This weeks quote is inspired by all the music teaching I have been doing.
I studied Philosophy for one of my A Levels and I must admit that I did not agree with a lot of Nietzsche’s theories but this quote I completely agree with.
Friedrich Nietzsche was a german philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, and much more. His work had a profound influence on Western thinking.
Lady Book Dragon.
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories by Tim Burton
About the author
Tim Burton was born in August 1958 and is an American filmmaker, artist, writer and animator. He is famous for his dark, gothic and eccentric horror and fantasy films. He often works with Johnny Depp and Danny Elfman.
Blurb
Twenty-three illustrated gothic tales from the dark corridors of the imagination of Tim Burton. Burton – the creative genius behind Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Nightmare Before Christmas, among others – now gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children: misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and tragedy of these hopeful, yet hapless beings.
Review
When I saw this book in the bookshop a few days ago I grabbed it and immediately had to buy it. I love all the work of Tim Burton but I did not know he had done a book. I was so happy to find this book and very excited to read it. Yesterday I finally had time to sit down with a mug of tea and read it.
This book is a collection of short tales illustrated by Tim Burton himself, what is not to like? All the tales feel like children’s stories with the short little paragraphs and illustrations, however this is far too gothic and gruesome in places for children so Young Adults and upwards is a must.
The book is depressing, gruesome, gothic but most of all hilarious but naughty hilarious because you feel like you should not be laughing at these tales. I found The Melancholy Death of the Oyster Boy to be very depressing, I felt very sad about the fate of the Oyster Boy and I was rather shocked about how he died.
Another element that surprised me was how many tales contained parents who hate their children. It made me wonder what Burton feels about his own children to be honest. I am not complaining though as it made for good reading.
Nearly all the tales are my favourites but a few are my absolute favourites. Stain Boy is one because this reminds me of some of my nephews who no matter what get dirt everywhere and clean clothes do not stay clean for long. Sue was another favourite, the idea of someone walking around with a tissue attached to their face made me giggle.
I loved everything about this book, the illustrations, the stories everything is just brilliant. The book took less than half an hour to read, I found I wanted it to last longer. I definitely plan on re-reading this on halloween. This book has a massive 5 out 5 Dragons.
Purchase this book from Waterstones
Lady Book Dragon.
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, illustrated by Edward Gorey
About the author
Edward Stearns Eliot born 1888 in St Louis, Missouri, USA. He settled in England in 1915 and published his book of poems in 1917. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats began life as a collection of poems dedicated to his godchildren, it was published in 1939. Eliot received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 and sadly died in 1965.
About the Illustrator
Edward Gorey (1925-2000) was an American writer and artist well known for his macabre and humorous illustrations. His first book, The Unstrung Harp; or, My Earbrass Writes a Novel (1953) was followed by many more. He illustrated work by T. S. Eliot, Edward Lear and Saki, among others.
Blurb
Cats! Some are sane and some are mad. And some are good and some are bad.
Review
I read this book as soon as I brought it home, but I read it in a very special way. I put on the musical movie starring Elaine Paige and John Mills and read the poems along with the musical, I might have also sang along as well. In short I had way too much fun and my poor husband had to endure a great deal.
I absolutely loved this book, I love the poems and I love the illustrations. It is all wonderful and I’m not sure I can choose a favourite poem because how can anyone choose a favourite cat?
The main thing I love is how all the different cats have attributes you can see in real life cats. I can certainly see many familiarities with the cats in the book with my own cats. T. S. Eliot clearly owned and had a lot of love for cats in his lifetime.
My favourite poem and cat was The Rum Tum Tugger he is just the epitome of cats. When you offer a cat some yummy food they would rather have something else, when you offer them fresh water they would rather drink from a puddle and so on.
I had amazing fun with this book and to be honest I keep going back to it now and reading my favourites. I also loved how the illustrations perfectly complimented the poems. I can not recommend this book enough to people especially if they are cat lovers, a quick read and would make a perfect gift to the cat lover in your life. I gave this book a massive 5 out of 5 Dragons.
Lady Book Dragon.
A few days ago on the 12th March marked the anniversary of Sir Terry Pratchett’s death in 2015. I still remember the day, I had been teaching all day and my best friend knew I had probably not seen the news so she sent me a text to break the news. Although I knew he was ill and it was going to happen, it was still like a kick in the stomach and I am not ashamed to admit I shed a tear. Sir Terry Pratchett meant so much to me, his Discworld novels were my absolute favourites, that I always relied on to cheer me up and make me laugh. I could not believe there would be no more, that the world of Discworld was over.
I first discovered the Discworld series at the age of 12, when my cousin’s partner recommended them to me, I then persuaded my mom to join a Sci-fi and Fantasy book club to order me a few of the books and from then I got a couple each month on offer. In year 9 at school during quiet reading, my teacher attempted to confiscate my copy of The Colour of Magic because he thought it an inappropriate book for a girl of my age, happily my mom intervened and I was allowed to continue reading them.
In 2013 I decided to read all the Discworld novels in order of them being written and it was wonderful. During this time they helped me cope with a particularly harrowing two-week session on jury duty and it was comforting to know that in my handbag there was always a Terry Pratchett novel.
Anyway, that’s a brief description of my history with Discworld, now on to my confession. The very last Discworld novel The Shepherd’s Crown I have never read! I pre-ordered it, I even got the special edition that Waterstones did so I have two copies but I have never read either. The reason, I just could not bring myself to read it, because in my mind once I read it I would know for sure that there would never be another Discworld book and that Sir Terry Pratchett was gone for good.
Over the last few days I have been thinking of The Shepherd’s Crown and yesterday I collected both copies from my parents house and brought them home. Now they are sat in my living room looking at me and I think I have made a decision. Sir Terry Pratchett wrote this book for people to read and the fact that I have not read it yet is not what he would have wanted. So on Terry Pratchett’s birthday on the 28th April I plan on starting to read The Shepherd’s Crown and I must admit that thought scares me a little, as I do not want to be disappointed and I know I will not want the book to end. Even just writing this brings all those memories back from 2015 and the sadness.
That is my bookish confession and I hope I can go through with my plan. Apologies to Sir Terry Pratchett for not having read your last Discworld novel sooner.
Lady Book Dragon.
Happy Friday Everyone!
The weekend is on its way and I hope you all have some good reading lined up.
This is my chosen poem of the week, hope you enjoy.
We live in our own world,
A world that is too small
For you to stoop and enter
Even on hands and knees,
The adult subterfuge.
And though you probe and pry
With analytic eye,
And eavesdrop all our talk
With an amused look,
You cannot find the centre
Where we dance, where we play,
Where life is still asleep
Under the closed flower,
Under the smooth shell
Of eggs in the cupped nest
That mock the faded blue
Of your remoter heaven.
R. S. Thomas
Lady Book Dragon.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear Douglas Adams
Happy Birthday to YOU!
On this day in 1952 Douglas Adams was born. Douglas Adams was an English author, scriptwriter, essayist, humorist, satirist and dramatist. Adams worked on Doctor Who as a writer and script editor. His most famous work is The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy started as a science fiction comedy radio show, which was eventually turned into a trilogy of five books. He also wrote the Dirk Gently series. Adams sadly died of a heart attack at the age of 49 in 2001.
I have read The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy many times and it is an old favourite of mine, last year I bought the trilogy for my nephew and he is also a convert. Adams was a true genius combining science fiction and comedy that many people have fallen in love with over the years. I hope I continue to enjoy his work for many years to come and i hope to read the Dirk Gently series soon.
“So long and thanks for all the fish!”
Lady Book Dragon
Happy Saturday!
Firstly, welcome and thank you everyone for the new follows. I hope you will enjoy reading my blog and please feel free to comment and talk about any of the books I talk about on the blog.
Some of you may have noticed a new page on the menu called Currently Reading. This page I have recently added so anybody who is interested can see what books I am currently reading and know that a review for these books will hopefully be appearing soon.
I am hoping this new page will also give me a little kick up the behind when I get a little slack with my reading.
Hope you enjoy and Happy reading!
Lady Book Dragon.
The daffodils are out so I thought a suitable poem was required. Also I do believe the weekly poetry reading is starting to work as I am finding more and more poems that I enjoy reading.
Happy friday everyone and I hope you all have some excellent reading planned for the weekend.
Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
William Wordsworth
Lady Book Dragon
Another good reading month!
This month has been great blogging wise, more follows and likes off people and feedback on a review from an author, which I really appreciated.
I managed to read 7 books this month, granted some of them were only short but sadly work has got in the way and my reading has slowed. This month I discovered two things: one, I love the Star Trek books and plan on reading as many as I can and, two, I have discovered a new possible favourite author Elly Griffiths. I read her latest book (review on the way) and I could not put it down. I would have happily not gone to sleep and carried on reading all night but my husband needed his beauty sleep.
Books I read this month
(If you click on the picture you’ll go to the review)
4 out of 5 Dragons.
5 out of 5 Dragons.
5 out of 5 Dragons
3 out of 5 Dragons
4 out of 5 Dragons
3 out of 5 Dragons
5 out of 5 Dragons.
I also managed to visit a few Waterstones stores and tick some more off my list, oh and buy some new books, which is always good.
Plans for March
For March I would like to read the next two Star Trek Discovery books and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon anything else is a bonus. I also plan on visiting a few more Waterstones stores.
Have you got any plans for March?
Happy reading.
Lady Book Dragon.
Happy Wednesday!
This little quote from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes I definitely agree with, especially now half term is over and I am back to early starts.
May your week be filled full of good books.
The picture is of Coco during my wedding, she was my chief bridesmaid but found the speeches a bit too much for her and so took a little nap.
Lady Book Dragon
Lady Book Dragon 