this is an atmospheric film and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. My attitude towards Robert Mitchum swings between love and hate (as other film reviews on this blog attest) but in roles where his usual moody and impassive demeanour work with the plot he excels. <i>Angel Face </i>is one of those films. You never quite know what Frank's thinking and that adds an extra layer to the film. Similarly, Jean Simmons plays the inscrutable Diane to perfection. The shock of the plot comes not from her intentions towards her stepmother but the unexpected consequences.<br />
<br />
This one didn't progress as I thought it would, clipping along faster than I'd expected and throwing up a couple of surprises along the way. It was difficult to care about Frank and Diane but that was rather the point and, unlike most films of this ilk, that fed into my enjoyment.<br />
<br />
There are some memorable moments, which I won't ruin for you, but I ultimately enjoyed this film a fair bit. Although there isn't exceptional chemistry between the leads, there's a good deal of manipulative chemistry and that's more useful in a film like this. As for the ending... Well, I wouldn't have wanted anything else.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LCwvnviReLI/VkOg7OGvjmI/AAAAAAAACIU/hGvToebTky0/s1600/angelface2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LCwvnviReLI/VkOg7OGvjmI/AAAAAAAACIU/hGvToebTky0/s320/angelface2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-30071653595258534542015-11-08T18:48:00.000+00:002015-11-08T18:48:20.745+00:00Blogging NaNoWriMo 2015: The Time for DoubtsWell, I started brightly enough.<br />
<br />
Day one and two, I hit the word count goal. It helped that chapters one and two perfectly fit the target so it didn't feel like I was stretching myself too much. Day three, I only did a little and slipped behind but I made that up on day four and got a bit ahead. However, my goal of hitting 10,000 on day five took a battering when my writing time was interrupted by a friend's dad. We had coffee together at my writing haunt and my mojo seemed to disintegrate. I ended the day with five chapters written and a couple of hundred words under 10,000. On day six, though, I felt the need to hibernate and wrote nothing. On day seven, I was out for the day - which proved a traumatic experience in itself - and didn't manage to get any writing done. And then I started thinking.<br />
<br />
I like the idea. It's got the potential to be a good novel and I like what I've written so far. The characters are pretty distinctive and, as far as early portions of first drafts go, it scrubs up favourably alongside my previous NaNo drafts. However, I'm not feeling the get-up-and-write motivation I need to do this.<br />
<br />
For the last couple of months I've been trying to work on the fourth draft of 'Max'. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it could be a good novel if I can pull it together. I marked up all the edits and started implementing them before realising I'd need to break off for NaNo. The trouble is, I'm missing it. I feel as though I need to be doing that work now because I've got too many first drafts and not enough of my ideas have progressed further than that. A lesser point is that I've also been writing something for fun to switch off in the evenings. It's one thing to spend some time editing during the day and then to unwind with 'fun' writing at night. It's quite another to dash off a load of NaNo words during the day and expect to do the same with the 'fun' stuff later. For me, at least, my brain can only create so many words in a day with the state I'm in. So why not forget the 'fun' stuff? Well, no. That is keeping me going and, trust me, I need that right now.<br />
<br />
It seems like I've completely made up my mind to pack in NaNo for this year, doesn't it? However, week two is a good time to have doubts. I'm going to take a few days off and focus again on my editing, see whether I feel better.<br />
<br />
Exactly five years ago today I <a href="http://secludedcharm.blogspot.com/2010/11/blogging-nanowrimo-2010-falling-curtain.html" target="_blank">wrote</a> a post signalling my defeat in that year's NaNo. That time it was planning failure I blamed but I think this year it's more down to me being me. Which, alas, seems to be an explanation for far too many screw-ups in my life.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221061795371688659.post-71831074085315611392015-11-03T10:41:00.000+00:002015-11-03T10:41:41.572+00:00Some Sad News I recently learned the sad news that my friend and political mentor Rodney Willett had died. He'd been ill for quite some time but, of course, that doesn't make it any better.<br />
<br />
It's no exaggeration to say that, without Rodney, I wouldn't have become so politically interested and motivated. We encountered each other online several years ago and teamed up on a political website along with several other contributors. The difficulty was making it more than a few people shouting in the wind and Rodney's ill-health, along with several other factors, prevented our dreams becoming a reality. However, I'm deeply indebted to Rodney for helping shape my ideas and allowing me a platform to speak long before I had anything useful to say.<br />
<br />
In April, having seen his bad news, I emailed to say that I'd passed my viva and to thank him for his influence as I prepared to stand for Yorkshire First in the local elections. When he responded I was deeply, deeply touched by his words. In fact, as I recall, that email made me cry.<br />
<br />
He did offer to exchange emails and ideas with me but, whether it was right or not, I didn't want to take him up on that. I felt he had far more important things to do with his remaining time so I left him alone, and I do hope he interpreted that the right way. His friendship and his advice meant a lot to me over the years and I never felt the age gap between us or the physical distance. It's very rare you find people who are truly on your wavelength and I feel privileged that I got to witter on about politics with him quite as often as I did.<br />
<br />
In his email he told me that he was devoting time to creating an <a href="https://marciawillett.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">online companion</a> to his wife's novels (Marcia Willett) and I'd take it as a personal kindness if some of you glanced over that blog. You do get a flavour of Rodney's personality from his prose and he was a very engaging and generous man. I owe him a lot.CharmedLassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408541277096433664noreply@blogger.com1