The Princess Diaries, is the first book of a series of books about a young girl called Mia, who discovers she is actually a princess of a small country.
It has since been made into a Disney film which I have seen a few times over the course of many years.
The book is written in diary form, which for some reason I always enjoy reading and is light, easy reading.
Disney picked and changed a few things from the book for the film, such as Mia's father being dead instead of alive and characters names and personalities changing, but overall did a good job of representing the book.
Meg Cabot is a very popular writer among the youth, and even though I wont be rushing to buy or read any of the Princess Diaries series or other titles of hers, I can imagine that this is the sort of book I would have enjoyed reading as a young teenager.
I'm sorry I'm probably going to upset someone, but I cannot stand 'Enid Bloody Blyton'.
This book took me over two months to finish, because I cannot stand how the woman writes for children. Children are not stupid, not even children in the 1940's or 1950,s or whenever these books were written.
She writes as if all children are morons and need the most basic things explained. I could not stand 'The Famous Five' series either or anything else she ever wrote.
When I saw it on the 'Big Read' list, I was quite surprised it was the only book of hers on there. I know millions of kids buy into the shit she churned out, and imagined the list to be full of her books.
This story was about a magic tree which has different world's that appear briefly at the top of it, that the children and there magical friends visit and get up to high jinx [blahhhh].
There is a saucepan man, and a character called Moonface and God knows what else. Oh and the typical stereotype Janet and John children, that live on a farm and have chores and go on picnics, and do not represent English children in that period at all.
Perhaps I am being unfair, she does appeal to the masses.
Oh Gosh and drat I don't care, she is just a big shit lol.
When I set out to read this book I believed I would find it highly enjoyable. I had seen the film before and the numerous made for TV series, so it seemed a foregone conclusion that I would love the book, Right?
Wrong !!!
I did not enjoy it at all. Talk about a struggle. This is supposed to be a favourite among many children, but how they managed to understand what the hell Montgomery was talking about is beyond me.
Montgomery had me reaching for the dictionary at least 10 times in the first chapter, which I hate. Whenever a word comes along that I do not know, I feel the need to look it up, otherwise I feel the book has not been completed in some way, and that that misunderstood word could change the whole chapter and feel of the story.
Stupid I know, but it is just how I read. However, I feel that these words are so obscure and rarely used that a lot of other readers would have had to glance at a dictionary as well, especially the many people who claim that this is their favourite all time children's book.
There are other reasons why this book will not be finding a permanent place on my book shelf. I am not a huge fan of pages and pages of descriptive writing. I know an author has to set a scene, and try to bring the reader into the book, but page after page of how the woods smelt and how the trees looked, and how the stream trickled is not my bag at all.
It's a shame as the story is a good one. A young orphan girl going to live with a brother and sister, getting up to all sorts and having a cheerful disposition, but a fiery stubborn temper, is a fine basis for a story. God, she could almost be me.
I will always love the TV series and the film versions of this book and it's sequels, but the literature for me is a struggle.
Sorry L.M Montgomery.
I was not sure what to expect from this book. It is another childhood classic that seemed to pass me by without having either been read it as a child, or read it myself in later years.
I obviously know who Winnie the Pooh is, and all his friends, but have just never read any of the literature.
It's quite a short book, with a collection of different stories,involving Winnie and his friends.
I actually found it fairly enjoyable and really well written. Each character is involved in at least one story and the story is used to show each of their individual personalities.
Winnie, obviously being the main character, is lazy and only thinks of consuming honey, but is kind and helpful to all his friends.
Eeyore, a highly depressive character, who sees doom and gloom in everything, and without his friends would probably hang himself from the nearest tree.
Piglet who seems to be a anxious fellow and scared of everything. Owl who is wise and who everyone goes to for advice. Rabbit who is the bossy one, and Kanga and Roo, who seem the sensible ones of the group.
From this original book there is no Tigger. But I can see why he was added at a later time, as it was obvious that the group lacked a complete nutter who just loved to bounce. lol
Well I finally read it. After years and years [or decades and decades in my case] of putting it off because I knew how it ended, I gave it a go.
I'm so happy I did, it's a fantastic book.
Charlotte's death [the spider] was handled great, even though she did die alone in the end and Wilbur [the pig] lived kind of happily ever after.
What I really loved about it though was it's message of friendship. Charlotte knew she was doomed, but gave her last energy to keeping Wilbur alive, and Wilbur in turn became Charlotte's babies guardian angel.
It's all very Disney, even though it's not. However, the author does not talk down to the children the book is meant for.
I did not cry, but I feel as if the film or TV versions of this would turn me into a sniffling mess, so I might give them a miss. However, this book will be finding a permanent place on my bookshelf as I will def be reading again in the future.
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Lets face it, Bears, hedgehogs and squirrels to name a few, have the right bloody idea.
Every year, towards the start of winter they stock up their food piles, find a comfy safe place, curl up in a ball and fall into a deep slumber.
Living in England during the winter is not my idea of fun. Dark dreary days, that seem to go on for ever. Bitter cold weather, with ice cold rain, or freezing cold snow. NO NO NO, that's not for me. Given a choice I would be on the first plane out of here after Christmas day, and not come back until I could smell the chocolate from all of the Easter eggs.
I'm a totally different person in the winter to the rest of the year, everything is just slightly more effort. People get on my nerves a lot more, and I'm just generally moody and a bit depressed.
Some people love Winter [frigging weirdo's] and whats not to love?
The weather? Yes I love to have to de-ice my car every time I want to use it, and then drive at stupidly slow speeds to avoid death.
I love the way my skin drys up and makes me look like an extra from the walking dead.
I love walking like I've shit myself, so I do not slip up on the unsalted roads and pathway's. I especially love going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark, so for a few months I get to live like a vampire.
Or is it the sickness? Personally I love to catch the flu or a chest riddled infection. Oh the joy of endless snotty tissues, and trying to explain to your Doctor the colour and consistency of your phlegm.
Having people tell you that they are near death as they sneeze and cough all over you, the cost of the medication that you buy in the hope it will stop you from shooting yourself are all winter joys.
Each winter, myself and hubby can usually be found wrapped in our duvet on the sofa in our own form of human hibernation, trying to decide if we can afford to heat the flat [no seriously]. We eat copious amounts of junk food, because cooking would involve movement and put on huge amounts of weight. [well i do, he don't, he's a freak of nature].
If this was a scientific study, the evidence above would clearly show that winter is shit and best to be avoided. However, who knows, there maybe people who like winter, despite its massive failings.
Please feel free to convince me otherwise !!!!
w/6318165260/">Bryan Garnett-Law</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creatphoto credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garnett-laivecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
Now I'm not saying I'm a thicko, but I can clearly confess to not being very well read.
Apart from reading the whole works of a couple of my favourite authors I stumbled upon, and a few other novels here and there over the years, my reading history stops there.
Part of the whole mid life crisis I seem to be going through at the moment, which involves examining my past years and wondering what the bloody hell I did with my life, and trying to catch up, involves me reading more. When I started looking into what I had read to what I should have read I could have cried.
So I set myself a challenge [one of many, separate blog to follow] to read as much as possible. However, I want to read the classics, I want to read what people say I should have read by now and I certainly want to read what other normal people consider their favourite reads.
So I went looking for a list, a book list if you please of what people considered to be the best books of all time. That is when I came across the BBC'S The Big read. In 2003 they carried out a survey where people voted for their favourite book. They collected the results and compiled a list of the top 200.
The list can be found here if anyone is interested.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/
The list is pretty varied, and you can definitely see that a wide age range has voted. I'm not going to list the books individually on this page, but I will be reviewing each book as I knock them off the list.
You should check it out and count how many you have read, its very interesting, and your total has to be higher then mine.
Are your favourite's missing? What are your favourite's ? Did they make the list?
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