Another Books Round-Up

Well, doesn't he look pleased with himself! I found a dead shrew outside the front door - a little gift left there for us to find as soon as we opened the door in the morning - delightful! At least he hadn't brought it indoors as with the mouse we had last week! He's now fast asleep on the bed in Our Daughters room having a dream about another catty adventure, no doubt!

Whilst in Our Daughters bedroom I took a photo of the books on her bookshelf as they looked so colourful.

That book in a handbag shape called "Handbag Friends" was one of her favourite books when she was little and I've lost count of the number of times I was asked to read it and to sing the handbag song! (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). It is a lovely book for little girls. It starts off like this:

"In a pink handbag, all glittering and bright, live six little handbag friends ..."

 The little animals who live in the handbag have their own song:

"Pretty handbag we love you

Pinky Winky Winky Woo

Tra La La La, Oh so pink

Inky, Dinky, Linky Pink

Pinky Winky Winky Woo

Yes

Oh Yes

Oh Yes

We Do!"

The book then goes on to tell you the story of how they came to live in their pink handbag:

"Once upon a time, far, far away, there was a beautiful place called Planet Pink Handbag, where all the handbags come from."

Then someone steals all the handbags ... the six friends plan to save the day and go in search of the handbags!

They come across a big bad handbag called CLASP "I'm going to eat you with my mouth!" roared the big bad handbag - Open, Shut, Open, Shut. Snap! Snap! Snap! went her mean mouth.

The friends are chased by the bad handbag and they decide to sing the handbag song - three times! A miracle happens, the big, bad handbag begins to sway gently in time to the music and is tamed! The handbags are recovered and all is well.

But what of our six friends - Well, they get invited to a party held by a beautiful Princess and they go and live in her handbag:

"One by one, the six little handbag friends jumped and hopped and skipped and bounced into the pretty handbag."

If you're ever looking for a birthday present for a little girl this is it!

I thought I would show you my boudoir doll who rests on the bed in the spare room. I purchased her from Niki at Nostalgia in the Stone House's shop in Shepton Mallet. Niki has a wonderful array of things in her shop. She really does have a good eye and her shop is pure eye candy - I could easily walk out with a lot of her stock!

I've now finished reading the four books that I purchased in the second hand book-shop in Lyme Regis some weeks ago and thought I'd do a quick books round up. Four books for £9.50. It makes sense to buy second hand. I love the graphics on the front covers - modern day covers aren't half as interesting.

"Gideon's Staff" is by J. J. Marric aka John Creasey who wrote the Inspector West books.

The back cover says the following:

"In London, dangerous men are loose - ruthless thugs like Micky the Slob and small-time crooks with big-time ideas that do not stop at armed robbery ...

A maniac, obsessed by little girls with golden hair, roams the crowded beaches of an East Coast town ...

A sensational wave of crime gains momentum as Scotland Yard faces the axe of economy. Commander George Gideon C.I.D. knows that more police are needed, not less; and to avert crisis is prepared to risk everything - even his job."

There is a part in the book where the author describes the child killer stalking his next victim - it sent shivers down my spine.

I also liked the front cover of this book - although it is of a suicide!

The back cover says the following:

"He had friends, money and a beautiful wife, yet he chose to commit suicide from a New York skyscraper."

Doesn't that sentence draw you in from the off. As soon as I read that and flicked through the book in the shop I knew that this book would be on its way home with me. It doesn't disappoint.

When I was at school I read many, many Agatha Christie books. I hadn't read one for years. When I saw a whole shelf of them in the bookshop I was made up! I went for one Hercule Poirot and one Miss. Marple.

Agatha Christie's books are always a fabulous read.

In "The Murder of the Blue Train" - "One of Europe's crack trains roars through the night. The wealthy passengers retire to their compartments for the night and the car attendants settle down for another routine trip. But the next morning when the train glides past the blue Mediterranean one compartment carries a corpse!" And who should be on the train - why, Monsieur Poirot, of course!

"The Body in the Library" - "No breeze to stir the curtains - yet they moved ... nearer and nearer to the bed the intruder stole ... a finger and thumb ready to pick up a fold of skin, in the other hand the hypodermic needle was ready. But suddenly, from the shadows, an iron grasp seized the hand that held the needle. An unemotional voice, the voice of the law, said: "No, you don't. I want that needle!" The light switched on and from his pillows Conway Jefferson looked grimly at the murderer of Ruby Keene."

And near the very end you have Miss. Marple in her quintessential English elderly spinster way telling you how and why the crime occured - fabulous!

From my ramblings you can probably gather that a lot of books are read in this house. Here are some of the books on the box room window sill - we have so many books but not many book shelves! Too busy buying books to think of shelves!

Thankyou for your comments on my last post - the puppy has really settled in well.

It is so lovely to see him and Charlie playing tug of war with a piece of rope. The puppy growls as he's pulling as if that is going to scare Charlie and make him drop his end!

The sun has come out and it's promising to be a lovely week-end. Let's hope the weather man is right.

Until next time.

June.