Member: mccardey

Glad you liked it so much. I can't pass on your kind comments because he does not talk to me anymore. Somehow - based on just the blog entries you've just read - he got it into his head that I was enemy No 1 and threatened to sue me! A very good writer he certainly is, but not without his demons.

posted by bibliobibuli at 10:16 am (EST) on Jun 3, 2012

Sorry I jumped down your throat. Here's a review I wrote of Rehman's book. http://thebookaholic.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=rehman+rashid

posted by bibliobibuli at 9:10 am (EST) on Jun 3, 2012

Of course I don't mind your adding me. Glad you liked my review. I pop in here only regularly but it looks like we like similar things so will add you to my list too.

Like you I rarely rate a book low - in fact I've hardly rated any below 3 because I try hard to choose books I think I'll like. Life is too short!

posted by minerva2607 at 1:49 am (EST) on Mar 28, 2012

A year in France sounds wonderful - get the creative juices flowing. I'd love the book. I'm also in Sydney in Roseville so could pick it up or you could post it, I guess. Thanks

posted by redtedari at 10:54 pm (EST) on Mar 23, 2012

Thanks for finding my bookshelf interesting!

posted by shelleyraec at 5:28 am (EST) on Mar 22, 2012

I'm jealous – or I would be if I wasn't such a homebody. A tiny walled village sounds great. Make sure you keep the door to your garage shut, though, as passing men who are caught short are likely to pop in for a quick wee. We saw this happen in Avignon.
You're very welcome to follow my blog. It will give me an extra impetus to include bits of Sydney news.

posted by shawjonathan at 4:07 am (EST) on Mar 22, 2012

Just had a quick look at your "books to be buried with" (great category) and 'Tirra Lirra by the River',(have you read the poem by 'The Lady of Shalott' by Tennyson) along with 'Gilead' are two of my all time favourites. Will have to check out your others. Thanks.

posted by redtedari at 12:18 am (EST) on Mar 22, 2012

Thanks for adding me to your interesting libraries.

posted by redtedari at 12:14 am (EST) on Mar 22, 2012

No, I hadn't even heard of it. I love the news item I just read when she nearly threw the iron at the radio when some publisher said, 'No novels about sheep.' I guess that's another one for my TBR pile. My 300 reviews is a bit of a shock to me!

posted by shawjonathan at 12:32 am (EST) on Feb 19, 2012

Yup, loved Foal's Bread ... may read it again later in the year

posted by zappa at 2:44 am (EST) on Jan 5, 2012

Hi McCardey. I haven't read Foal's Bread yet. I gave it to my daughter in law for her birthday and am expecting it to be passed on to me when she's finished. I'm keen

posted by shawjonathan at 1:22 am (EST) on Dec 19, 2011

It is our next read on the ANZ LitLovers online book group. Maybe you should consider joining our group. I have been in it since early last year, hence the large number of Australian titles. My only complaint is they lead me astray with all their wonderful book recommendations and I think my collection has quadrupled in size.

posted by HelenBaker at 3:21 am (EST) on Oct 2, 2011

I have never read her books before. I won this copy from Lisa Hill's blog and it just didn't grab my interest.

posted by HelenBaker at 12:08 am (EST) on Oct 2, 2011

I'm sending you an email reply to your comments

posted by shawjonathan at 1:07 am (EST) on Sep 28, 2011

I'd love to see it! And as for feeling compelled to say nice things, I've reread a couple of blog entries where I thought I was saying nice things about books I felt lukewarm about, and I've come to the conclusion I'm incapable of lying.

posted by shawjonathan at 5:02 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2011

No I haven't read Berlin, but will one day, and then his book on the Spanish Civil War! He really does wonders at making the war intelligible without losing sight of the human dimension. And now you're telling me I need to look out for Mary S Lovett – is there no end to this reading?

posted by shawjonathan at 4:14 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2011

Gee, I feel flattered. My library has expanded hugely in the last 12 months thanks to LT. But I have also increased my reading rate. I would love to read Gilead one day, but I am currently trying to curb my buying and focus on what is on my TBR shelves.
Regards
HelenNZ

posted by HelenBaker at 4:39 am (EST) on Jun 10, 2011

How amazing to have Francis Webb in the family! I've just been having a binge on books about him. Today I finished 'Francis Webb, Poet and Brother, by Leonie and Peter Meeres who I guess must be your great-aunt and -uncle or similar. It's a very very sad book - mostly his letters to them. You can tell how deeply they cared for him, from the letters themselves but also from the fact that they kept them all those years and got them into a book form in their 70s; and how he counted on that, but also how his deepening paranoia came into the relationship. I'm now struggling to write a blog post ...

posted by shawjonathan at 3:52 am (EST) on Apr 22, 2011

I'v just seen that you've listed Marilynne Robinson as a favourite writer. I've just read 'Home', which I'd been told wasn't much when stacked up against Gilead. Maybe thats true but what a wonderful book!

posted by shawjonathan at 8:26 pm (EST) on Nov 14, 2010

Thanks, M. I had heard of it but not seen it. It's such a delight. Apparently the boy met Billy Collins recently, but I don't know any of what happened there.

posted by shawjonathan at 8:24 pm (EST) on Nov 14, 2010

Delighted!
Lisa
PS My tags are a mess too *grin*

posted by anzlitlovers at 8:35 am (EST) on Sep 3, 2010