Merry

Book Review #21: The Long Song – Andrea Levy

June 3, 2011 by Merry Leave a Comment

When I was about 7 or 8 months pregnant I (possibly unwisely!) sat and watched the end of this author’s previous novel ‘Small Island‘ on tv and was blown away by the adaptation and the strength of the message. I haven’t read it yet, mainly as already knew it had some themes incompatible with my current status in it but I thought I would give The Long Song a go, after it popped up on my Kindle as a recommendation.

The Long Song is the story of the last days of slavery in the British Empire and specifically in Jamaica. It tells the story of July, narrating the story partly retrospectively and partly as a conventional plot. Wrapped into it are details about life on plantations, the mental games played about between slaves and masters, life as it was, relationships between the various character and much more. July and her mother Kitty elegantly convey the tremendous bond and love between mother and child, along with how that can be twisted by experience and loss. The marriages, relations and brutality of the era are passionately described while the historical context, the effect of religious fervour and the play between good and bad and how those sides become drawn as a battle line, corrupting as they go are all woven into the story with a light, but effective, touch.

The Long Song is the first book I’ve really been grabbed by for a while and despite a busy week and much knitting and crocheting needing dong, I read it quickly. As an insight into a part of history I know less of, it was remarkable and touching and a downright good read. It hits all my recommendation buttons and gets an unreserved 5 stars.

Book Review #20 Lady Chatterley's Lover – DH Lawrence

June 3, 2011 by Merry 1 Comment

Even if I was academically up to the task, (which I’m not!) a review of Lady Chatterley’s Lover in terms of themes, message and relevance to the world wouldn’t suit this blog for one and is hardly a world requirement for another 😉 The literary world does not need to know what Merry thinks of a classic in order to sell more of it 😆

Probably more relevant is what I got from it anyway. And that was a lot; my age old apathy about reading ‘classics’ or ‘worthy’ books was not so in force here, as I read another DH Lawrence as an S Level book while in my final English A Level year. I loved Sons and Lovers, one of the few books, along with Cider with Rosie, that really spoke to me in those years. Perhaps it is that I like a connection to an author who write autobiographically or partly so; I seem to remember really enjoying the Sheila Hocken books about Emma and Blue Above the Chimney’s too. Plus DH Lawrence was writing about a landscape familiar to me, as I grew up in Nottinghamshire and in fact went to the school opposite his too. As did my uncle. (And Ed Balls, but we won’t dwell on that!)

So, having enjoyed Sons and Lovers, I did expect to enjoy Lady Chatterley – and I did. What really struck me though, was my preconceived ideas and also the hang over of ideas and misconceptions and downright prejudices that lurk in my brain.

What I thought I knew of Lady Chatterley was that it was a book about a woman who has an affair with the gardener and that it was salacious in the extreme at the time it was published. I’m a bit old to get the trembles from that and didn’t expect it to be exactly shocking in this day and age (it isn’t, unless you could the talking to willies bit!) but what I didn’t know was anything about why she has the affair or how it ends.

What Lady Chatterley really is is “desperately lonely and unhappy woman who wants to be adored, held and have a baby” something many if not most women can probably relate to at some point. And what really struck me is that buried somewhere in my brain is still some outdated, repressed private school and middle class notion that if a woman has an affair, it is her failing and her fault and she’s in the wrong and if the affair is saucy, it’s probably sordid and she’s just a no good from the start.

I love the book on many levels, the characters, the language, the rude and brutal sexuality of it, the coal miners and the images of pit heads and dirty villages I can still recall. But what I liked the most was it reminded me again to keep my mind open, not judge, check why I believe why I do – and celebrate myself for being a woman who loves rude and dirty passion, deserves to be wanted, acknowledged and respected for herself (I am) alongside cuddling, being loved and longing for happiness.

Land of Me & Reading Eggs Software & Website Reviews

May 29, 2011 by Merry Leave a Comment

We were recently offer the opportunity to review the Land of Me software, a new online resource which is now under the Ladybird Ltd umbrella. I warmed to this company pretty immediately as they had clearly read the blog, knew April was a bad time for us and were thoughtful in their approach. It makes a real difference when people behave like that, as I know from running my own business so I already liked them from the start. AND they are very friendly on Twitter too 🙂

Land of Me is a learning experience aimed at 2-6 year olds, so with only Josie in that bracket – and very close to the top of it too – I wasn’t sure what we’d make of it. I downloaded the first few chapters, had a quick pootle about and then let her loose.

Land of Me is based around several fairly simple scenarios, which encourage children to use their imagination alongside some online friends. The games are word based, allowing children to alter a picture or scenario by changing simple words. Each game has a word and pictorial instruction set, so different abilities can use it. The games cover the basic early learning areas like size, shape and colour.

Josie was amused by the games, although being at the top of the age range, they didn’t take her long to complete. That isn’t really the point though, they aren’t designed to be moved through with clear goals; this is a sort of environment, a world that can be used according to interest and need. It reminded me very much of Winnie the Pooh, both in look and feel; a gently paced, softly spoken story.

What we liked: This is a beautifully thought out package. The art is divine and truly something to behold, the music gentle and unobtrusive and the characters are sweet and appealing. There is lots to look at and some of the scenarios change with new visits so give you lots to talk about. The way each set of choices translates into a new cartoon animation is funny and there has clearly been a lot of time spent on making it properly charming to watch and interact with.

Things to Consider: This is not software to purchase if you want to plonk your child down in front of something and let the computer babysit. There are no big flashy buttons making it super easy to navigate, part of the charm of it is that it is quite a grown up environment and works as normal software does which may mean the child needs guidence initially. The idea of the Land of Me seems to be? really that you enjoy it together; it was very obvious that although Josie could do this alone, she wanted to be sat with someone to laugh at the different pictures with. It’s something that will work brilliant with family groups of young children or in playgroups and schools. Left alone, a child may play it for a while, but is very likely to want you alongside them to enjoy it together. And you will, because it is beautiful.

Other Thoughts: I think the real value in the Land of Me software comes in two packages. It’s like a really good picture book in many ways, that recognition that things do not have to be CBeebies or NickJr to be adored. It’s The Gruffalo of computer games. What you draw out from it, the conversations that happen and the games that happen afterwards, is in many ways what you pay for. If you purchase it simply to be a educational or occupying tool on its own, it may not do what you want. It’s a great tool for getting children and parents interacting with one another, being imaginative and then working together beyond the computer.

The other wonderful thing is this; encased in the programme are dozens of printable activities. They are beautifully designed and thought out, from dioramas to masks and more. Josie may have loved the game but I suspect I’m going to find all of them, probably even Fran, will enjoy some of the crafts that come along with it and those will, in turn, pull all the children back to the software and make them firm friends with the characters.

I also highly recommend you check out their blog, which is interesting and covers many aspects of the benefits of Land of Me. I was especially moved by the focus this week on a little special needs boy called Freddie.

Disclosure: I was given full access to the Land of Me in exchange for this review.

This week we have also explored Reading Eggs, which is without doubt the best learn to read website I have come across, even beating
StudyDog – and that’s saying something! Josie has been transfixed by it all week and has already worked through a map and a half. The site has a reading ability test which seemed pretty spot on to me and works through fun games with interesting words and great graphics in a logical and sensibly paced way. I’ve paid for her to do 6 months on it now and I’m pretty confident she’ll be reading by the end of that. Well done, Reading Eggs 🙂

iPhone Apps I Love

May 27, 2011 by Merry Leave a Comment

So a few weeks ago I did a Websites I Couldn’t Live Without post and Maggie over at RedTedArt has a fab Kids iPhone App page and Jax over at Making It Up is doing a series of Tech Posts for Beginners. I thought I’d add my 10p worth with some of the apps on my iPhone that have really altered my life in just little ways that make me smile that much more. It goes without saying that most of my favourite websites have apps, especially that big 6, but my favourites are things which make my iPhone into a small portable version of every gadget I could possibly need.

I’m now worryingly addicted to my iPhone; I am not entirely sure what I would do without it in fact. The accidental loss of my old 3G thanks to a light fingered tea-leaf did mean I got to upgrade early to an iPhone4 and of all the things about it, what I love most is the huge improvement in the camera. I’m not a great photographer and tend to forget my camera anyway. But even then, my photography leaves a good deal to be desired and since I love to have snaps on the blog, anything that can help is a good thing. So I’ve been TRULY thrilled to discover camera apps that combine with photo editing packages, like my favour site Picnik but even more convenient 🙂

Cameras

I found Hipstamatic first, thanks to a tip from @karamina and really enjoyed the way it was laid our in terms of lens, film, flash and so on. It’s done to feel like an ‘old style’ camera and it does. The only downside is that it produces square pics (though they look and feel nice) and to give the old style effect you don’t always get exactly what you see in the viewfinder. It produces great, quirky pictures though and the items included in the initial download are plenty to get you going. If I had a suggestion for them, make it an option to switch the shutter button to the other side for left handers!

After that I fell upon Camera+ thanks to the photography workshop held by the MadBlogAwards. This has the advantage, for me, of rectangle photos, exactly what you see in the viewfinder being what you get and masses of editing options. What I really like, what makes it the deal breaker, I would say, is that you can bring any photo from your phone into it, or pull one from your Flickr app and edit it to be the same. You can even crop. I’ve not been able to find a fault with it yet.

This week I’ve also tried out Instagram, which is clearly proving very popular on Twitter, which I like too but is simpler than the one above although it does have good editing? options and Camera Plus Pro which @cosmicgirlie mentioned. The app makers were very quick to get in touch with me on Twitter too. I like this one, though I found it hard to get into straightaway and it has some very clever and quirky editing features, such as line drawings and stamp boarders.

I’m easily amused by editing options 😆

Lists

For list making, something I need to do a lot of these days, Paperless has been a godsend. it is easy to use, intuitive, customisable and quick. There are themes, icons and fun extras, but what is really is, is a good, solid list making app. it does the job perfectly.

Virtual Texting

WhatsApp has been a godsend for me; my brother lives in Australia (sob) and texting is not cheap. This mimics texting, including the push notification feature and means you can have an in-line conversation that is similar to texting. My sister also uses it on her HTCDesire. It also means we can entertain each other with emoticons from the Emoji app 😆

Out and About

Over the next few weeks I’m hoping I’ll have a chance to use the Geocaching app and the National Trust one, both of which are, frankly, what iPhones are made for – instant info and interaction wherever you are.

Art, Words and Books

I’m also very much in love with the new Pinterest app. I love this site, it is just a beautiful place to browse and see gorgeous things. Having friends on there is great as you get a whole extra view of them; the things they love to look at, what makes them tick. The app, which showcases pictures, perfectly captures the site and means you can quickly add your own photos to your boards.

New on my phone is Dragon, a voice to type dictation app. I’ve had mixed results from it so far (and had terrible giggles when I discovered an author twitterer I follow had had ‘glare’ replaced with ‘eclair’ by it!) but it is quite handy for those “dammit, I’ve just blogged in my head but I’m going to forget it by the time I get home” moments. I tried it out with a well known nonsense poem and ended up with:-

“I eat my keys with honey, I’ve done it all my life, it makes the cheesecake funny, but it keeps them on the knife.”

I laughed 😀

As a Kindle owner, I do have the Kindle app on my phone, but for me the great pleasure of my Kindle is the screen and the lack of glare, so I don’t really feel the need to use it on my phone, though I love that WhisperNet keeps me synced so I can read for a bit if I find myself unexpectedly. But I LOVE the new Audible app which has a great library and download feature and is ideal for quickly plugging a child into an audio book. I combine it with my X-Mini Speaker and was able to listen to an audio book in the car, which really was great.

Games

My phone is mainly filled with games to keep Josie amused in ‘waiting for sisters’ moments and her current squeeze is Pocket Phonic, as she is very focused on learning to read. I however, am not so interested in being educated as all that and am still loving Tiny Wings (though not quite so obsessively!) and Smurf Village, which is dangerously addictive for anyone who like empire building. (Or gardening!)

Security

I learned the hard way recently just how much I have stored on my phone when I had it stolen. Dashing home to alter all my passwords and
worrying what I had missed was not a pleasant experience. I’ve now learned to use the pass code feature, even if it is a bit of a pain
and also to have Find My iPhone installed, which means not only can you see where it is (ie is it just in the house/car somewhere or is it in someone else’s
pocket?) but you can also wipe it remotely, assuming you do it before the thief removes the app (which the pass code should stop them doing
quickly).

So there you have it, a round up of all the things app-wise that make me happy.

(This is not a sponsored post 😉 )

Book #19 The Elegance of the Hedgehog

May 15, 2011 by Merry Leave a Comment

This book is responsible for putting me a long way behind in my goal of reading 60 new books this year. I found it a stodgy and difficult read for the most part and irritating when it wasn??t that. I had one conversation about it, the upshot of which is that it is difficult to take a book seriously when the title is intentionally pretentious ? and really, that about sums it up.

From the various reviews on Amazon, I think this is a love it or hate it book. Well, I say that; I didn??t actually love it OR hate it, so maybe it isn??t but it would be fair to say I really don??t know why it has been such a best seller. I??m not a huge lover of philosophy I suppose, so perhaps that is why, maybe I simply missed the point. Or perhaps the pace and style, translated from French, was just too much to easily get in to. Or perhaps I am just an uneducated and impossible to inspire heathen. I??m not sure that a book likely to make a reasonable quantity of readers feel that way has masses to recommend it. The author is clever, better read than me and has a more elegant turn of thought in her head ? fair enough ? but I??m not sure I wanted my nose rubbed in that.

The story focuses on a concierge and a 12 year old girl; both are recognisable enough, if not particularly people to warm to. The supporting cast of friends are a little more endearing and well drawn though. The story centres around their relationship and circumstances which bring them together. It took too long to get going and neither was likeable for me to care much, but the story picked up quickly in the second half. I could happily have read more of that element of the plot, which had it in it to be charming and thought provoking but which was just dealt with too quickly, almost like something as mundane as emerging love was not worthy of thought and exploration.

Annoyingly, right at the end, the book gave me something, a pair of quotes which gnawed right into my heart and earned the book a whole extra star over on Goodreads.

??For the first time in my life I understood the meaning of the word ??never??. And it??s really awful. You say the word a hundred times a day but you don??t really know what you are saying until you??re faced with a real ??never again??.

??From now on, for you, I??ll be searching for those moments of always within never??.

I can??t honestly say you shouldn??t bother to read this. It WAS, in its way, charming and interesting. I don??t mind being charmed and I like being educated. I just like a little more pace and plot to go with it. But I may, it is fair to say, have missed something. I??m not overly sold on being left feeling I??m a Philistine though.

(This post was recreated from a back up following a server crash. As such, it is missing comments and hits and would love to get some back!)