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Posted in: Book club
I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was an interesting and disturbing story, full of complicated characters who challenge you to like them. I thought it was a very pessimistic view of S. Africa and its struggles. I don’t know whether things are any better now. I know there was a lot of symbolism attached to the dogs in the book but never quite got my head round it. I can see why it won The Booker prize. What did you think? -
Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Book club
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Posted in: Book club
Oh dear, what can I say? I really didn’t take to Cloudstreet and have no idea why it was picked as one of the books of the decade. Perhaps you need to be an Australian to really get it. I found it very monotonous and I’m afraid I didn’t get very far at all - perhaps only a third of the way through - and somebody else will have to tell me whether or not it improves over time. I just felt the pace was so slow, the characters didn’t really engage me, the story took too long to develop. Seems some people really love it, but not me! -
Posted in: Anything !
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Posted in: Anything !
I recently heard Baroness Warsi explaining why she’s still a Tory despite hating most things about the current government. She explained that she was a Tory because she believed in small government (I think she used the term small state) and believed in individual hard work, taking personal responsibility, etc. etc. I know similar views have been expressed on SL a fair few times. This set me thinking about the role of government. I believe in all the things she referred to, such as hard work, families and communities helping themselves, but I think the idea of small government is something of a myth. And used at election time in a dishonest way. The last few Tory governments have been anything but ‘hands off’. As an example, they have encouraged such things as free schools, run outside of the state system, whilst simultaneously interfering in education like never before. Can we ever truly have a small state? -
Posted in: Book club
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Posted in: Book club
We’re up to the 80’s now and I’m thinking of Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. It gets good reviews - a saga of two families - it’s supposed to be a funny book (though I never think they are). I think he’s a new author for me and I don’t think we’ve read an Australian author. It’s available on Kindle and there are second hand copies at reasonable prices. Shall we give it a go? -
Posted in: Anything !
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Posted in: Book club
. I don’t quite know what I thought of this novel. I read it with ease - it flowed along smoothly enough and I enjoyed lots of individual scenes but I’m not sure whether it held together as a coherent narrative. I found some humour, bit forced at times, but think the danger is that the characterisation suffers… they became a bit ‘cartoonish’ on occasion. It did make me curious about the history and culture of the Parsis (Parsees?) but again I felt they were sometimes caricatured. An aside - Freddie Mercury was a Parsi apparently. How did others find it? -
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Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Anything !
We’ll need a ‘visa’ type document soon (2024) and people are being advised to apply early as application might take 30 days to process. Cannot apply just yet as law not yet in. I am flagging this up early! Edit: Oops not sure that link will work for all. https://www.aol.co.uk/uk-holidaymakers-warned-euro-pass-105240881.html -
Posted in: Book club
This is my suggestion for a novel from the 1970’s. I chose it for several reasons. It’s a comic novel and we can sure do with humour in our lives, and it’s by a Pakistani author and I don’t think we’ve read anything from Pakistan. It’s on kindle, and there seem to be a few cheap copies going. Discussion starts on 16th September. -
Posted in: Anything !
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Posted in: Save The Planet
I must admit I’d never really thought about the sustainability of the tennis ‘industry’ so found this article enlightening but also worrying. It highlights just how much needs to be done to save the planet. https://resource.co/article/new-balls-please-what-happens-one-billion-tennis-balls-discarded-every-year? -
Posted in: Book club
Having reminded people that we are discussing book on 1st July I forgot the date so apologies - a senior moment! Anyway, I do hope people liked this book. I think it might be a marmite book. I really enjoyed it and once I’d got into the style, I looked forward to reading it. I was reminded of my Welsh Mum and Gran referring to people as Jones the Butcher etc. My mum always used to talk about walking over The Bwlch, so when the narrator (did we know his name) goes over the Bwlch with his mum and gets left there, it felt very familiar. I thought Prichard managed to capture the perspective of the child but in such a way that the adult world was always well in the picture. And, boy, was that world grim. I thought some of the scenes were immensely touching, for example the visit to the young friend dying of TB, and the admission of the mum to psychiatric care. The ending left me puzzled. I presume he plummeted into madness and perhaps took his own life but it was a bit confusing, reflecting his state of mind I presume. A sad ending to an usual book. It was described on the cover of mine as ‘lyrical and visceral’. I think that’s a good description. -
Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Anything !
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Posted in: Scooploop Tech Support
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Posted in: Carers and Caring
I have just been nosing around on the Government Website re cost of living payments and discovered that my MiL should have received £400 as she pays her own care home fees. She hasn’t received this. This is the Energy Bill Support Payment. DEADLINE for application is 31st MAY. This info might be useful for someone. https://online.apply-for-energy-bill-alternative-funds.service.gov.uk/s/#eligible-for-ebss-af -
Posted in: Current Affairs and Politics
I’ve been listening to Alistaire Campbell and Rory Stewart’s weekly podcast. It’s called The Rest is Politics and its very interesting and informative. They have also been doing a series called Leaders interviewing people like Hilary Clinton, David Miliband, Tony Blair (sorry Alan F) and Gerry Adams. I found them all very good. Recommend a listen. -
Posted in: Book club
Book club Next book is One Moonlit Night by Caradog Prichard : discussion 1/7/23 Please read comments beliw r (Edited)We’ve had a bit of a break so hope you’re ready to read something new. We’re working through the decades and so it’s the 60’s. I’m really keen to read One Moonlit Night by Caradog Prichard (1961). He wrote it in Welsh - one translation is by Philip Mitchell. I’m learning Welsh (it’s hard!) so that’s why I’m keen to sample some Welsh literature and people heap a lot of praise on this novel. What do you think? BEWARE there are other novels out there with the same name, so make sure you look at the Prichard/Mitchell one. There are other translations as well and I’ve got one of those. -
Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: What's Cooking
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Posted in: Anything !
I know lots of you are lovers of nature and wildlife programmes. Did you know the BBC are drastically cutting back on Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter Watch? There is a petition against this which has already garnered 160,000 plus signatures and the originator of the petition (Marion Veal) is seeking more signatures so that she has powerful evidence when she meets the Director General of the BBC shortly. If you enjoy these programmes then please sign and share. https://chng.it/8P9pWgf5Zs -
Posted in: Save The Planet
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Posted in: Save The Planet
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