Wet and Windy

The weather is pretty lively here at the moment. Winds gusting up to eighty miles per hour and all the plastic garden furniture upside down in the middle of the lawn. Our garden looks particularly sad in wintertime - not that it's a riot in the Spring or Summer, as we have neglected it over the past few years. Maybe that will change this year, I don't know.

I have nearly finished "The March" only about another twenty pages to go. I have found it a very easy read, with each chapter dealing with a different character as we follow the impact that Sherman's march has on the countryside and the Union and Confederate forces. On the whole I have enjoyed it and will have more to say when I (hopefully) finish it today.

I went to the library yesterday and borrowed a couple of books. I don't know if I will read them both as one I specifically borrowed for C. to read. She had just finished David Nicholls: Starter for Ten which she greatly enjoyed and I thought she might like Marina Lewycka: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. So last night I asked her to read aloud the first few pages to me and we both agreed that it grabbed your interest right from the start and looked a very entertaining read. I have found that C. really enjoys reading aloud and it is a good way of quickly recognizing whether she is going to like the book or not. As English is her second language it is important for her to feel comfortable with it. The other book I borrowed was James M. Cain: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and Selected Stories. I love the films of "Double Indemnity" and "Mildred Pierce". However, I am not quite so keen on either movie version of "The Postman Always Rings Twice". Anyhow, I started "The Postman Always Rings Twice" last night and found the style of writing somewhat clumsy. I was having to read sentences more than once in order to make sense of them. This, together with lines of dialogue not being obviously attributed to a particular character, made it seem more difficult that it should be. We shall see.