The last book in the Reading Challenge - and it has been a challenge, as I deliberately chose books I would not have picked up in a book shop. The final book I selected was Crippen by John Boyne.

I had heard of Crippen, of course, but given his notoriety, assumed him to be a serial killer - apparently this was not the case. He was convicted of, and hanged for, the murder of his wife. I knew nothing of the background so didn’t know if this was a true crime story or an elaboration on the facts.

I’m having a hard time with this review: the writing itself is fairly good, but the way that it is set out is quite tough to follow. You need to be alert to read this book, as it flits between place and time with each (long) chapter.

It was an engaging enough read (once I got going) but, at times, not a pleasant one. The way in which the author portrayed Crippen made you feel as though he sympathised with him, as you would with a victim of prolonged domestic violence, who had finally snapped. This made me feel a little uncomfortable. Had he used artistic licence or was this really a case of a man driven to the edge by a cruel wife and a domineering mother? I’ve never understood the yearning to write about a historical case and to turn it in to a work of fiction: either it’s based on the facts or it’s a different story altogether.

It was hard to pick up, but also hard to put down (maybe in part due to the long chapters - I hate to put a book down mid-way through a chapter). I’ve had this book for almost a fortnight and only just finished it. That speaks volumes, as I can read a book I enjoy in a day. I’d give this book 5 out of 10. I’d rather read the facts if I wanted to read about a particular crime - I actually had to do some research on finishing this book JUST to clarify things in my mind!

I’ve really enjoyed being part of the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge, and hope that I get the opportunity to do this again. I think everyone should try to read something new, now and again: you never know what you might find!

Had reservations about choosing to write a poem for this week’s class - I’m not a poet, but did feel I wanted a challenge. The theme today was ‘returning’, whether it be to a place or a person. Surprisingly, there was very little criticism except that the way the poem reads is a little short and ‘jaunty’, as one would write a comedic verse, rather than slow, lengthy and sombre as the material suggests. I had tried to curb my natural tendency to waffle (and inadvertently moved towards the haiku we’d studied in week one - I hadn’t even noticed this until it was pointed out). It was suggested that I omit some words, or extend some lines. Judge for yourself:

The Bungalow

I return, heavy-hearted.
My grandma, departed.
I sit alone, weeping.
Suddenly, my heart, leaping:
I hear her speaking!
Or was the house creaking?
On my face, I feel a touch…
Or a draft? Thought as much.
Her perfume lingers
like lavender fingers
stroking my senses -
my body tenses:
I catch her reflection!
On closer inspection,
was it a trick of the light
or an angel in flight?

It’s that time of year again - this year, it has been EXTREMELY difficult to get prizes. Not only are people busy, companies are tightening their belts and there are so many deserving causes out there that they can’t help everyone. Nevertheless, I am not prizeless: ordinary people have dug deep and donated things to our raffle. It makes me feel all warm and glowy inside, that people can be so kind. If you wish to donate something, please contact me via the form on this site.

As usual, the highlight of the evening will be our popular quiz - teams of up to 6 people are welcome and there is a prize for the winning team. The questions are general knowledge and the aim is to have fun…while trying to win, of course! Aside from that, there are various stalls: a well-stocked tombola, a bottle stall and a Name the Bear game - basically, you’d be pretty unlucky to come away empty-handed. We also have a raffle with prizes such as an M&S christmas hamper, bottles, vouchers, collectable teddy bear and much, much more (star prze to be announced soon). As if that isn’t enough, for your £10 ticket you also get a buffet, entrance to a prize draw AND you’re helping a fantastic charity - wow!

So, if you’d like to join us on 19th November 2011 - use the ‘contact me’ form on the website for further details. I really hope to see you there.

Try saying that quickly!

Have been working on a Kindle cover for Karma - as you know, I hated the girlie pink cover on the original version of Karma. It’s just not me…and it certainly wasn’t Paige! She isn’t a girlie girl!

My cousin, Mika, kindly agreed to act as my model and spent yesterday dressed as a devil/angel, while my hubby took some photos to try and capture the idea I had in my head. The photos were great, so if they don’t look good, it’s my photoshopping that lets them down. I am a newbie to photo editing and was learning both Photoshop and Picassa as I went along. I have posted a mock-up of what the cover might look like, so please feel free to let me know your thoughts. I believe that most kindles are black & white, so obviously the cover wouldn’t be in colour - use your imagination.

I hope it would make you want to pick the book up…