Sometimes its the spider that gets caught

 

 

 

 

'I mean it's not lady-like.'

Mavis always acted lady-like. She loved the disappointment in men when her twentieth century body followed nineteenth century rules.

Sadly, Rob proved to be a gentleman. She'd so wanted him to say then don’t be a lady.

Rob smiled, and left - the plan was working.

 

 

 

Random Word:Tight-laced.

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A last dance

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a kiss away

I saw a castle broken into bones of grandeur, scratched with screams and clatter, damp with the mist of autumn rain. Strength still for protection but a kiss away from love. I turned to her, eyes filled with fluttering flags and looked.

rainy grey
empty
moor cold

And saw nothing.

Random word: Mismatched

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No Bull here

140 character story – drop by to Grandma's Goulash to leave your own.

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The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (2009)

Well some good bits first. It did help me understand more about car racing. And yes I liked the title as the theme for the story – we can get through the bad times etc. But the characters are flat and boarding on cliché – the kooky, brave loyal wife, the cute kid, the in-laws from hell , the silent strong hero struggling to do the best for his loved ones. In short, classic TV movie fodder.  The use as a dog as the central narrator does allow for some interesting takes on the events but it gradually beggars belief – he can bark twice as requested to urge speed but can’t work any other code out in his time with the family? Then its downhill for me as the plot unfolds. The wife suffers months/years of a mega serious illness but loving husband and in-laws from hell don't get her to the hospital ( so why no coven of friends fighting her corner?) But once in and the consequences known, wife and child go to live with in-laws from hell and so create the added complications of the plot. And he’s working in some vague back office job yet manages to raise the serious levels of sponsorship needed for professional racing almost in passing. I suspect that as a spoken book and a film with the right cast it might work as character depth could be injected but for me it’s the first abandoned book of the year.

: Disappointing - fine if nothing better to read but sell or swap ASAP.

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Dan Dared

 

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On a quiet day

While the world watches a wedding, a fairy tale for little princesses, I sit and wait. The silent street with trees gnarled and spring green leaves. In each house a party, this one sedate and mocking, that one beer swigging and tearful.

bunting fluttering
reflected on each car
and one blade

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Random Word: Watches a Wedding

History is bunk

140 character story – drop by to Grandma's Goulash to leave your own.

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Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon (2006)

Story of a weekend that goes very badly wrong as Grady Tripp, a writer stuck with a book he can’t finish, and relationships he can’t stick to, manages to get drunk and high in all the wrong places, as wife, girlfriend, best friend, new rising writer, Jewish-Korean in-laws are caught up in ever shady dealings and shock revelations. And yes it’s now a film! The story unfolds from his point of view and memories with clearly delineated characters with their own voice from the mid 90’s. My only hmm moment with the plot is a drunk, pot smoking professor has a female student lodger from his own course and gets drunk with one of his male students, getting him laid. Were USA colleges that liberal back then? Leaving that aside, the story builds a fast and jaw dropping set of events with a wonderful light and shade of farcical humour and subtle loss.



: Good - read it again and loan it out or give to friends when shelves full.

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Back then

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Idle Hands

140 character story – drop by to Grandma's Goulash to leave your own.

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Just another love song

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'Do you know what soundtrack you are?'

The question caught my attention, which is more then she did. I liked them blond and pretty – young was only an option. I had some morals.

Nodding for a refill, I asked, 'Which?'

She leant over to hum some old song.  I missed the warning by laughing.

   

Random Word: Old Song

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The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (2004)

The book is a popular history of the politics leading up to 1893 Chicago world fair and the opportunities it gave to a local serial murder( mostly woman – burnt or flesh bleached off for sale as medical skeletons). The context was the launch of the Eiffel Tower on to an astonished world and the growing myth of Jack the Ripper. The stories are interwoven, which works fine for about 2/3rds of the book when it begins to flag. These world fairs reflected the industrial and economic power of the host country but the wider political implications are not explored. Instead we have a hero Daniel Burnham whose drive and vision made the World Fair and a villain H.Holmes, the mass murder, who together reveal the daily life of late 19th century America. Burnham in common with the period provided exploitative pay and work but came to accept model contracts that shaped 20th century labour conditions. The Fair also gave AC electricity a boost over its DC rival and of course the Ferris Wheel. But however, nasty the villain, he seems unknown to a 21st century UK audience so this unbalances the story as does his final capture, which is outside of the main story arc. It does show how unsafe it was for women when it was the norm to lose contact with people even in the same town due to poor communications or the whims of husbands.

  : Decent - share with readerholics but don't promote, and sell or swap when shelves full.

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He was buried in a potter’s field

Random Word: potter’s field

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When you take a child to the wrong show

140 character story – drop by to Grandma's Goulash to leave your own

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Tara, tara boom de ay

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Tara was up-tight. But drunk, she turned pink and fluffy with panties to match. As a stay-at-home-drinker, who would know - or so you’d think. But thanks to her ex’s hidden cameras, she was the girly-girl you loved too…well get to know.

On discovery, Tara exploded but pocketed the money - to sue the son-of-a-bitch!

 

 

   

Random Word: Tara

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