The locals were wearing their coats, hats, scarfs and glovers and looked at me like I was a crazy person or some sort of tourist sun-bathing topless on the beach.
Plenty of good food, drink and good times were had. I went there as a singledom and came back with a boyfriend. The story of Boyfriend-W (as he shall be named for now) will be revealed in Part 2.
Posted on:Sunday 28 February 2010 @ 9:09, by Antony
Mum Can You Lend Me Twenty Quid? is the true story by Elizabeth Burton-Phillips of what drugs did to her family. The prologue described the knock at the door late one night, the police – one of her twin sons has died. Although this Prologue intended to encourage the reader to read on, I felt that it didn’t need it. I had already picked up the book because of the title and back cover.
The book starts off by describing the twins and their family. Average was the word that sprang to mind. Elizabeth describes the closeness of the twins and how they were lovely children. Elizabeth describes some of the warm, funny, close memories that she had of her young children and of family life at that time.
Then she tells the reader about her twins Nick and Simon’s adolescent years. Elizabeth discusses not knowing about their Cannabis use and Simon writes sections explaining what was really going on. He describes the early life style of his teenage years and how the little lies started to grow in to more elaborate complex lies.
Elizabeth describes how she felt as her sons became young adults, started to live independently and became involved in crime. Elizabeth still unaware of what exactually was going on, but knowing that something wasn’t right. The book continues with extracts from Simon explaining what was actually going on and how him and his twin brother progressed to become addicted to heroin.
Elizabeth then tells of how she coped with the addiction cycles. She explains the financial cost, the psychological pressure of trying to maintain her Teaching position with very few people knowing about her sons addition and most importantly the worry and anxiety she felt. She then tells the rest of the story with this addiction cycle coming some-what repetitive at points. Throughout the books she gains others perspectives by allowing them to write short sections. Contributers include Nick’s Drug Worker, his Probation Officer, Hostel Workers as well as Simon’s continued input.
Overall it is an emotional journey. It helps you to realise that addiction doesn’t just effect the person with the addiction but their families too. It helps you understand that because of the nature of addiction being a taboo subject it makes families feel isolated and alone, which is partly why she wrote the book.
The other reason she wrote the book is to make Nick’s life (the twin that tragically died) not be in vein. She describes that perhaps without the death of Nick, Simon would have never got drug free. They were too closely intertwined. The final few chapters of the book describe what the family have done since the death of Nick. The good work in setting up a charitable foundation, speaking at various conferences and even being a consultant for the UK government around UK drug policy. If you would like to read Mum Can You Lend Me Twenty Quid? by Elizabeth Burton-Phillips, you can buy it at Amazon.
Posted on:Sunday 31 January 2010 @ 19:41, by Antony
For Christmas I treated my to The Enemy by Charlie Higson. It tells the story of a world were all adults have become sick and turned in to stupid crazed children-eating monsters. The disease effecting the adults doesn’t effect children under fourteen. You are quickly absorbed in to this world and meet two groups of children living on the outskirts of London. The first group lives in Waitrose and the second in Morrisons.
You soon discover that when the children go in to the streets scavenging for food that it is unsafe, filled with diseased and disgusting adults looking hungrily at them. There is real fear of danger amongst the children as they are being picked off one by one, weakest first.
As the many children characters are introduced each with their own attributes, skills and personalities you begin to care for them. One night outside of the Waitrose a lone child is being attacked by the adults. The Waitrose group rescue him and he tells them and the Morrison group of a place of safety: Buckingham Palace. The adults start off slow moving, unorganised and stupid meaning the children who are more intelligent and faster moving have the advantage. Although don’t let this fool you as if -or should I say when they get hold of the children they are much stronger and brutal. Some characters discover this for themselves as they meet a bloody end. As you continue to read the story you see the adults starting to get more organised and efficient and one seems to stand out. Is it possible these monsters have a leader?
You join the children as they head out with their destination set for Buckingham Palace. But will they make it? And will it really be safe? And if it is safe – will it what the children expect? The book becomes a page-turner that you are unable to put down as you follow the many twists, turns and surprises. At one point, I simply couldn’t put it down. I finished the 407 page book in two days.
As you finally reach the end you are left with questions as you discover that this book is the first in a series of books. You can buy The Enemy by Charlie Higson on Amazon.
The book tells the story of a socialite-IT-girl Sophie Chesterton whose life evolves around parties, clothes, diamonds and all things shiny and sparklie, all paid for by her rich father. All seems perfect in Sophie’s world until disaster strikes, daddy’s gone and so is daddy’s money. Sophie is forced for the first time in her life to slum it: moving in with University students, having to clean to pay her way (rather than have a housemaid), working long hours in a low paid job photographing page 3 models (rather than her voluntary work in an excluse fashion photographers), etc.
In the book you follow Sophie’s journey as she deals with her fathers death, builds a relationship with her step mother, discovers love, makes new friends and rediscovers old ones, finding out about the interesting and funny experiences that happen along the way. One particularly funny scene is when Sophie uses oven cleaner to clean the toilet, one of the boy students she lives with uses the toilet and Sophie hear’s a scream from the bathroom. Hilarious!
In the end you come to care for Sophie and really appreciate the journey and life changing experiences she undertakes along the way. If you love chick-flick-books, a bit of entertaining, light reading, you’ll love this book.
Posted on:Sunday 10 January 2010 @ 19:16, by Antony
First off I have to say I was disappointed with Book by Whoopi Goldberg. I was expecting to read of Whoopi’s private life, but she kept her private life just that, private. She doesn’t discuss how a black woman, living on welfare became a master comedian and Hollywood movie star. But enough of what she doesn’t discuss, let’s talk about what she does.
She writes as she speaks, witty, cleaver, politically minded and with an air of spiritualism in some parts. She has split the book in to topics including: fate, wind, trust, head, home, self, eggs, space, cost, cheer, flock, love, race, sex, need, heir, choice, drive, death, word, dick, talk, taste, dream & help. She gives her views, thoughts and opinions on all of these topics. With some very interesting view points.
I do like Whoopi, I have to say this at this point. Indeed she is an inspiration to me (see People that inspire me). But the book wasn’t a page turner. It was one I’d pick up and read bits of from time to time. I actually bought this book quite sometime ago, but I’ve only just finished it now. So if you like a book you can pick up, read bits, put down again and like Whoopi you may enjoy it. But my disappointment remains.
Have you read it? What do you think? Leave a comment.
