Author Matt Stewart has decide to release his literary novel, The French Revolution, on Social Networking Website Twitter. Matt began tweeting his novel on Bastille Day 24th July 2009.
Matt said that some of his followers on twitter re-tweet their favourite sentences from his book. He said that about 1,000 people are following him on twitter at the moment.
I just checked and he has 979 followers - actually 980 - now I’m following him too!

Twitter only allows tweets of up to 140 characters, so it’s going to take a lot of time, and more importantly patience, for Matt Stewart to tweet The French Revolution.

I think Matt Stewart is either completely mad, or he has way too much spare time on his hands - possibly both!

If you’re interested in following mad author Matt Stewart in twitter his username is thefrenchrev and you can find him here http://twitter.com/thefrenchrev

Life in France

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Novel by Alexander McCall Smith.

Synopsis ~
The latest installment of this universally beloved and best-selling series finds Precious Ramotswe in personal need of her own formidable detection talents.
Mma Ramotswe’s ever-ready tiny white van has recently developed a rather disturbing noise. Of course, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni–her estimable husband and one of Botswana’s most talented mechanics––is the man to turn to for help. But Precious suspects he might simply condemn the van and replace it with something more modern. Can she find a way to save her old friend?
In the meantime, Mma Makutsi discovers that her old rival Violet Sephotho, who could not have gotten more than fifty percent on her typing final at the Botswana Secretarial College, has set her sights on none other than Mma Makutsi’s fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti. Can Mma Ramotswe’s intuition save the day? Finally, the proprietor of a local football team has enlisted the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency to help explain its dreadful losing streak. The owner of the team is convinced he as a traitor in his midst. But how is Mma Ramotswe, who has never seen a football match in her life, going to discern who is throwing the game? Help, it turns out, may come from an unexpected quarter.
There are few mysteries that can’t be solved and fewer problems that can’t be fixed when the irrepressible Precious Ramotswe puts her mind to them. A good cup of red bush tea might be the best solution of all.

I have loved the writing of Alexander McCall Smith ever since I read the first book in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series.
In the latest book in the series, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, Alexander McCall Smith has once again delivered a beautifully written, gentle, heartfelt, and often amusing look at life Botswana.
Alexander McCall Smith always manages to draw me in to the wonderful world he has created for his characters, a world that is easy to relate to as his characters struggle with various problems including money, anxiety, jealously, and frustration, just like many of us do in the real world.

I love this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I knew I would as I always enjoy reading the work of Alexander McCall Smith.
In fact although I could happily have sat and read, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, in one go, I didn’t want it to end so I only allowed myself one of two chapters at a time because I wanted to make the pleasure last as long as it possibly could.
I’m always the same with Alexander McCall Smiths books, I dive in and devour every page but as I get near to the end of the books I slow down and only read a couple of pages a day!

I highly recommend this book if you fancy a light hearted amusing read with a real flavour of Africa.
It has so many wonderfully amusing lines ~ “Maybe that was the real problem with the modern world - not enough of us were prepared to share our chairs.”

Life in France

I recently finished reading Dear Fatty by Dawn French.
I have never been so relieved to finish reading a book - that’s several wasted hours of my life I’ll never get back!

I had seen Dawn French plugging this book during her interviews on all of the usual TV shows where celebrities agree to appear whenever they are trying to sell their latest product, be it a new film, TV show, perfume, or book etc.
It was the BBC programme The One Show that finally persuaded me to order Dear Fatty after one of the presenters, Christine Bleakley, said that Dear Fatty was an enjoyable read that had made her laugh and cry.
I doubt Christine had even read the book, but from what she said and from the little snippets revealed by Dawn French it sounded like a good read.
I am not particularly a fan of Dawn French, so I didn’t purchase her book for that reason, I simply thought I would enjoy reading about her life.
I did not think that not being a fan of Dawn French would limit my enjoyment of her book.

I can always tell from the first couple of sentences whether I like a book or not.
I read the first couple of sentences of Dear Fatty - and I liked it.
But then my opinion changed.
After reading the following few sentences I knew that I did not like this book.
That’s the first time that has ever happened, my opinion never usually changes once I begin reading and decide that I like the book.
Unfortunately although I can imagine that Dear Fatty may be mildly amusing if Dawn French were to read it aloud on the stage, it just didn’t appeal to me at all.
Dear Fatty is written in letter form to various family members and friends of Dawns - and I think that it is purely aimed at those few people mentioned in the book. I’m sure for all of the family and friends who are still alive and were able to read Dear Fatty it was an enjoyable read.
I just don’t see how it would appeal to anyone else.
Just one of the many things I disliked about this book was the pointless ’street/ghetto talk’ which was especially prevalent in the ‘Dear Madonna’ letters; “Dear Madonna” … blah blah blah “doin’ the divorcin’ of the posh gangsta-style Ritchie boy” … blah blah blah “As goodly as a huntin’ shootin’ fishin’ filmin’ drinkin’ Englishy can do with a gyratin’ pumpin’ singin’ lookin’ wearin’ Yankee-doodle icon” … blah blah blah.
I know I am pretty crap at this writing lark - but seriously how old is Dawn French? Is she trying to ‘keep it real’ and ‘ be down with the kids’ - surely she is not this immature?

There are lots of positive reviews of Dear Fatty on the internet so maybe it’s me, maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood to read this book? Although I have no idea what mood would enable me to enjoy Dear Fatty.
I did find a couple of negative reviews on Amazon; “This book is a dreadfully disappointing effort from someone who simply cant write. She should have employed a ghost writer and I cant help but think that it was an opportunity to cash in while the going was good.
The book is rendered as letters to friends and relatives and the style is so irritating that some of it is unreadable. More than half the book is devoted to her middle class English upbringing, retold is such detail that I found myself skipping large chunks of it out of sheer boredom. Her jolly hockey sticks style may be too sacharine for some readers and basically nothing of interest is revealed other than the fact that she has no talent for writing at all. The letters to Madonna are excruciating.
Best avoided if you are looking for good writing or an interesting story as neither have been delivered in this case.”
I wish I had taken the time to read the negative reviews before I ordered my copy!

I think I only laughed once, half heartedly, during the whole book.
I vaguely remember crying once too, but it was very late and I was very tired, and it may have been the awful writing that made me emotional and not the sentiment.
Basically I feel that the letters printed in Dear Fatty are too personal for me to read, they have no relevance, and as I do not know Dawn’s family members or friends - I don’t care about them.
I did not enjoy Dear Fatty - I think I’ve made that clear.
Dawn French will no doubt not be negatively affected by my lack of pleasure at reading her book, as I’m sure lots of copies have been purchased which will have made her lots of money.
Making money is probably the main reason Dawn French chose to write Dear Fatty - so job done.
Thankfully I have finished reading Dear Fatty - so job done for me too.
I have also learnt a valuable lesson; to never again be seduced in to purchasing a book simply because during an interview the author says it’s a good read - they are hardly going to admit it’s crap!

Life in France

I finished reading, The World According To Clarkson Volume 3 - For Crying Out Loud! a couple of months ago, I thought I had already written a post about it but I realised this afternoon that I hadn’t - so here it is!

I like Jeremy Clarkson, he is a straight talking, seemingly genuine bloke.
I know he isn’t popular with everyone, but that’s their problem!
I can’t think of anything negative to say about Jeremy Clarkson, he is clearly a very blessed individual, he has one of the best jobs in the world, if not ‘the’ best job in the world. He gets paid lots of money to drive lots of gorgeous cars, he gets to travel, and basically mess about with his little friends, James May, and Richard ‘Hamster’ Hammond - what more could he want?
Top Gear is my favourite TV programme, if I could only watch one show I would always choose Top Gear.
He is not only a presenter on Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson is a journalist who also writes a weekly column for the Sunday Times newspaper, where he gives his honest and non PC opinion of practically every topic under the sun. This book; The World According To Clarkson - For Crying Out Loud! is basically a collection of his Sunday Times columns.

I liked the book. It’s not rocket science, it’s not meant to be.
It includes chapters such as ~

• Why binge drinking is good for you
• The worst word in the English language
• The remarkable secret of eternal youth
• The pleasure and pain of middle aged drumming
• The problem with America
• And how to dispose of a seal

The World According To Clarkson - For Crying Out Loud! is what any fan of Mr Claskson would expect it to be, an amusing, politically incorrect, ranting, witty, fun read.

The Wine Connoisseur

I recently finished reading The Way by Swann’s (In Search of Lost Time), Volume 1, by Marcel Proust.
Or as they say in France, À la recherche du temps perdu!
I liked it!

I never know what to say when I write a review about a book I have read. What is there to say other than I liked it, or I didn’t like it?
But as I tend to use 1,000 words when 10 would be adequate I’m sure I’ll manage to write something more than - I liked it!

Marcel Proust is often referred to as the greatest French novelist, and possibly the greatest European novelist, of the 20th century.
I knew this, having read it several times, before I began reading The Way by Swann’s.
I had also read many reviews which stated that reading the work of Marcel Proust is a challenge, a difficult task, and that his words form sentences, that from paragraphs without a break, which go on and on for several pages.
Having read this opinion on more than one occasion, I had put off of reading Proust despite ‘In Search of Lost Time’ living happily on our bookshelves for many years.
One evening I finally decided to read The Way by Swann’s because I had nothing else to read; I was waiting for a delivery from Amazon.

After reading all of the fluff; General Editor’s Preface, and the Translator’s Introduction, which covered 14 and 15 pages respectively, I was too tired to actually start reading the words of Proust - small print and imperfect eyesight were to blame!
Anyway, the following morning I finally began to read The Way by Swann’s, Part I: Combray, and even after reading only the very first sentence; “For a long time, I went to bed early”, which was only 9 words in length (Thanks to my OCD I often count the number of words in each sentence that I read)! I knew that I liked it!

I had been expecting this book to be difficult to read, but found the complete opposite to be true.
Yes, Proust may take his time, delay the ‘action’, and use long sentences, but I found it very easy to read.
In fact I was slightly disappointed that The Way by Swann’s was so easy and quick to read, as for years I had put off of reading Proust because I thought it would be hard work, and as far as I am concerned ‘work’ is a four letter word.

The Way by Swann’s is split into three sections, Part I: Combray, Part II: A Love of Swann’s, and Part III: Place-names: the Name.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading each of the three sections, but I especially enjoyed Part II: A Love of Swann’s. I loved reading about the relationship between Charles Swann and Odette de Crécy.

Living here in France I suppose it would have been more appropriate to have read the original French text, but my French is at best - poor, so I read the English translation by Lydia Davis, not the C.K. Scott Montcrieff translation which is reportedly not as literal as Davis’ translation.
Each volume of this edition of ‘In Search of Lost Time’ is translated by a different translator working under the general editorship of Professor Christopher Prendergast, University of Cambridge.

There was one thing I didn’t particularly enjoy whilst reading The Way By Swann’s, and that was the uncontrollable obsession I felt to flick to the back of the book to the ‘Notes’ section whenever a number was printed by a word.
I blame this obsession on my OCD, because despite the fact that I rarely needed any of the words or phrases explained to me, I couldn’t resist reading what the notes said.
I found the little numbers and the notes in general unnecessary, and whilst I appreciate that iy may be possible that some readers may have needed even the simplest words explained to them, I felt as though the translator was patronising, and disparaging the intelligence of the reader.

Having rambled on as usual, most of which is crap! I did enjoy reading The Way By Swann’s (In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1), By Marcel Proust, and I intend to read the other volumes in the future.

SWITZERLAND

Kate Moss Style By Angela Buttolph, I’m not exactly sure why I purchased this book?
It is not something I would usually read.
I probably purchased it because when I was searching on Amazon I couldn’t find anything I wanted so I browsed the new releases section and ordered it on impulse.
Whatever the reason, I am very pleased I ordered it.
I thoroughly enjoyed every single page, and I was sad to finish it, I could happily read lots more about Kate Moss.

I thought Kate Moss Style would be full of glossy photos and not much else, but Angela Buttolph has obviously spent a lot of time and effort researching her subject.
Kate Moss is a famously private person so it was nice to read all of the quotes and snippets from interviews with Kate Moss that I had not read before, and I feel that this book really does express how Kate Moss feels and thinks about the clothes that she wears.

In this book Kate Moss comes across as a genuine down to earth person who just happens to live an extraordinary life.
I found it refreshing reading this book to discover that Kate Moss truly does have a genuine passion for clothes, and (outside of her professional life) she doesn’t ever wear anything just to create a photo opportunity.
It was also interesting to read about the people who have the most influence over the wardrobe of Kate Moss; mainly her good friend and hairdresser James Brown.

It seems that everyone in the fashion industry, from designers to vintage store owners, are constantly sending items of clothing to Kate Moss in the hopes that she will fall in love with them and be photographed wearing their design or vintage find.
I completely understand this - what better advertisement, for their fashion label or clothing store, than to have the woman who is considered by many to be the style icon of her generation wearing their clothes.
And I am certain that Kate Moss is more than happy to sort through the parcels of clothes that she receives daily before she decides what look she is going to wear before the rest of the world follows in their attempts to emulate her iconic style.

Style is subjective, but I think Kate Moss definitely has style.
Kate Moss wears her clothes, they never wear her, and she always looks comfortable and as though she hasn’t tried too hard - which I don’t think she ever does, it seems to come naturally to her and she always looks good.
But being a model Kate Moss has obviously has an advantage over us mere mortals because she has worn more than her fair share of clothes, so she knows what does and doesn’t suit her, and this is a skill that definitely helps when deciding what to wear, or more importantly what not to wear.
The fact that, in my opinion, (I know lots of people will disagree), Kate Moss has a gorgeous figure means that whatever she chooses to wear, her clothes fit like a second skin, and good tailoring is very important when it comes to style.
Kate Moss says that she is never afraid to alter things to fit her perfectly, and although she clearly has a love of clothes she isn’t too precious about them, which no doubt adds to her enjoyment as she searches through the vintage shops that she loves so much.
Kate Moss may not be your idea of a style icon, but I think she looks pretty fabulous.

LUXEMBOURG

I know I have said it before, but I’ll say it again - I love reading Alexander McCall Smith books.
The most recent book I read by Mr Smith was no exception, I loved it.

I do have one small complaint though, I wish the editor/publisher would number all of the books in each series on the spine or somewhere. If each series of books were numbered it would make it much quicker and easier to purchase them and read them in the correct order.
There are several different series of books by Alexander McCall Smith that I like to read including;
The No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series
The Sunday Philosophy Club Series
The 44 Scotland Street Series
I order my books from Amazon and it is not always obvious what number the books are, or maybe it’s just me being thick?!

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall ~ (Copied from Amazon!)
Bertie, McCall Smith’s precocious six-year-old protagonist, is still at odds with his domineering mother, Irene, but enjoying his time as a cub scout.
Matthew is struggling with the demands of marriage, while Domenica has her own struggle with the loneliness that accompanies her somewhat arid intellectual lifestyle.
The residents of 44 Scotland St offer a kind of Celtic alternative to the humour of Armistead Maupin’s delightful San Francisco-set Tales of the City (although unorthodox sexuality has less of a place here!).

Synopsis ~
The story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family continues in this fifth installment alongside the familiar cast of favourites.
Big Lou, Domenica, Angus Lordie, Cyril, and others, in their daily pursuit of a little happiness.
With customary charm and deftness, Alexander McCall Smith has again given us a clever, witty and utterly delightful new novel.

I don’t think there’s much more to say, I enjoyed reading The Unbearable Lightness of Scones - the end.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

As I have previously posted, I love reading Alexander McCall Smith books.

I can never decide which series I prefer, No1 Ladies Detective Agency, Scotland Street, or the Sunday Philosophy Club series.
I think I prefer whichever series I am reading at the time.

The most recent Alexander McCall Smith book I read was, The Careful Use Of Compliments; Sunday Philosophy Club series.
I absolutely loved it, and I can’t wait for the next installment.

Synopsis ~ The Careful Use Of Compliments ~

For philosophically minded Isabel Dalhousie, editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, getting through life with a clear conscience requires careful thought. And with the arrival of baby Charlie, not to mention a passionate relationship with his father Jamie, fourteen years her junior, Isabel enters deeper and rougher waters. Late motherhood is not the only challenge facing Isabel. Even as she negotiates a truce with her furious niece Cat, and struggles for authority over her son with her formidable housekeeper Grace, Isabel finds herself drawn into the story of a painter’s mysterious death off the island of Jura. Perhaps most seriously of all, Isabel’s professional existence and that of her beloved Review come under attack from the machiavellian and suspiciously handsome Professor Dove. A master storyteller whether debating ethics in Edinburgh or pursuing lady detectives in Africa, here Alexander McCall Smith is as witty and wise as his irresistibly spirited heroine.

ITALY

The Miracle At Speedy Motors (No.1 Ladies Detective Agency) by Alexander McCall Smith.

I thoroughly enjoy reading the work of Alexander McCall Smith, and the latest installment in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series ‘The Miracle At Speedy Motors’ was no exception.

Publishers Weekly said ~ Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s foremost solver of problems, is used to handling mostly straightforward domestic cases, which makes a series of anonymous letters threatening her and her prickly assistant, Grace Makutsi, all the more disturbing in Smith’s triumphant ninth No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novel (after The Good Husband of Zebra Drive). The search for whoever penned the letters coincides with a new commission: Manka Sebina, whose birth parents gave her up as a child, hires the agency to track down any living relatives. Both problems afford Mma Ramotswe ample opportunity to display her winning blend of insight into others’ motivations and an endearingly naïve belief in the best in human nature. Significant, if incremental, developments in the lives of the community Smith has lovingly created over the course of the series will intrigue old fans. Immediately accessible to newcomers, this entry will prompt them to seek out the earlier books.

I am not good at writing book reviews, as I can’t think of much to say, which is surprising as in every other situation I can (and do) happily ramble on forever …….
But I will try and put into words what I thought about The Miracle At Speedy Motors.
Basically I simply enjoy the writing style of Alexander McCall Smith. I like the gentle humour, the leisurely pace, and all of the tiny details that make these books so enjoyable to read, like the descriptions of Botswana and its people, the heat, the rain and the relationships between the characters.
When I read Alexander McCall Smith books I feel completely immersed, transported, and connected to all of the events as they unfold, so much so that when I stop reading and look about me, I am surprised that I am here in France and not in fact relaxing somewhere under the warmth of the beautiful Botswana sky.
If I only used one word to describe any of the books I have read by Alexander McCall Smith; Portuguese Irregular Verbs, Scotland Street, Isabel Dalhousie, or the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, I would say they are all ……. charming.

James Patterson ~ Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (Adult Version)

I have just finished reading The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith.

Synopsis
“The World According to Bertie” is the fourth in the series and revolves around the many colourful characters that come and go at No. 44 Scotland Street. McCall Smith handles the characters with his customary charm and deftness - the stalwart Tory chartered surveyor, the pushy mother, and, most importantly in this novel, the beleaguered Italian-speaking prodigy, Bertie. This is classic McCall Smith - clever, witty and entertaining - and beautifully illustrated. A chance encounter with Armistead Maupin in San Francisco inspired Alexander McCall Smith to write this series of novels based around the fictional No. 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh’s New Town.

What can I say about the latest installment in the No. 44 Scotland Street series?
I loved it.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Alexander McCall Smith books that I have read, and this was no exception.
They books are so easy to read, and I start every book eager to find out what happens, but when I get to the last couple of chapters I don”t want to read anymore ……. because I don’t want the story to end.

I have trouble reading because of my OCD.
It doesn’t matter what I am reading I always ‘have to’ read each sentence then go back and count how many words there were in it!
Crazy I know.
That’s on a ‘good day’, on a ‘bad day’, I read a sentence, go back and count how many words there are, and then go back and count how many letters each of the words have. If I am having a ‘very bad day’ with my OCD I then have to add up the amount of letters in each word too!

So, as you may imagine I am not a particularly fast reader, and when I am tired I seem to spend so much time going back and counting words, and/or letters and doing addition, that I find it difficult to remember what I am reading.

But I find the writing style of Alexander McCall Smith so warm and effortless to read, and I enjoy his books so much that my quirky reading habits are worth suffering just for me to be able to settle down and transport myself into all of the wonderful lives of the characters he writes about so convincingly.