Awards

PostingAll booked up

Midlifer has tagged me in a book meme. Here goes:

Number of books I own: Too many. Despite carting bag-loads to our local charity shop, (we've made up a new verb for this: 'to Bethanise') they reproduce when I'm not looking. Strangely, these days it's often the non-fiction books I keep, while bagging up the novels. I have a bit of a love/hate relationships with books: having grown up in a house full of books I feel uncomfortable without lots of them around, but then I start resenting the space they take up and craving minimalism. Fat chance of that. Our bookshelves are also home to myriad computer books, books with groovy titles like 'XML Primer Plus', 'Developing Windows-Based Applications', 'Red Hat Linux' and 'Designing with Web Standards'. I suspect one of the scary disemvowellers has been at them.

51iyq9fnNYLAA240_Small.jpgLast book I read: Gents, by Warwick Collins (Friday Project) A subtle, almost poetic book whose lyrical tone belies its setting in a large public toilet in London. It tells the story of Ezekial Murphy, a West Indian immigrant, who after a long period of unemployment finds a job as a lavatory attendant. When the local council orders Ez and his co-workers to stop gay men - 'de reptiles' - from using the place for illicit 'cottaging', they do as they are told. But when takings fall, the three men find their jobs on the line, forcing a radical re-think. Sympathetic characters explore issues of sexuality, race and tolerance in a book that's by turns tough and tender. Sensory writing makes Gents attractively evocative of place and people. I didn't expect to be uplifted by a book set in a men's loo, but found Gents both refreshing and readable.

Last book bought:Shadow of the Silk Road, by Colin Thubron (Chatto & Windus) Bought signed copy after hearing Thubron speak at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. 'Hell, I could take Beanie across central Asia in a papoose,' I thought at the time. 'This guy makes it sound so easy.' Yeah, right. But this book encourages me to dream.

Five meaningful books:The New Contented Little Baby Book, by Gina Ford, the book that brought me back from the brink. Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons, I'm giggling now even thinking about Flora's battles to reform her relatives, the Starkadders. The History Boys, Alan Bennett - reminds me of a particular time in my own life. The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James - love, deception, betrayal - and Clear Waters Rising, A Mountain Walk Across Europe, Nicholas Crane - for the initial chapters set on the Franco-Spanish border, where I worked for a while as a teenager and later met my husband.

I'd like to tag Omega Mum and Beta Mum.

I've had a couple of awards recently. Thanks to Midlifer for 'Blogging Star', and to Omega Mum for 'You Make Me Smile'.

smile_Small.jpgI'd like to pass 'You Make Me Smile' on to (in no particular order) Beta Mum for her hilarious postings on family life and Iota for her funny and perceptive way of looking at life.

blogstar.jpgThe Blogging Star award goes to 21st Century Mummy, Guineapig Mum and Erica of Littlemummy and British Parent Bloggers. 

Posted 18 October 2007 12:24 | Number of comments: 9 | Comments

Awards Books Blogging

PostingPrize money

The unthinkable has happened - I've made some money from blogging! And it's all been unintentional. Vicky and Piers at Little Legends, the free service to allow parents to find out what's good in their area and share their views, have given me a £50 joint-first prize for my comments on the site. I'm absolutely delighted, not least because I didn't even realise there was a prize available, and also because I'm now enjoying planning how I'll spend my winnings on a family day out planned around local activities suggested on the Little Legends site. Once the rain stops...

For those who don't already know it, Little Legends is a great way of allowing parents across the UK to share knowledge and ideas about schools, nurseries, activities, days out, classes, clubs, parks, hotels, pubs and cafes. Since it started at the beginning of this year, it's gathered more than 36,000 recommendations.

Despite having three little boys to look after, Vicky still finds time to write an entertaining Little Legends blog about fun things to do as a parent. Do have a look and visit the site. It's a valuable resource for all parents. The more people who contribute to the site, the better it will be!

On the subject of prizes, Flowerpot has kindly given me a Thoughtful Blogger Award. Thank you, Flowerpot. I'd like to pass it on (in no particular order) to Mid-Lifer, Land of Sand, My Wee Scottish Blog, Guineapigmum and Elsie Button. Ladies, you're all a great read.

Posted 11 August 2007 12:15 | Number of comments: 15 | Comments

Activities Out and about Awards Blogging