Sunday, April 27, 2008

Bluebells and books

Spent this morning wandering around Winkworth Arboretum with Lord H. Weather wasn't brilliant but the great swathes of bluebells were marvellous. We also heard our first (and very loud) cuckoo of the season and saw a matching pair of blackcaps. Fabulous. The only problem is the fact that it's situated across a valley - so ambling to the bottom is perfectly pleasant, but the trawl up a mite too energetic for Sunday walking.

I've also finished reading through Nik Perring's novella, which is very dark, modern and gritty. I hope it gets placed somewhere, Nik, and soon! But naturally my cynicism about the publishing industry leads me to believe that it's just too damn good and shit-hot for the standard publishers. It would be nice to be proved wrong however. And I've also finished reading Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes. Very gripping as ever, but the ending was very rushed. And muddled, to my mind. Weirdly the only sympathetic character was Peter, the killer. I loved him. He was great. By the time I was a quarter through, I was already glad he'd shot up the school - bunch of tossers, to my mind. They deserved it. God alone knows how doubly ghastly they would have been as adults. Josie wasn't much better either. God, are children in the States always so horrible?? One hopes not! If they are, the US really needs to consider upping the number of brat camps. Big time. Please someone from our cousins across the water tell me it's not really like that over there - soon!

Meanwhile, my growing irritation with the Writewords site continues. I can see I'm going to have to stick with the Groups I'm in only (who are great) and avoid all contact with the wretched forums. I keep thinking the situation might get better, but really I should have learnt by now! Sigh ... We'll see how things are when my renewal comes up in August, but I'm not holding my breath that anything much will change. Anyway, moving swiftly on, tonight, I'm videoing "Miss Austen regrets" and will be glued to the joys of "Midsomer Murders". Now there's a real glimpse of English rural life, don't y'know ...

This week's haiku:

Bluebells are early
this year: something to be said
for global warming.


Today's nice things:

1. Winkworth Arboretum
2. Nik's novel
3. TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers

3 comments:

slippingthroughtheworld said...

yep, stay in your own groups and out of the forums anne; i do - it's the only way to keep your sanity. x

Anne Brooke said...

You're not wrong, Irene!!! Wish I'd listened to your words of wisdom before!!

:))

A
xxx

Anne Brooke said...

My pleasure, Nik!

A
xxx