feather_ghyll

A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity: Kathleen Gilles Seidel St Martin’s Griffin, 2007

The title comes from ‘Emma’, and in some ways this is a comedy of manners, a different look at school life, friendship, working out what you want and need. The different perspective is because ( Read more... )

The Enigma Game: Elizabeth Wein Bloomsbury, 2020

In the author’s note at the end, Wein herself describes her books as World War Two thrillers, I suppose I’d just add the descriptor ‘young adult.’ This is the fourth book in the Code Name Verity Cycle, following ‘The Pearl Thief’ chronologically, and about events that precede ‘Code Name Verity’ and ‘Rose Under Fire’. I don’t believe you have to have read all the others to appreciate this, but knowing about various characters and relationships mentioned in passing and what’s coming for some of the characters added depth to me. Also, if you have read all those (excellent) books, you will know that the ‘game’ in the title is a misnomer, really. ( Read more... )

Sorry, it's been about a month and a half since I last posted. Truthfully, I haven't read many books that I'd be likely to post about over the period (I decided not to post a rant about how much I disliked 'Gladys or Gwenyth' by E. Everett-Green!) In fact, I haven't read all that many books over that time, but it's the Christmas holidays at last, so that should change.

The Midwife’s Apprentice: Karen Cushman, Macmillan 1997

This book is shorter and far less lively than ‘Catherine, Called Birdy’ ( Read more... )

Under A Dancing Star: Laura Wood, Scholastic, 2019.

This is delicious. It’s both a prequel to ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ transported to the 1930s and a young adult novel about a summer romance that turns into a first love. From when we first meet our narrator, ( Read more... )

Loyal to the School: Angela Brazil

I’ll sum up my reaction to this book with ‘Oh, Angela.’ ( Read more... )

Perhaps that was closer to a full review than an overview. Oh, well. I saw that Italy won the tie against Serbia in the Davis Cup yesterday, with Sinner beating Djokovic in three sets, even though Djokovic had three match points, and both men reappearing for the doubles, which Italy won in two sets.

Catherine, Called Birdy (2022) Rated: 12A
Adapted and Directed by: Lena Dunham
Based on the book of the same name written by Karen Cushman
Starring: Bella Ramsay, Andrew Scott, Lesley Sharp, Billie Piper


One of the advantages of getting Amazon Prime is that I can watch lots of films that I wasn’t able to previously, and so I chose this highly recommended adaptation of a book I reread last year. I wasn’t disappointed, it’s an entertaining film that’s funny, angry and a little touching, ( Read more... )

[Edited 10/5/25.]

The Pearl Thief: Elizabeth Wein, Bloomsbury, May 2017

This prequel to ‘Code Name Verity’ and ‘Rose Under Fire’ is both mystery and coming-of-age tale, in which Julie Beaufort-Stuart (or Lady Julia if you must) is spending a last summer at Strathfearn, where she and her big brothers would come for holidays. Julie is ( Read more... )

Guard Your Daughters: Diana Tutton (The Reprint Society, 1954)

This post-war book rewards careful reading, and at times made me shout with laughter, ( Read more... )

My next post will probably be on The Great British Sewing Bee, but not, alas, on the TV coverage of the French Open.

Congratulations to Cam(eron) Norrie for winning Indian Wells the other week and thus becoming the male British no. 1. He’s one of the players who the freeze in rankings because of the pandemic didn’t help, and as I remember from Queen’s, has certainly been threatening to advance like this in 2021, and now he’s finally pushed through the barrier of winning a final, which much be all the sweeter as he did it from being down in the final set. Having said that, I see he’s out of the Vienna Open.

Selma at the Abbey: Elsie J. Oxenham, Collins, 1954 edition.

This is one of the ‘fill-in’ books, where EJO went back and filled in what had happened between her already published Abbey books – ( Read more... )

Bright Island: Mabel L. Robinson, Hutchinson

You make assumptions when you pick up the next book on your ‘to be read’ pile, some of them encouraged by its design and age. In my defence, Hutchinson boasts that this is published in the same series as ‘Christine, Air Hostess’ and ‘The Intelligence Corps Saves The Island’, which I’ve read, although I haven’t reviewed them here. I don’t remember being impressed by either. So, I prepared myself for some children, probably girls, having not entirely credible adventures on an island. Well, it’s always salutary and a pleasure to have assumptions smashed to smithereens by something far better.

( Read more... )