External Ramblings from Mother Bookworm

Writing

2011-07-08T18:52:00.001+01:00

Not much reading in the past few days except a novella free from Kindle store @ Amazon that isn't worth commenting on. I have, in between the children, been trying to write again mainly just to get into the habit of daily writing and free writes again. Since my first creative writing course I haven't just written for the sake of writing but I love the process and already now have an idea for a short story in my head. Now just to try and find time to write it as there are only eight school days left until the summer holidays.

I found a great site today: creative-writing-now.com full of writing prompts, ideas and tips. Hopefully now my eldest children are becoming more independent (as much as possible for an eight and nine year old) I can make full use of the site before October, when Uni starts again.

Not feeling to great at the moment so I am going to go snuggle with the kids, a duvet and movie. We are all movie nuts in this house so maybe I will have to review some of them on here as well.

Writing, Reading Blogs and research

2011-07-05T10:03:00.001+01:00

I haven't had much time to read in the past few weeks. Its 'that' time of year at the children's schools - where it is all sports days and appointments. But I have managed to sign up to this Octobers university courses and am now starting on the reading lists for them. I am going to study The Arts Past and Present and Advance Creative Writing these add to my long list of studied courses that will make up my Humanities with Creative Writing and Literature degree that will be complete 2013.

At present I am reading The Playwrights Guidebook by Stuart Spencer as well as Doctor Faustus York Notes. I also have to read The Faber Book of Beasts - edited by Paul Muldoon, A World of Difference - edited by Lynda Prescott, The Burial of Thebes - Seamus Heanley.

I am also looking over some old classics downloaded free on my Kindle. When I have time and have decided that the next book I read is going to be is Shakespear's Macbeth, I read it in school for GCSE English, but can not remember it at all and as one of the next OU courses involves writing plays I need to get in some prep work.

Doctor Faustus, The A text - Christopher Marlow

2011-07-04T13:25:00.002+01:00

As a renissance play in the published in 1604, getting use to both the launguage and literary shape of the play was difficult but after the opening sililoque it was much easier to understand.

The play itself is about a man, who decideds to sell his soul to the devil for twenty four years of magic and beconing of the devils slave Mephistopheles. As the time when an eternity in hell draws nearer Faustus trys to repent but to late he is taken.

This is a book that I feel I will have to read many times to understand all that is included.

Genre: Literature, Play
Score:
Read: 28th June 11

Nicholas Dane - Melvin Burgess

2011-06-07T19:17:00.001+01:00

Typically controversial for Burgess, Nicolas Dane is the modern version of Oliver Twist. The book includes many challenging issues and includes subject's such as sexual abuse, violence, theft, burglary and blatant murder. Burgess deals with these hard hitting subjects in a manner responsibly that opens discussion and invites empathy with the implied teenage reader.

This book is not for young children, and although classed as children's literature would be better suited to the adult market. Although I would recommend other Burgess books such as Junk to mature 15-16 year old teenager, I would not pass this book on to anyone under 18. Mainly due to the fact that the downwards spiral of Nicolas's destitution is started by a tragic accident, followed by the dumping of him by social services into a Hell of a care home - the pprotagonist had no empowerment as a child to help himself and little choice of the desperate path he had to walk.

Heartbreaking and powerful intertwined with hope and the inner strength of teenage boy.

Genre: Children's Literature?
Score: 9 out of 10
Read: 28th -29th May 2011

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

2011-06-07T16:21:00.003+01:00

Coraline - a bored lone child with busy parents moves into a strange new house complete with strange neighbours. It is only when Coraline finds a doorway into a spooky maybe even deadly alternate reality that the real danger begins. With her parents taken and lost souls to save, Coraline draws on her inner strength to save the day with the help of a talking cat.

An Alice in Wonderland type story but with a modern supernatural twist. A must read for Gaiman fans and horror fans alike. I would recommend to children and adults as a quick distraction from the norm.

Genre: Children's Fiction
Rating: 7 out of 10
Read: 31st May 2011

Since I Don't Have You - Louise Candlish

2011-06-07T14:59:00.003+01:00

Rachel is devistated by the tragic death of her six year old daughter. No longer finding she can find the comfort in those around her - she does the only thing possible and leaves them all behind her. Her loss of them is nothing compared to the loss of Emma, the little girl she longs to hold in her arms to love and protect.

Slowly and painfully Rachel learns to live again, a process helped by a private investigator - enabling her to watch over and look after her god-children, also Emma's best friends - and some new friends. Evertone moves on but can she truely find where she goes from here?

A heartfelt, touching story of families and friendship, of love and of loss. Beautifully written although somehwhat depressing in parts. Not sure I would recomend due to the loss and berievement.

Genre: Chick Lit.
Score: 6 out of 10
Read: 5th June - 7th June 11