In today’s Miscellany…
- A visit from the Fairy Hobmother
- A funny nearly literary moment from my Dorset holiday
- And the latest book arrivals at Gaskell Towers.
Firstly, I had a lovely surprise e-mail whilst I was on holiday. It was from the Fairy Hobmother who granted my wish when I commented on my friend Ali’s blog. I asked for some new knives – and this lovely new set arrived within days. Thank you very much Fairy Hobmother!
Actually the Fairy Hobmother is a nice chap called David at Appliances Online, and he travels around blogs in the UK granting wishes. What a nice job to have!
If any of you have any kitchen related wishes, do leave a comment below, because he might then visit you too …
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I spent last week on holiday in Dorset, based at West Bay – the harbour of Bridport, a little town ten miles east of Lyme Regis.
Juliet and I walked the famous Cobb at Lyme (right) – immortalised in Austen’s Persuasion
Notably missing from my Dorset literary canon was Thomas Hardy of course, and on our last day on the way back from sandcastle-building at Weymouth, I saw a sign to the ‘Hardy Monument’.
A couple of miles up the winding country road to the hilltop, and we reached this… It was shrouded in scaffolding and the site was completely closed – a shame as the view from the top would have been marvellous.
When we got home, I looked it up on Wikipedia – and discovered that I’d got the wrong Hardy!
The Hardy Monument was erected in memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy – he of ‘Kiss me Hardy,’ reputedly said by Nelson as he lay dying at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Oh Well…
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And finally, a selection of the latest additions to my TBR piles.
Docby Mary Doria Russell. Given my current love of westerns, I couldn’t resist ordering this one from the US once I read Teresa’s post at Shelf Love on Russell and her new novel about Doc Holliday.
- Sherry Cracker Gets Normal
by D J Connell – an oddball comedy that sounds really fun.
- The Imperfectionists
by Tom Rachman. When this was first published I remember reading some positive comments on various blogs, so I picked up the paperback.
- It Had to Be You
by David Nobbs. Any new novel by septuagenarian Nobbs is cause for celebration, and this tale of one man and the five women in his life sounds no exception.
The Homecoming of Samuel Lakeby Jenny Wingfield with an eleven year old tomboy heroine called Swan Lake – she sounds adorable.
- Other People’s Money
by Justin Cartwright. This is my bookseller friend Nicki’s Booker shortlist tip.
- Wait For Me!: Memoirs of the Youngest Mitford Sister
by Deborah Devonshire – new out in paperback.
- Damned Busters (Angry Robot)
by Matthew Hughes. I couldn’t resist this Faustian comic fantasy with unlikely superheroes!
… and finally The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoetby David Mitchell – in a signed, numbered edition of the paperback given to the first 500 subscribers to a new quarterly books magazine called We love this book. The mag is rather good too – you may be able to pick up a free copy in indie/specialist bookshops.
Fossil hunting! How exciting! Sounds like a lovely holiday although I hope you did get a bit of sun:) Remarkable Creatures and Damned Busters look good, I may have to check them out.
We were really lucky with the weather Sakura – glad we went last week, not this one. We needed the suncream – but forgot to do our feet – then building a mega sand castle on Weymouth beach the tops of mine got well burned! You can’t beat fossil hunting at Charmouth – I had a lecture last time we were down this way so I knew slightly what to look for – we found Belemnites (Bits of squid bone) and one brilliant bit of slate with several small ammonites in.
Very envious of your fossil hunting adventures, and the sand castle building. If the fairy hobfather was to give me a gift I’d probably go for a Kitchen aid mixer unless he can supply a tidier family!
what5 great prize ,and fosil hunting as well great fun ,all the best stu
I would love to go to Cobb at Lyme, You can keep Fowles but Louisa’s Musgrove’s ankle does make it high on my literary places to go! And if I were to have a wish granted from a Fairy Hobmother it would be for a large stir fry pan. As you say, what a great job!