Friends, Followers, Blogg-ymen, lend me your ears!

(First of all: It's a shame what I did to poor old Shakespeare, eh? ;"p)

Well and now to what I wanted to let you know:

• Please, remember: On March 1 (TOMORROW!!!) starts The Brontë Sisters Reading Challenge 2011 hosted by Whitney @ She is Too fond of Books (- go and join us here !!) and I have persuaded my Reading Club to read Jane Eyre next (yay! We're starting some day in March.)

  
  



• And: Finally I am a member of Goodreads.com find me via searching for Frl. Irene. (That's a surprisingly clever and original name, isn't it?)
  

So, please go on looking for marvellous reading adventures - they are ahead!! :")

It's Monday - what are you reading?

This meme is hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey

For my reading club we are still reading:

MANSFIELD PARK by Jane Austen

Last weeks meeting was canceled so we are going to finish it this week.

Last week I read:

HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins

(I am eager to read the following book - this is the German cover..)

THE ONLY CHARITY by Sara Seale (blargh)

PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES by Jean Kerr (review is following soon!!)

This week I read:

THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by Eva Rice

So, have fun what with wathever you have picked for this week! :")

Sara Seale: The only Charity

THE ONLY CHARITY by Sara Seale is a romance from 1962. Well, I am not that sure that this is a romance - but that's something I will talk about later in this post. First:

In a nutshell:

UK. Christobel "Christy" Tavener is a financially independent young lady. Not till she marries the man her grandfather Sir Harry has chosen for her the family estate Fairmile will be passed on to her. So Christy - in a panic reaction - declares that she is already married - to Joss, a man she had met in an inn. But Miss Brown, the caretaker of her grandfather has her own plans and Christy (of course!) falls for Joss.

I picked this book because I wanted to read an easy book with a bit of romance in it - and I was disappointed:

Although I liked Christy (who paints though she knows she is completely free of any talent), I catched myself wishing that the book's personal would start to kill each other - only this way I could get rid of an awful cast! (And maybe it would have been a good mystery..)

Joss is just arrogant (as are all other "grown up" people in this book) he wants to make Christy laugh about herself - by ridiculing her. (arrgh!) At first she is annoyed by him but kind of Stockholm syndrome-relationship she thinks that he (and the other people around her are/) is right about her being not grown up enough and starts loving this ... this ... this ... - I just can't think of a name for him. Well, I think you get the point.

Maybe it is too the German translation but the way everybody was restricting Christy made my quite angry. The German title means: Luck does not pass. (I wish that I had passed this book.)

I was (and am) happy that I finished this book. Maybe I'll read it again in some years and think that it is quite cute but right now I do not like it. And maybe it is exactely the kind of book which makes you happy..

Anyhow it fits in one of my challenges:

The Forgotten Treasures Challenge 2011

(if you aks for my opinion it could have stayed forgotten.)

See my progress in this challenge here.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Adaptations

This meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This week's topic is The Ten Best Book to Movie Adaptations - and that's quite the right topic for me! :") (Maybe you do know that I also host a classic film blog @ And then they start to sparkle ..)

So here are my Top Ten in a not particular order:

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen and the BBC Adaptation with Colin Firth.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Jane Austen and the adaptation with Alan Rickman *ahem*

HOW TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD by Harper Lee and the adaptation with Gregory Peck

THE SNAKE PIT by Mary Jane Ward and the adaptation with Olivia de Havilland

MILDRED PIERCE by James M. Cain and the adaptation with Joan Crawford - though the film has a murder in it (actually the whole story in the film is about who done it) and the book is more of a woman-finds-her-own-way-during-the-Great-Depression-story. I like both very much.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY by James M. Cain and the adaptation with Barbara Stanwyck, because Stany is great!

REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier and the adaptation by Hitchcock.

NORTH AND SOUTH by Elizabeth Gaskell and the BBC adaptation with Richard Armitage *ahem, again*

DRACULA by Bram Stoker and the Francis Ford Coppola adaptation with Gary Oldman *AHEM, AHEM, AHEM*

PEYTON PLACE by Grace Metalious and the adaptation with Lana Turner (I LOVE Lana Turner!!)

Ask me again in five minutes - and I will name 10 other titles.. Yes, I am addicted to films! ;")

Rachel Hawkins: Hex Hall

I picked HEX HALL (2010) by Rachel Hawkins simply because of the (German) cover - and because this year I am reading outside my comfort zone.

In a nutshell:

USA. Young witch Sophie Mercer is - after one of her spells went wrong - sent to a magical reform school: Hecate Hall (called Hex Hall) in Georgia.

She immediately fells for Archer - an attractive Warlock - and also almost immediately gets in trouble with three other witches and some teachers.

Her best friend and roommate Jenna - a vampire with a fondness for everything pink - gets in trouble too - in really, really deep trouble: One witch died before Sophie arrived in Hex Hall and an other is now attacked - and it seemed like the malefactor was a vampire - bad times for beeing the only vampire among the pupils.. And it was not the last attack towards a witch on Hex Hall...

Let's make it short: I loved it. Well, sometimes I was a bit annoyed by the extremely-cool-youth-language but that was not that bad. And: It is was very funny to read it. I love the characters - and I am going to read the second book from the HEX HALL SERIES too.

Here is the German cover:

The German edition has an added title: WILDER ZAUBER (= wild sortilege).

This book fits in two of my challenges:

The Read Outside of your Comfort Zone Challenge 2011

- because I don't read Ya and/ or fantasy that often


and

The LGBT Book Challenge 2011

because my favourite character Jenna is a lesbian vampire. I did not know that and so I did not pick this book on purpose for this challenge.

Actually this main-character-is-a-witch-and-her-best-friend-is-a-lesbian reminds me of HEX a UK TV-Series - where the best friend is a lesbian ghost. (And also my favourite character..)

Gloria Vanderbilt: It seemed important at that time

I picked IT SEEMED IMPORTANT AT THAT TIME by Gloria Vanderbilt, (2004) because lately I am very interested in Truman Capote and his life and I wanted to know more about Gloria Vanderbilt, who is an actrice, painter, designer and author and was one of his good friends.

Though it is a read which language you could find either poetic or preposterous - it didn't make me feel that I learned more about her life. I know that this is my fault - next time I pick a biography - and not memoirs.. ;")

It took me only one evening to read it and it was like a friend talking to you - but a not very close friend:

I can't get rid of the feeling that we would not harmonise with each other - but still I am interested to find out more about her.

That she was married to Leopold Stokowski and Sidney Lumet and that she had affaires with Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes and Marlon Brando wasn't that exciting and new to me. Well, I did not know that she snogged Gene Kelly - but for that bit you should not consider buying this book.

So - this was a rather short post and here you have the German Cover - which shows actually my favourite picture of Gloria Vanderbilt:

It's Monday - what are you reading?

This meme is hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey

For my book-club I am still reading (we're nearly at the end!)

MANSFIELD PARK by Jane Austen

Last week I read:

IT SEEMED IMPORTANT AT THE TIME by Gloria Vanderbilt

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS by Jacqueline Susann

This week I read:

HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins

- it's for my Read outside your Comfort Zone Challenge - and so far I like it. :")

What are your picks?? Have a great week - even if you decide NOT to read. In this case: Get well soon! ;"p

Jacqueline Susann: Valley of the Dolls

THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS by Jacqueline Susann was a scandalous novel in 1966.

In a nutshell:

It's about the life of three girlfriends (and the death of one of them) from 1945 -1965:

Anne, the pretty New England lady, who works as a secretary for a theatrical lawyer and becomes the famous face for a cosmetic line - and whose love life has many letdowns.

Jennifer, the busty showgirl, who starts a career in films (rather nudies..) but finds her luck in a relationship - or doesn't she?

Neely, the impish girl with the magnificent voice, who becomes a famous singer and Hollywoodstar - but she has airs and graces -and a liability to dolls (which means pills.) and booze. But she is not the only of the three girls who is going to swallow these dolls...

This book hooked me immediately. It's kind of the classic read for trashy dames in Hollywood classics - and I love it. :") It's like a crossover between ALL ABOUT EVE, THE SNAKE PIT and PEYTON PLACE.

Here are some of the topics which are dealed with in this novel - in alphabetical order:

Abortion, addiction (to "dolls", booze and/or people - men, public, siblings, whatsoever..), breast cancer (so if you going on to do a breast cancer awareness challenge: this could be a book for you..), cosmetic sugery, mental illness, suicide attempts.. I could go on, you know.

• Living literally:
  Do Bust-exercises! - Yes, I do – and I use cacao-butter. My breasts are gorgeous. Just mentioning it. Someone should mention it – because I won’t post pictures. ;”)
  
• For Non-readers:
  There is a film from 1967 with Barabara Parkins as Anne, Patty Duke as Neely and Sharon Tate as Jennifer. The is somewhat different than the book. It's less cruel. There are not so lovely people in the book than they are in the film.. (-> read my film review here.)

This book fits in two of my challenges:

The LGBT Book Challenge, because one of the girls has a heavy lesbian affaire - and some of the mini-minor characters are gay. (They are mostly dubbed fags.)

The Forgotten Treasures Challenge, (See my progress here.) because this book was released in 1966.

And another challenge for me.. ;")

Maybe you remember the Top Ten Tuesday Question about your Top Ten resolutions for 2011 - and now I found one challenge that completely fits me:

Danya @ A Tapestry of Words is hosting the Read Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge.

For my comfort zone is more in the old literature corner I am going to read some Fantasy/YA/new books. (Yeah - I know.. but for me this is an untouched bookpile since several years..)

I am heading for Level 1:

1-3 books: Peering Out the Window

So, I won't loose interest - I can act very sullen when I am feeling pushed. Besides that: It is my first year doing challenges - and I WANT SUCCESS! :") - And: Who knows maybe I am going for more.. (New/YA/Fantasy books & challenges) ;")

1. HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins (2010)

2. DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins (2011)

3. MERIDIAN by Amber Kizer (2009)

Yay! I finished this challenge!

Tutorial: how to curl up on a couch with some books

Mina is showing how to do it in a proper way:

Gee - I could go on and post cat-and-book-pictures for ages! My cats just seem to love books.. ;")

I am working hard on keeping up with reviews!

I am! I try to do as many reviews as I can - there are so many books I've read but not talked about it in here! I love your comments and views about books you and I 've read.

I have added several lists down at the right side of this blog with books I read from 2010 till now - and to most of these books I am going to publish reviews here (Some of the titles are already reviewed - in this case they are linked.) - so: if you a curious what is coming up: sneak a peek! ;")

And - to make it a bit more interactive:

If some title sparks your interest and you want to read about it really soon: Please, let me know by leaving me a comment at this entry!

Thank you! :")

~ I am at your service! ;") ~

P.G. Wodehouse: Piccadilly Jim

PICADILLY JIM by P.G. Wodehouse is one of my all-time favourite novels and I have troubles to believe that it was actually released in 1917 because it is so very timeless.

In a nutshell:
New York. Five years ago Ann Chester’s very mawkish love poems were published and torn to pieces in a news paper article by Jimmy Crocker. Since then Anne became a very matter-of-fact and modern young lady, who hates Jimmy Crocker with all her might – though she did not meet him since. Now she wants to help her uncle whose 14 year old plump stepson Ogden does what he likes with him. So, of course, Ogden has to be kidnapped – and brought to a dog nursing home, where overfed pet dogs are got into shape. (No question, isn’t it?)

Then Ann’s “accomplice” – her uncle’s personal trainer – is fired by Ann’s aunt. What now? But Ann talks a young man – a chance acquaintance – round into pose as her aunt’s long-time-no-see nephew. This nephew is no other than Jimmy Crocker, who because of his dissolute lifestyle in London, is by now dubbed “Piccadilly Jim”. But: this young man, who immediately fells for Ann, is not that strange:

It is (of course) Jimmy Crocker, who now has to dial with the kidnapping, the girl of his dreams, a fake butler and a spy..

This book is so enormous funny and very turbulent – there are some story parts which I did not even mention, and this book is full of marvelous characters - my favourite one is Miss Trimble – a female detective/ socialist/ suffragette- who adds even more confusion.

I like the German cover very much – it is using “The Gourmands” (1924) by George Barbier (1882 – 1932). ->

I did not (yet) watch the 2004 film with Sam Rockwell as Piccadilly Jim – did you?

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Favourite Love Stories

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week it is about: The Top Ten Favourite Love Stories (you might have guessed it - I should something about my entrances..)

I am no specialist in love stories - I read Jane Austen because of the humour. Please, do not throw books at me because of that!

If I grab a romance book because of the love story it is a clear sign that I am going to be ill. - esp. the flu makes me feel romantic - in a bookish way,- silly! ;")

Here are my Top Ten Favourite Love Stories - in no particular order:

1. AIMÉE & JAGUAR by Erica Fischer - a true love storie between a jewish woman and the wive of a Wehrmachts-soldier in WWII - heartbreaking!

2. THE CONVENIENT MARRIAGE by Georgette Heyer - the heroine Horatia is very brave and has a stutter! (I love that - she is so adorable!) She saves her sister from an unwanted marriage by proposing to the bridegroom to be by herself - and of course they fall for each other.

3. Col. Brandon and Marianne Dashwood from SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Jane Austen (I think it is a bit because of Alan Rickman playing Brandon.. He is such a great actor - well, and I consider him attractive, too. And I LOVE Kate Winslet!)

4. Let's stay at Jane Austen: Jane and Bingley from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE - I know they are pretty lame - but I love them. I like lovely people. ;")

5. Charlie Brown and the redheaded girl - and all other romances from THE PEANUTS by Charles M. Schultz.

6. Daisy Dalrymple and Alec Fletcher from the DAISY DALRYMPLE MYSTERIES by Carola Dunn (thank you very much German editors for stopping the series after book 8!! *gnnnrrr*)

7. Nancy and Florence from TIPPING THE VELVET by Sarah Waters. (Yes, actually one book that I already have reviewed.)

8. Pinneberg and Lämmchen (which means: little lamb) from LITTLE MAN, WHAT NOW? by Hans Fallada: They fell in love. She gets preggers. They marry and than have to struggle with his unemployment: Hard times in early 3oies (pre-Hitler)Germany.

9. Hareton and Catherine from WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë. I love Heathcliff - but this is the cuter lovestory.

10. Margaret and John Thornton from NORTH AND SOUTH by Elizabeth Gaskell. I love the BBC for casting Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe!!

And here is my bonus:

Mr. Stringer and Miss Marple!