tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78116272693391719522024-03-12T20:33:29.705-07:00Tulips Tea Shops and TalesMarthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-16026239732580860612016-02-14T04:22:00.003-08:002016-02-14T04:30:17.142-08:00What I've Been Reading | January 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">January 2016 was quite an intensive reading month for me and I read or listened to a total of 12 books. Many thoughts below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Beloved by Toni Morrison</b> was a classic I'd had on my shelf for a long while and finally picked up last month. Partly a story about love, loss and slavery, partly a startling ghost story, this was an unusual read which I am still unsure about. The writing was powerful and the subject was interesting; I am not sure whether I would pick up any more of Morrison's works.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick</b> was the result, I confess, of being intrigued by the Amazon Prime adverts; I've never read any Dick before despite him being fairly classic Sci-Fi. I picked this up with some excitement, but actually found a lot of it rather flat. The most intriguing ideas for me in the book were the interactions between the American characters and the Japanese characters; the assimilation of Japanese cultural ideas of face-saving and honour, together with an intriguing reversal class system, were the most compelling parts of this novel. The writing in these parts was excellent. The storyline which seems to be central to the Amazon series - a film of the Allies winning the war - is in the novel just a novel itself, about the Allies winning. It is not a secret, and is openly read by several characters. The notion that the novel's story might be 'real' and the world of Dick's novel, 'false' is hardly dwelt on and in no way concluded. I found this a frustrating read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A brief sojourn into my Little Black Classics led me to read <b>Caligula by Suetonius</b>. A glossy but interesting account of the reign of this Roman Emperor, Suetonius enjoys telling the reader lots of maniacal stories about Caligula, which are enjoyable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In audiobooks this month, I listened to 2 short stories from the <b>Tales of Max Carrados by Ernest Bramah</b>. Aside from the Stephen Fry narration, this was not the best thing I've ever encountered - relying entirely on the idea that the detective, who is blind, nevertheless uses his other senses to discover all the clues, in 2 coin related mysteries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also listened to <b>Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart</b>. Light hearted, frivolous and occasionally repeated from her other media work, this benefited from being narrated by Miranda herself, and it was a nice break from more intensive reading experiences this month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Regeneration by Pat Barker</b> is another one I've had on my shelves for some time. Following the meeting between Seigfried Sassoon and a psychologist, centering on a recuperation home in Scotland for mentally wounded soldiers during WWI, this novel was very moving. Following not on Sassoon but several other, fictional patients, we deal with some truly harrowing stories and follow the men as they try to deal with what they have endured. It is an eye opening story about life in the trenches and the mental life of the 'honest Tommy'. Recommended.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In complete comparison, <b>A Moment of Silence by Anna Dean</b> was a bit of fluff; a regency crime mystery starring an all knowing spinster. A bit like Miss Marple. It was trifling, entertaining and took a few hours to read. It was enjoyable but by no means memorable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whilst talking of fluff, I also read an e-book called <b>Prada and Prejudice by Katie Oliver</b>. What can I say? It was free to download and inoffensive. Following a spoil rich girl whose family fortune is about to go down the plug hole, she manages to save the day, learn about herself and get the boy at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>A Natural History of Ghosts by Roger Clarke</b> was a Christmas gift, and I really enjoyed it. More of a history of belief in ghosts than in ghost hunting itself, it nonetheless narrated some interesting cases of ghosts and ghost hunting, from the earliest histories to the more modern period. I would recommend this one for anyone who is interested in ghosts, the belief in ghosts or stories of paranormal hunting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the paranormal line, I also read the above short story, <b>The Eyes by Edith Wharton</b>, which follows an old man narrating a story from his youth where he was plagued at night by the vision of a pair of malevolent eyes. A good little story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> At the beginning of the new year I embarked on reading <b>They Were Counted by Miklos Banffy</b>. A fascinating and epic story set in Austro Hungary before WWI, we follow 2 male protagonists as they embarked on life adventures. One falls in love with a married woman and suffers for it; one falls in love with the right woman, and loses her through his reckless gambling. It is quite the epic - and is the first in a trilogy - but it is readable once you get past worrying about the length. Recommended.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The final book of the month was <b>Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb</b>. I have been recommended to try Hobb's books by several people, and I am very glad I followed the trend. This was not always an easy read but it was enthralling; the story of Fitz, royal bastard, unwanted and trained as an assassin, was compelling. The cast of characters were interesting and the arc of this novel was well fulfilled. I am excited to see where the story goes - having already invested in the next 2 books to complete this particular trilogy.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-62887992856585044432016-02-14T03:37:00.000-08:002016-02-14T03:37:30.213-08:00Days Out | York Castle Museum, York, UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I took advantage of a rainy day recently to head off to one of my favourite museums in York: The Castle Museum. On the site of the old Castle and prison, this eclectic museum houses such different exhibits as period rooms, a Victorian street, a 1960s gallery, a history of toys and a tour through the underground prison cells which housed local criminals, such as the highwayman Dick Turpin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Victorian street, Kirkgate, is full of shop fronts packed with genuine items, posters and advertisements. The street has several carriages and there is also a Police station, a school room, a sweet shop and hidden backstreets to explore. It is a great place and if you stay around long enough, the lighting and weather changes, so you can experience a sunny day or a rainy, dark evening, where the street is lit with lamps. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although my personal favourite area is the Victorian street, other exhibits are done very well. A temporary exhibition about 1914 and the First World War was well done, and the prison cells are always very atmospheric. The collections are informative and there is a lot of audio-visual on show as well - the prison cells come with their own narrators, cunningly projected on the whitewashed walls, telling you their sad stories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, after my stroll round, I settled down in the Castle Cafe and had an excellent piece of chocolate cake and a passable hot chocolate to revive me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I would recommend the Castle Museum in York very much, as it really is an excellent collection. There is plenty to interest adults and kids - if they don't like one part, there is much more to see. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Prices are around £10 for adults and kids go free with a paying adult. I personally bought a York Museum's Trust card, which for £22 will get me into the 3 main York museums for the rest of the year for free. Plenty of chance to wander around at my leisure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Check out the Museum's website <a href="http://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/">here</a>.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-15960515931720008592016-01-14T12:08:00.000-08:002016-01-14T12:08:39.314-08:00Eats | Delrio's Restaurant, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For a Christmas meal with some old work colleagues, we recently headed to Delrio's, a Sardinian restaurant in York. Set in a basement, the restaurant is deceptively large but full of romantic nooks and alcoves, perfect for a special date or for a larger party. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The menu is varied - covering everything from traditional pizza to specialities of the chef - so there is plenty to choose from. I began with the Beef Carpaccio and rocket salad, which was very nice (apologies for the picture below - this was taken after I had dowsed the whole thing with balsamic vinegar, which is my favourite addition to this dish). I then had the beef stroganoff with rice, which was rich, flavoursome and generous in portion size. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Others had a variety of pizzas and I was particularly recommended the seafood pizza by a fellow diner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The restaurant is always busy and has a great atmosphere. I can't comment on the desserts as we didn't partake, but we were served well, wine was free flowing, and a pleasant evening was had by all. As ever, menu choices dictate cost - my stroganoff was almost twice the price of my friend's pizza - so it is a special occasion place, definitely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Booking recommended as it gets busy, but definitely one worth checking out.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-76835146569553410392016-01-10T07:43:00.000-08:002016-01-10T07:43:13.818-08:00Stays | The Negresco Hotel, Nice, France<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On our recent trip to France we took the train from Paris down to Nice. Although it was November, the temperature was a pleasant 17 degrees and we benefited from avoiding most of the Riviera crowds. We were also able to spend a lot of less to pay to stay in what is arguable the most iconic hotel in Nice, the Negresco.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Situated on the Promenade des Anglais, the hotel is a belle epoque masterpiece, which is essentially a private art museum as well as a hotel. Each room, corridor and bar was filled with artwork, ranging from Napoleonic portraiture to some very bewildering modern sculpture. It was amazing to simply walk round the place (we visited each floor of the hotel as they are all a different theme) and admire the place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our room was very beautiful. We had paid only for an inside room but due to the lack of guests, the hotel kindly upgraded up twice, to a room on the front of the hotel overlooking the whole beach and Promenade. The view was spectacular and a real highlight of the trip. The room itself was spacious and comfortable, if slightly eccentrically furnished (notably the golden bathtub and sink). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast was a generous buffet with hot, cold, French, British and American style options, and the restaurant Brasserie on site was filled with courteous waiters. The staff of the hotel were friendly and very willing, at all hours, to assist you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This hotel was an amazing experience; it was a great base for exploring Nice during a very celebratory holiday, and I would love to go back.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-56301999653918819482016-01-10T07:42:00.000-08:002016-01-10T07:42:30.128-08:00Resolutions and Plans | 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a few days into a new year and it's the time when think about what we would like to achieve or focus on in the coming months. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am not one for resolutions really (I am not good at keeping them for a start) but I thought I'd write a little post about my plans for the next year and what I would like to focus on.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Improve my French</b>. Having been to France last year again, it reminded me that my French is passable for an embarrassed tourist but not for anyone who wants to feel comfortable. I would like to use some of my spare time to keep up with my French, perhaps with books, watching some of my favourite French films or using an app like Duolingo to keep my hand in.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Make time for reading</b>. My GoodReads challenge for 2016 has been set at 75 books. Ambitious for me, but I wanted to see if I could do it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Make time for family</b>. I live away from much of my family and so I do not get to see them as much as I would like. In 2016 I want to make a concerted effort to get together if possible, and not just via FaceTime.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Go on a couple of trips away from home</b>. I am a keen traveller but with a fairly tight budget this year (see below) and not much time off work, I have to choose wisely. At the moment some plans are in motion for potential trips to Scotland and Portugal. Watch this space.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Save some money</b>. This one should be on everyone's list but is particularly important to me at the moment as I recently got engaged and so am now making wedding plans. I am hoping to put away a reasonable amount of my salary each month without too much difficulty - especially when I know it will be for paying for a wedding and a honeymoon.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Make plans for a wedding</b>. See above - though I confess at the moment it seems like a mammoth task and probably one which won't happen until we have some idea of a budget. Any tips welcome.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Exercise</b>. I work a long day at an office desk and very rarely find time to even get up for a walk around the room, so this one is pretty crucial. I am not proposing I will become a fitness fanatic, but I want to walk (maybe even run) more and swim when I am able. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Look after myself a bit more</b>. This is rather an all encompassing plan or goal for the year, I know, but I think amidst all my plans of action this coming year, it will be important to take some time out to make sure I look after my emotional health. Whether that means some time in the bath with a face mask, or watching book tubers videos, or sitting in Starbucks, drinking an enormous, full fat Hot Chocolate, I promise to remember to give myself down time in the coming year.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd love to hear about other people's aims/resolutions/thoughts/plans for the coming year, so please let me know below.</span></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-81709708784707987562016-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:002016-01-02T07:56:13.321-08:00What I've Been Reading | December 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a really productive reading month in December, which was mostly down to a long Christmas period off work after a busier early month, quiet evenings and some serious reading time on my part. I am pleased to say I read a total of 64 books in 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a side note, if anyone wants to follow me on GoodReads, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8183821-martha">please go for it</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Emma-Alexander-McCall-Smith/dp/0007553889/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451745303&sr=1-1&keywords=emma+mccall+smith">Emma</a> by Alexander McCall Smith</i></b> was a retelling which was leant to me by a friend. I have always enjoyed the original Emma and so, after this sitting on my shelf for a while, decided to try this out. It didn't take long to read and to be honest, I am glad it was a quick one. I found a lot of the characters irritating and the retelling style not really to my taste. The principal issue for me was that Emma Woodhouse, in Austen's original, is proud, thoughtless and arrogant - but still kind, generous and loving. The Emma Woodhouse in Smith's retelling has none of those redeeming qualities as as such, you cannot love her even after her redemption, let alone before. For die hard fans, this might be worth it - but if you're choosing between the novels, please, please, choose Austen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I then moved onto historical fiction with <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Captive-Queen-Alison-Weir/dp/0099534584/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451745352&sr=1-1&keywords=the+captive+queen">The Captive Queen</a> by Alison Weir</i></b> - another I had borrowed, this time from my Mum. The story revolves around Eleanor of Aquitaine, a Duchess in her own right and Queen, at different times, of both France and England. The story follows her from her disastrous marriage to the King of France to her subsequent divorce and love match with Henry Plantagenet, who subsequently becomes Henry IV of England. It is a long ride which decides very much to portray Eleanor as a powerful woman in her own right, although often ruled by passion. This physical aspect of the book can be a bit trying but nonetheless becomes more poignant as Henry and Eleanor's relationship develops and they become estranged. The story is engaging and you trust that, with Weir at the helm, the historical accuracy is going to be reasonable. I would describe this as an 'intelligent historical romp'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Moving onto crime, I then picked up <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Lucy-Kyte-Josephine-Tey/dp/0571287735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451745386&sr=1-1&keywords=the+death+of+lucy+kyte">The Death of Lucy Kyte</a> by Nicola Upson</b></i>, which is one of her latest books in the series based around Josephine Tey. Set predominantly in the Suffolk countryside and using a history murder, The Red Barn Murder, as a basis for the book's story, I found this novel much more engaging than the previous ones I have picked up in the series. It was an easy and engaging read, with some interesting twists and turns, particularly at the end, which stayed with me after I had finished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Shadows-Throne-Glass-Sarah/dp/1408858614/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451745439&sr=1-1&keywords=queen+of+shadows+sarah+j+maas">Queen of Shadows</a> by Sarah J Maas</i></b> followed, as I was keen to finish up to the end of this series as it currently stands, before the end of the year. I have enjoyed seeing how this series has grown and flourished, providing greater scopes for character growth, world building and a sense of a climax ahead. I don't know how many more books there will be in this series but I look forward to the next. An entertaining, easy fantasy read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My final printed choice this month was a non fiction book I have had on my shelves for a few months but not had the time to read it. <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Burghley-William-Cecil-Court-Elizabeth/dp/0300170882/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451745478&sr=1-1&keywords=burghley+alford">Burghley</a> by Stephen Alford</i></b> is a biography of William Cecil, Secretary and later Lord Treasurer to Elizabeth I of England. Having studied Elizabethan politics quite a lot when I was at university, I always loved Cecil and was very happy to engage with a book which focussed on his life. Alford's approach was interesting and offered some new perspectives on Cecil, particularly a greater insight into his home life that I have found in previous books. This isn't one to read if you are unfamiliar with the reign of Elizabeth I - several important events were glossed over, with an understanding that the reader would know the details, characters and outcome - but if you are an aficionado and interested in reading more about the life of this government minister, I recommend this one highly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, on the audiobook side, in December I listened to <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Who-Gave-Birth-Rabbits/dp/1860499546/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451745520&sr=1-1&keywords=the+woman+who+gave+birth+to+rabbits">The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits</a> by Emma Donoghue</i></b>. A collection of short stories, mostly historical, inspired by women from history - this sounded right up my alley. The collection is diverse by permeated with Donoghue's writing style; a style I find at times compelling and at others irritating. Such was the case with this collection, which did lend itself well to audiobook form. Some of the stories were easily forgotten, even seemingly a little pointless; others were thoughtful, emotionally engaging and occasionally disturbing. One story - entitled 'Cured' - I made the mistake of listening to late at night. Without giving too much away, it is about a woman who goes to a doctor for treatment for her back pain. The twist in the story left me gasping with horror and that story has stayed with me ever since. However, this was a rarity in this collection. Others may feel differently, but it wasn't for me.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-49785092430271172662016-01-02T05:58:00.000-08:002016-01-02T05:58:39.087-08:00Eats | Khao San Road, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other night we went for a seriously delicious Thai dinner with a couple of friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not pictured; amazing spring rolls and coconut tempura prawns for starters, some excellent beer/mango juice and a buzzing atmosphere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pictured; 2 thai red curries, 1 duck curry with a creamy sauce, and 1 king prawn Pad Thai. All very delicious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Khao San Road is not mind blowing food and it isn't always cheap; our meal came to £25 each. However, it is always full of people, the staff are friendly and the fare is tasty. Try it out.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-85800851025148057912015-12-06T04:23:00.002-08:002015-12-06T04:23:52.231-08:00Eats | Bouillon Racine, Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On one of my recent days in Paris, I went with my fiancé (that's another story) for a dinner at one of our favourite restaurant in St Germain, the Bouillon Racine. We had been there some years ago when we first went to Paris, and now almost a decade later, we decided to return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We booked a table online with ease and were well attended when we arrived. The restaurant itself has a unique style inside - turn of the century, belle époque, with beautiful weaving metalwork and wood panelling. Very atmospheric.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We began with two glasses of champagne - a celebration of engagement - and then had a nice bottle of Bordeaux. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Starters (not pictures unfortunately) were snails for him and beef carpaccio for me. Both starters were delicious. Second course was duck with a fruit sauce for him and a scallop risotto for me. The duck was juicy and tasty, and my risotto was surprisingly filling. Generous amounts of well cooked scallops, well seasoned risotto with a creamy, shellfish sauce. Perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dessert was a chocolate mousse for me and a trio of berry fruits ice cream for him - definitely a highlight! We were very pleased with both desserts but the ice creams were so well flavoured and actually complemented the rich chocolate mousse very well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We left feeling well fed, not horrendously out of pocket, considering, and like we had had a true celebration. My French is well meant but not always triumphant, but we met with nothing but friendliness from the staff - which is not always the case in Paris.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Highly Recommended.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bouillon Racine, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">3 Rue Racine, 75006 Paris, France, www.bouillon-racine.com/en/</span></span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-26424734574718439912015-12-06T04:23:00.001-08:002015-12-06T04:23:28.327-08:00What I've Been Reading | November 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">December has suddenly swung into view and it is time for a little jaunt around my November reading! I did quite well this month - 6 books in total, including 1 audiobook, which I was able to enjoy on the line train trip across France.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Running Girl by Simon Mason</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a YA crime novel, where the young protagonist is a teenage boy genius - but he is also a wastrel and a truant. Uninterested in anything in his life, he fills his days with drinking and smoking in the local park with his mates, until a body is found in a local pond. That body turns out to be his ex-girlfiend, and he determines to find out who has murdered her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I enjoyed this one despite not really seeing much appealing about the main character. It was quite a long book which was humorous but had some very dark subject matter, and the conclusion of the whodunnit is very dark indeed. It is YA, and it is concerned with teens; the adults involved are sidelined, occasionally unhelpful caricatures. Nonetheless, I would consider reading a sequel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked this one up on 2 for 1 on Audible, as I had not seen the film but thought it would be one to read. The story itself is horrifying - a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the southern states of the USA. The memoir style of the writing took some getting used to, and occasionally the preoccupations of the writer as not always what the modern reader would focus on; however, the story is compelling and I am very glad I have read it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A set of gothic and mysterious tales from the master himself; these were enjoyable as always and a very quick read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having read 'Fear in the Sunlight' a few months ago, I asked for and received the first book in the series for my birthday. Effectively an introduction to Josephine Tey and her regular characters in future books, this story revolves around the murder of a young theatre goer, who is mysteriously connected with Tey and her current theatre production. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The mystery is interesting with lots of twists and turns. For people new to the series, however, definitely start with this one first; unfortunately my previous Upson book actually spoilt the big reveal of this one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Tender is the Night by</b> <b>F Scott Fitzgerald</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were going on a holiday to the French Riviera so I felt it was an opportunity to pick up this novel, one I had never tried before. I actually found it more compelling than I expected, although still, I felt, a rather abrupt ending. Set in 3 parts, we see from 3 different perspectives, and in each part we see that what we thought about the characters, particularly the main husband and wife, is not what it seems. Concentrating on themes of love, lust, mental health and the nature of marriage, this book was an intriguing, if sad, read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The final YA novel of the month, I confess I picked this up due to the way it has been put together. A modern, sci fi update on the epistolary novel, Illuminae is told entirely through reports, chat logs and emails. Set the distant future, it tells the story of two teens who escape the invasion of their planet, only to find themselves trapped on 2 escape vessels with a deadly virus and a potentially made AI computer. Whats more, the 2 teens have just broken up from a relationship, and are each stuck on a different ship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story took a while to take off but once it got going, it was very enjoyable. I did not always see the plot twists coming, although the final twist I felt unnecessary. If there are further books in this series, I may well pick them up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is anyone else really getting into their reading groove with the long nights? I have a whole week off at Christmas and cannot wait to get stuck into my ever increasing TBR pile. Happy Reading!</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-78071556101072397072015-11-30T02:55:00.000-08:002015-11-30T02:55:25.882-08:00Eats | The Yorkshire Meatball Co. York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The other week I grabbed a dining companion and went to check out the Yorkshire Meatball Co, which has opened up near me in York, at the Hotel Indigo. I was keen to try it as the menu looked pretty intriguing - meatballs every way you can imagine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The decor was a bit hotel like (probably because it was a hotel which also did breakfasts for guests) but they had tried to spice it up with a few fireplaces and lots and lots of beer bottles. We were a little confused by the table mats (it turned out you had to turn them over to look at the menu, which was not remotely clear). Service from the one lad in there was also a little haphazard and confused, but he was on his own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We tried out a couple of starters, honey glazed crispy pork crackling and cheesy semolina balls with salsa. Both of these were quite nice, although the crackling was a bit hit and miss (although we could not fault them for the portion sizes).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For main course my companion had a traditional meatballs in onion gravy with mashed potato and a yorkshire pudding. She reported to me that the meatballs were fairly tasteless, the pudding was nothing to be excited about and the mashed potato was unappetising, with a slight skin as if it had been sat around for a while. The food was hot and she ate it, but it was nothing to get excited about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had gone a little untraditional and opted for spicy meatballs in a sub with spicy salsa, mozzarella, mustard mayo and pickles, with fries. Somehow, although the sub contained all these elements, it was not very exciting to eat. The fries came with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream and they were honestly the highlight of the meal. The meatballs I had were spicy, but not very tasty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In short, whilst I am glad we went and tried this place out, unless we both picked the wrong thing entirely on the menu it all seemed a little flat. We won't be going back to try anymore.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-7636073627087004912015-11-22T05:35:00.000-08:002015-11-22T05:35:58.176-08:00October Reads | My Adventures with Your Money by T D Thornton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My Adventures with Your Money: George Graham Rice and the Golden Age of the Con Artist by T D Thornton</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When we consider the Wall Street Crash of 1929, we know that behind it was wild speculation on the stock market by a large number of American citizens, who made and lost a fortune. How many of others were there, however, who thought they were trading stocks and were actually being conned by dodgy brokers? Thornton's book focusses on the history of George Graham Rice, who was vilified as the Jackal of Wall Street and became one of the most hated men in 1920s America as a result of his succession of convincing stock market cons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thornton's book begins at the very start of Rice's career (before he adopted the pseudonym of George Graham Rice and briefly went by his birth name of Jacob Simon Herzig) and we follow as he begins with early cons, has a couple of stints in prison before emerging - after a successful period as a crooked racing tout - as a unprincipled promoter for mining stocks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are some excellent stories in here about the gold rush and mining boom towns. One example is Goldfield, Nevada, where Rice organised a prize fight between 2 boxing champions as a promotional tool for the town - the resulting fight, Gans vs Nelson, holds the record as the longest fight in history at a total of 42 rounds. The narrative is evocative and a great insight into the power of promotion, illusion and creative journalism (which Rice used in abundance).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The story then moves on to the period of Rice's life when he was a more active name as a broker on the New York stock exchange curb. Whilst this section of the book is full of interesting tidbits - particularly Rice's cunning evasion of justice for significant periods, his colourful and complicated personal life and his flagrant manner of disrupting his own fraud trial - the discussion of the actual stock market manipulation sometimes becomes repetitive. This is not Thornton's fault, but occasionally made it difficult to follow and a little dull.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My Adventures with Your Money comes to a close at the time of the Wall Street Crash, and rightly so; this is not only the end of Rice's story but the end of this period of financial optimism in America. The America which lived through the period when men like Rice could make money out of paper stocks for imaginary Death Valley mining towns, came to an end as abruptly as Rice's own career. Certainly, with the hindsight we have, one can see the inevitable coming and Thornton manages to use this to advantage, bringing the book to its expected climax, rounding off both the personal story of the Rice - and of the great age of the Con Man - to a satisfying close.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An understanding of the stock market aside, this reader found My Adventures with Your Money to be a very unusual and intriguing book, focussing on the Roaring Twenties from a fascinating new angle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This review was originally guest posted on History ASM. Check it out <a href="http://historyasm.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/book-review-my-adventures-with-your.html">here</a>.</i></span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-30764720189271054202015-11-16T01:54:00.004-08:002015-11-16T01:54:48.400-08:00What I've Been Reading | October 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Terribly belated coverage of my October reading, for which I ardently apologise - it was my birthday in late October, then I was busy at work, then I was on holiday for a week. Still, it seems that October was a pretty interesting reading month for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Poirot's Early Cases by Agatha Christie</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was lured into this Audible purchase because it is narrated in part by the Poirot and Hastings from UK television adaptations - Hugh Fraser and David Suchet. In my mind David Suchet simply IS Poirot, and therefore an audiobook which had him voicing the Belgian detective was a winner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This book featured a number of short stories about Poirot and some interesting, and some not so interesting, mysteries. I love Poirot adaptations but I confess - rather blasphemously, I think - that I am simply not sold on Christie as a writer. Still, I enjoyed listening to this, for its narration as much as for it's content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary by Steve Friesen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My Dad went on a trip to Denver, Colorado last year and brought me back a couple of books about people who are considered as sons and daughters of the city, as t'wer. One of them was this lovely book about Buffalo Bill, written by the curator of the Buffalo Bill museum. The book is a narrative of Bill's life, but also features lots of authentic photographs and pictures of artefacts from the museum, which made this a very engaging read. I know more about Buffalo Bill now than I ever expected to, and would recommend this to people interested in that period of history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was a little literary mystery classic which I enjoyed a lot. It centres around the writings of a famous author, admired by the narrator, who confesses to the narrator one night that there is a secret to his writings, something to decipher. Our narrator is desperate to discover the answer and what follows is an engaging narrative which shows James' ability to keep you in suspense. Recommended.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Old Nurse's Story is a little gothic ghost story by Gaskell, featuring a nursemaid and her charge being sent to a draughty old house in the countryside, where the young girl is plagued by ghosts of the previous inhabitants. Also featuring the short story, Curious, If True, which is a strange little ditty about a man named Richard Whittington stumbling across a Chateau in the French countryside and finding himself at some sort of gathering of Fairy Tale characters - a good story but perhaps some of my knowledge of Fairy Tales meant I missed some of the nods in this narrative. An intriguing read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>I Hate and I Love by Catullus</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not much to say about this one, except for it's a collection of Roman love poetry, a lot of it stream of consciousness and a lot of it surprisingly modern. I am planning on reading more if I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The third book in the Throne of Glass series and the story is becoming more complicated and intriguing now, with the introduction of a few more different characters. I won't say too much as I don't want to spoil it for anyone else reading the series, but this is a good novel for character development and also for increased exploration of the world Maas has created.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My Adventures with Your Money by T D Thornton</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was lucky enough to be asked to read and review this ARC for the history blog, History ASM. My review can be found <a href="http://historyasm.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/book-review-my-adventures-with-your.html">here</a>. I enjoyed this one much more than I expected, given that it is about con artists in early 20th century America, but I would definitely recommend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Mrs Guinness: The Rise and Fall of Diana Mitford, The Thirties Socialite by Lyndsy Spence</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is another book I was asked to review for History ASM, and so that review will be up with them shortly. In the meantime, I can say this was a interesting book, but I was unsure of the writing style and my dislike of the subject herself may have swayed me a little. I won't be reading about Diana in particularly again, I think.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-54856725326082446632015-10-17T09:42:00.000-07:002015-10-17T09:42:25.969-07:00Eats | The Brasserie, Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As part of my recent stay at Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel, we had dinner at their Brasserie restaurant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Decor was not brilliant - rather reminiscent of a Travelodge - but that is down to the restaurant being used for breakfast and lunch as well, I think. Service was somewhat haphazard as well - very friendly, but not as slick as a normal restaurant. Still, the food made up for this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To start, Alan has the chicken liver pate, which he said was very nice; I enjoyed a very interesting dish of pig cheeks, black pudding cake, celeriac and red wine jus. The dish was unusual but all the elements went very well together, and this was the highlight dish of the meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Main course we both had steak, which came with mushrooms, tomatoes, very nice thick cut chips and a choice of sauces if desired; I had a beautiful roquefort sauce, which made the succulent steak even more delicious. Very good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, we had dessert, both of which were well put together dishes. Alan had lemon curd with raspberry sauce, granola and dried fruit, which he said was excellent. I partook of the dark chocolate mousse with chocolate soil and toffee popcorn. I enjoyed the mousse and the soil, though the toffee popcorn was a little sticky for my taste. However, I could see how the textures were put together to make for an interesting plate of food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In conclusion, this was good food which was somewhat let down by the surroundings and the service. Still, worth a go if you are in the area or fancy a stay at the hotel itself.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-49366294158589910372015-10-10T00:17:00.000-07:002015-10-10T00:17:06.067-07:00Eats | Cosy Time Cafe, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a number of little cafes/coffee shops that have sprung up in York recently, one is now spoilt for choice. I recently headed over to Cosy Time on Fossgate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The little coffee shop had a good range of teas and coffees, together with a hot chocolate option. There were also a small number of cakes to choose from. I opted to try the hot chocolate and also a slice of white chocolate and passionfruit cheesecake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shop was very comfortable, with some nice sofas and good service. The cheesecake - massive and very tasty - came with cream and dried cranberries, which was an unusual touch. The hot chocolate, unfortunately, was rather on the basic side; a confection which was half squirty cream and the other half indifferent standard machine hot chocolate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I liked particularly about this place were the little selection of books at each table; encouraging my favourite pastime whilst serving me good cake is always a winner. However, I am still in two minds about this place, so perhaps a second visit will help with making my mind up...</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-88018648216552848692015-10-04T01:49:00.000-07:002015-10-04T01:49:10.774-07:00What I've Been Reading | September 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">September 2015 was a good reading month for me, as I had a week off and was able to get my teeth into the above beauties, plus an audiobook. Read below for details.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not always keen on YA books these days as they are sometimes written in a way that I find quite dull (I'm looking at you, The Maze Runner). However, having heard multiple book tubers raving about this series I decided to pick a copy up. The story follows Celaena, a notorious young assassin who was captured and forced into slavery in a salt mine. At the start of this book she is whisked away from her miserable slavery existence to compete in a deadly competition to become the chief assassin for the odious King of the country. However, in the midst of this fight to the death against other criminals, assassins and warriors, Calaena stumbles on a more dangerous magic hidden inside the royal court itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The book's plot is quite fast paced and whilst the characters themselves remain slightly one dimensional, it is absorbing enough to be forgiven that. I was intrigued enough to purchase the next book in the series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Poseidon's Gold by Lindsey Davis</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is another book from the Marcus Didius Falco series, following Falco, an informer in Ancient Rome. Following directly on from the previous book I read, Falco returns to Rome to find his apartment has been abused by squatters and his mother is hosting one of his older, war hero brother's friends. This friend, however, is not what he seems and is seeking repayment of an old debt - and things become even more complicated when this friend is found dead and Falco is the chief murder suspect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed this novel as the story gave us an opportunity to explore Falco's family a bit more, particularly his absent father. Whilst keeping with the historical setting, Davis never fails to make these characters seem incredibly human. There are a couple of twists in the tale towards the end which really make this book an enjoyable and touching read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following on from Throne of Glass above, I was pleased to find that the world building and character development, some of which had been missing a little from the first book, were improved and expanded here. Without going into too much detail, this book had some good plot twists and some important set up, I suspect, for the next books (of which there are currently 2). A decent read and entertaining.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Victoria: A Life by A N Wilson</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed this one and offered a review of it to a history blog I guest review for. That review can be checked out <a href="http://historyasm.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/book-review-victoria-life.html">here</a>. Readable biography which didn't feel as long as it appears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This little Victorian mystery follows a young Police Inspector, who is not very good at solving crimes and is secretly assisted by his housekeeper, Mrs Jeffries. The plot of this book centred around the poisoning of a local doctor and follows the usual collection of 6-8 suspects. There was some amusement to be had from the premise and the story was reasonable. I enjoyed this for what it was but I won't be reaching for any of the sequels any time soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently having subscribed to Audible, one of my first selections was this novel, which has been referred to as the new Gone Girl. Having read Gone Girl and found it mildly disappointing, I was hoping for more from this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was not disappointed and I would say that this was much better than Gone Girl. The story centres around Rachel, a woman who commutes every day on the train past the same sets of houses. She watches the residents out of the windows and becomes interested in one couple in particular, until the woman in the house is reported missing in the newspapers. What follows is a rollercoaster of a story, as you soon discover that all is not what it seems and you begin to question whether Rachel is as reliable a narrator as you thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I enjoyed this one a lot and found it particularly stimulating to have it as an audiobook. The novel has 3 narrators and so the change in narrative voices on the audiobook made it easy to follow and powerful. I would recommend this one - if you're savvy you'll work out the conclusion before the end, but it's still well worth reading.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-69072153995332298052015-10-03T03:59:00.000-07:002015-10-03T03:59:08.315-07:00Book Review | Victoria: A Life by A N Wilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Queen Victoria is a figure who does not want for biographers, and when we conjure an image of Victoria, most people have a sense of a short, stout woman, dressed in black and looking out of a sepia photograph looking pretty miserable. Some of us may have a further sense of Victoria, as a complex woman who was - until a few days ago - the longest reigning monarch ever in Britain. The benefit of A N Wilson's new biography is that he approaches the subject from a middle ground - an assumption that the reader already has a certain depth of knowledge of Victoria - which is refreshing and allows for an insightful and flowing narrative.<br />
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Starting from the context of Victoria's birth to her final moments at Osborne House, Wilson treats us to a story which, relying on some previous understanding of Victoria's life, brings some more interesting tidbits out of the woodwork. I knew, for example, that Victoria's first name was actually Alexandrina - but I did not know that during her early childhood she had been called 'Drina' by her relatives and only later became known as Victoria. Wilson is also able to scotch some of the traditional myths of Victoria - some of which she wove around herself - including that of the miserable, lonely childhood at Kensington. As Wilson gently reminds us, Victoria did suffer at the hands of the 'Kensington' system and Sir John Conroy during her teens, but most of her childhood was actually peopled by half siblings - in the form of her half brother and sister from her mother's first marriage - and the devoted love of her mother, the Duchess of Kent, something which the adult Victoria failed to acknowledge and recognise.<br />
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As we follow Victoria to her accession and beyond, Wilson is able to branch out from the family saga - namely Victoria and Albert, their children, and the sagas throughout her life with the likes of John Brown and the Munshi - to also give a broad overview of the politics of the period. We are introduced to the successive prime ministers, their policies and the wars of the empire. These are covered on their own merits and also through Victoria's reaction to them, but they never feel intrusive on this personal biography. I personally felt that I got a lot more out of this overview of the political scene than I have ever done with previous books about Victoria herself.<br />
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Wilson's biography is completely chronological but occasionally allows for reflections on the future, which allow us a greater understanding of the events he is speaking about. These diversions enhance the narrative rather than detract from it - especially in a family as large as Victoria's, it is often important to know where relatives come from, and where in the future they are going. Towards the end of the book, nothing could be more interesting that the tensions between familial loyalty and national pride which beset the likes of Wilhelm, the German Emperor and Victoria's grandson.<br />
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This book is a long one, but it does not feel it; the writing is light and readable, whilst maintaining a sense of authority, excellent research and a broad approach. Wilson is affectionate towards his subject without being sycophantic; he recognises all the faults in Victoria as a woman and a sovereign whilst still acknowledging her as a great Queen. Highly recommended.<br />
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<i>This post was originally published on a history blog, <a href="http://historyasm.blogspot.co.uk/">History ASM</a>. Please check it out. </i>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-16089755248046896142015-10-03T03:54:00.000-07:002015-10-03T03:54:57.159-07:00Days Out | York Does Vintage Fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">York regularly hosts Vintage Fairs and I was able to pop along to one the other weekend. Held at the medieval Merchant Adventurers Hall, as well as snooping round some lovely vintage stalls this was also an opportunity to have a look round the medieval hall itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fair had a large number of stalls, including clothes, homeware and jewellery. There were also live music acts, workshops and a nice little cafe serving tea and cakes. I picked up a nice couple of cushion covers and a 70s blouse, so I left very happy indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you fancy popping along, the next fair is on Sunday 4th October, entry £2.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-24314385696660682542015-09-13T01:52:00.000-07:002015-09-13T01:52:00.348-07:00Stays | Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently Alan and I treated ourselves to a nice spa break at a hotel about 25 minutes drive from York - Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel. We booked a package which included a 1 night stay, lunch, dinner, breakfast, access to the spa and a 1 hour treatment each. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Set in a Victorian mansion, the hotel featured 3 lounges, 1 restaurant and a set of spa facilities which included a pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna and lots of treatment rooms. We tried out the pool and jacuzzi on our first day and really enjoyed it. A light lunch was provided which was served in a bento box, which included a chicken wrap, crudités with hummus, a noodle salad, fruit and a little brownie and cream (perfect for my sweet tooth).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After lunch we both headed off to our individual treatments; I had a neck, shoulder and scalp massage (divine) followed by a lower leg and foot exfoliation and massage (a touch more painful but so good for my circulation). Afterwards I was shown into a warm and quiet 'relaxation room', where I spent a wonderful 20 minutes feeling the after effects of my massage and reading the Sunday Times Travel Magazine - dreamy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the spa facilities so apologies for that, but it was a nice comfortable and clean area. Only suggestion would be that the lounge next to the pool needed a few more sofas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our room was a comfortable king size, with a good bathroom, 3 chairs, and a pretty view. We were surprised to come to our room and discover a complimentary bottle of prosecco had been provided, which we enjoyed in the quiet time before our dinner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We enjoyed a nice dinner in the Brasserie, for which I have done a separate review. Watch this space for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After we checked out the following morning (nourished by a pleasant buffet breakfast featuring lots of hot and cold options) we continued to enjoy the spa facilities and the lounges for a couple of hours before heading home. Just before we left there was a fire drill, and I can only be thankful as we stood out in the car park for 5 minutes that I was not in the pool at the time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aldwark Manor is a nice little hotel which offers a good set of package deals for 1 night breaks. I do not think we would have stayed any longer than we did, purely because, as a result of the golf course, there is very little outside space which is available for guests to stroll through. We like a good country stroll, Alan and I, and could have done with one to work off some of the indulgent food we had. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, for the package above (which cost £109 each), it was worth it. Recommended.</span></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-45568376573868178602015-09-11T01:25:00.000-07:002015-09-11T01:26:15.610-07:00Eats | Cote Brasserie, York<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For a generous, French style brasserie lunch, I recently decided to try out the Cote Brasserie in York. The restaurant does a set menu at certain times but we were taking out choices from the a la carte.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Decor is minimalist, with slight art deco touches by simple and clean. The most beautiful aspect of the restaurant was definitely the lovely tiled floor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To begin my dining companion had the chicken liver parfait, which came with toasted brioche and a fine chutney. I sampled the calamari, which came with a tartare sauce. I can report that the calamari was cooked well, not too chewy, and the batter was actually flavoursome, with tastes of herbs and slight citrus - a detail often missing from other calamari dishes and much appreciated here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For main course I had moules frites, which was good quality, lots of mussels and a good sauce. The frites were also crisp and well seasoned. My dining partner had the fish stew, which he told me was pleasant but not as rich as he had expected - he had had better, in other words, but couldn't point out any negative aspects to this stew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We enjoyed our meal and accompanied it with a nice bottle of Bordeaux. Service was friendly and attentive, although it was quiet when we were there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This meal wasn't cheap - it came to around £65 for both of us - so I would probably not eat here very often given that it is, essentially, a brasserie. I'd be interested in giving the set menu a go though. </span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-60683708010036633592015-09-05T11:36:00.000-07:002015-09-05T11:36:45.827-07:00Eats | Gatehouse Coffee, Walmgate Bar, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was August Bank Holiday Monday in Britain - so of course it was raining. I wanted to go somewhere cozy to begin reading a history tome, and as I was strolling along I saw a sign for a coffee shop, set in the gatehouse of the ancient city walls of York. I made the decision to go and check it out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think the best way to describe the atmosphere and decor in this lovely, friendly little place was 'Gryffindor Common Room'. Essentially, it was a coffee shop inside an ancient castle. It was full of little nooks of seating and eclectic furniture. It even had a terrace area on top of the gatehouse, but due to the rain this was closed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a hot cocoa with cream and marshmallows, with a mini brownie. It was all brought to me in my little reading nook and I was delighted to discover that the brownie had been heated to gently melting deliciousness. So delighted was I that I proceeded to have 2 more brownies after that. After all, for 30p each, who can complain? The hot chocolate was also very good and the range of teas and coffees looked broad, if you are a tea/coffee drinker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was a wonderful place to spend a rainy afternoon, so much so that I hesitate to tell anyone about it in case it gets too popular. Nevertheless, go and check it out - take a book or a friend and get cozy.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-55514360320792762242015-09-03T10:12:00.000-07:002015-09-03T10:12:57.488-07:00What I've Been Reading (II) | August 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another few books that I have had the pleasure of reading this month, as we welcome in September! Two were from the library and one was a loan from another blogger, for whom I did a guest review. See below for details.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>French Milk by Lucy Knisley</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been lusting after another of Knisley's books on Amazon - 'Displacement' - so I was pleased to find this one in the library for me to have a taster. French Milk is a graphic memoir which follows the author and her mother on a month long trip to Paris for significant birthdays. What follows is a commentary on the French city, particularly focussed on the art and the food (clearly both beloved topics of the author). Being a fan of Guy Delisle's travelogues, I expected to enjoy Knisley's work in a similar manner, and I did. It was not as polished as Delisle, and perhaps that detracted a little from my enjoyment; however, the style of drawing and writing was pleasing and I hope to look for others of hers in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The White Princess by Philippa Gregory</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This novel was also from the library and I picked it up as I am a sucker for historical fiction and have read all the previous books in this series, called The Cousins War, which is set during the English Wars of the Roses and follows significant royal and aristocratic women of the period. The White Princess focusses on Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and wife of Henry VII. The story takes place after the Battle of Bosworth and the defeat of Richard III, when Henry VII becomes king and claims Elizabeth as his bride, to 'unite' the Lancaster and York factions of the country. As ever, Gregory is able to weave a consistent narrative around actual events whilst holding to her own interpretation of character's motives. This series (which begins with The White Queen) remains an enjoyable read, for those who know the period and those who need an introduction - especially those who appreciate a female perspective on an essential male dominated world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Abraham Lincoln: Pocket Giants by Adam I P Smith</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was kindly asked by HistoryASM to review this book and I provided a guest review which can be read <a href="http://historyasm.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/book-review-abraham-lincoln-pocket.html">here</a>. An excellent introduction and overview of Abraham Lincoln's life, this book was short, informative and well written. </span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-1339208969356729532015-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:002015-08-31T09:02:49.587-07:00Eats | Banyan, York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In pursuit of a new burger place in York, my partner and I decided to try out Banyan, off Stonegate. We had heard a few good things about the place and I was intrigued by the menu. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh year, it was good stuff. My partner had a bacon burger and I tried out the burger topped with beef brisket, blue cheese and bourbon BBQ sauce. It was delicious, and accompanied by fries which were both crispy and moist at the same time. On the side we also tried out some cheesy garlic bread, which similarly did not disappoint. On top of that, service was attentive and the atmosphere was relaxed. The whole meal including drinks came to around £30 which, for a seriously good burger, I was willing to pay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We will be going back again, and I will be trying more of the appetising menu. If I can tear myself away from the beef brisket and blue cheese...</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-32119443628145434872015-08-29T01:38:00.001-07:002015-08-29T01:38:50.185-07:00Days Out | Fountains Abbey, Ripon, North Yorkshire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently I went on a little day trip out into the North Yorkshire countryside and headed over to <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey/">Fountains Abbey</a>, near Ripon. A huge site, featuring a Elizabethan manor house and Georgian water gardens, my visit this time focussed on the ruins of the monastery that stood here from 1132 onwards. The ruins are beautiful; evocative and intriguing, beautiful and desolate. A perfect place to wander.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fountains Abbey also has a reasonable cafe, toilets and the usual National Trust shop. There were loads of families about having picnics in the abbey grounds, with the children contentedly running amok amongst the ruins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">£11.00 Adult, £5.50 Child, £27.50 Family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Free to National Trust members.</span></div>
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<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-48136794508551587582015-08-22T10:44:00.000-07:002015-08-22T10:45:52.406-07:00Eats | Ambiente Tapas Fossgate, York<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alan and I have regularly enjoyed trips to a little tapas restaurant which opened up behind York Minster a couple of years ago. It was vibrant, with an excellent choice of tapas, both hot and cold, with a wide selection of wines and sherries to choose from to drink. It was therefore with some interest that we noted that Ambiente had opened up a newer, larger premises, closer to our house, in Fossgate. We decided to go and give it a try.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I fear that we may have attended on a dud night. The food was perfectly reasonable, but dull. We ordered a selection of bruscetta style nibbles, with a few other items on the side, including calamari, goats cheese and patatas bravas (not pictured). It is hard to describe what was wrong with the food (with the exception of the calamari which was, frankly, so distasteful to me that I couldn't eat it - and I'm a calamari fiend) - but it was just 'meh'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bruschetta items were particularly disappointing. The bread was thick and the too doughy, the toppings too little to cover it. Perhaps some of it was our choices of dishes, but the whole thing felt rather starchy, heavy and unappetising.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition, we also suffered from some fairly inattentive waitressing and had to wait a long time for the food which, when it arrived, was disappointing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As far as we are concerned, the Ambiente Tapas at Monkbar in York continues to be excellent. This new venture? Still needs some work, I think.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7811627269339171952.post-52157547056602888392015-08-16T08:56:00.003-07:002015-08-16T08:57:25.997-07:00What I've Been Reading (I) | August 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This has been quite a productive reading month, so this is split up due to having to take several books back to the library. A mixed bag of young adult fantasy, classic juvenilia, crime and history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> Panic by Lauren Oliver</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked this up at the library having read 'Delirium' by the same author and feeling that this one might be similarly entertaining. Telling the story of a group of teenagers experiencing their final summer after school, this novel is different as at the centre of their story is a dangerous, secret game, played for a grand monetary prize. Each character has a different reason for choosing to participare and so, within this ongoing narrative, is a story of various teenage dramas, familial suffering and come of age details.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I enjoyed this, but I wouldn't say it was particularly memorable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Lock No. 1 by Georges Simenon</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had heard about the release of these books from some book tubers, and when I saw one in the library I picked it up, as it was quite short and I enjoy a good crime novel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found this intriguing but it was not particularly gripping - this particular story, featuring a variety of suspects with animosity against a canal barge baron on the outskirts of Paris, fell flat with me. I felt no interest in the characters and Inspector Maigret, who is the central character of all these novels, was a bit of a shadowy figure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not yet put off, I will be trying another of these at some point, in case this was a dud story in the series. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Heresy by S J Parris</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Knowing my liking for C J Sansom's novels, my sister kindly lent this one to me. The central character, Giordano Bruno, is based on a real life character who was used by Francis Walsingham to spy against the Catholic threat under Queen Elizabeth I. This opening novel, set mostly in an Oxford college, has all the intrigue and claustrophobia of a country house murder combined with elements of 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco. It was entertaining and full of lively characters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a sucker for Tudor history and I will be looking to read the rest of the series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Beautifull Cassandra by Jane Austen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my Penguin 80p classics, I enjoyed this with a glass of wine one evening. It is full of little stories written by a youthful Austen, for the entertainment of her family. They are not sophisticated and are full of the kind of melodrama that she later exorcises from her final novels. For all that, they are an insight into the development of a writer and the young narrative voice is diverting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Elizabeth's Spy Master by Robert Hutchinson</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having read 'Heresy' earlier in the month, I picked up this short non fiction book about Sir Francis Walsingham and his spy network. The book covers Walsingham's early life and his time as an Ambassador in France, tracing some of his ardent anti-Catholicism to his presence at the St Bartholemew's Massacre, when the French Catholics rose up in Paris and massacred the Protestant Huguenots. It then moves on to the development of Walsingham's spy network, his use of cryptographers and ciphers, and his most famous case, the entrapment of Mary, Queen of Scots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The book was interesting but for some reason, the writing style was quite boring. I cannot put my finger on it, but it did not work for me. What should be a narrative about the development of the first spy network was making me yawn by half way through. In the end, not my cup of tea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My final selection was again, the result of listening to Book Tubers. A young adult novel set in a dystopian world where female children can no longer be conceived naturally, the story follows a group of 16 year old girls who are the ultimate designer test tube babies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Created to be perfect, they are brought up in a nunnery like school, separated from the outside world, trained only in the ways of pleasing men, either as wives or as concubines. This means that they are obsessed with their beauty, their bodies and their weight. They are trained to the day when they must meet the boys from the outside world, who will select those they wish to have as wives and those who are destined to be concubines; and, worst of all, those who they wish to have for neither.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a gripping but horrific read; it is centred on 2 girls, freida and isabel, who were once best friends but drift apart as the pressure of this final year of their school lives moves on. The novel is full of terrible scenes of body shaming, graphic discussions about eating disorders and a hugely obtuse attitude towards sex and love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would recommend this novel to my adult friends, but I would be wary of actually letting a teenage girl read this. It is a powerful and dangerous read, meant to be a message, no doubt, about our ongoing preoccupation with appearances. Unfortunately, (spoiler alert) the conclusion to the novel leaves little chance of redemption for the characters and therefore no chance to amend many of the injustices of the novel. I will remember this one for a long time.</span></div>
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09175889232557259874noreply@blogger.com0