Weekend Miscellany


Name of the Rose update:

Last weekend I was laid low by a flu-bug and just couldn’t concentrate on NotR, so I’m only up to the end of ‘Day Three’. The chesty cough I was left with from the flu-bug has this morning developed into pharyngitis – I have no voice at all, and a throat that feels like sandpaper, but can read as long as I have tea and soothing sweets to suck.


The Favourite: 

I went last night, and managed not to cough too much! It was SOOO good – not for the prudish though, this is a bawdy court and the script is rather fruity to say the least. The three lead women, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were just superb – with the subtle Weisz getting some killer lines, notably commenting on the Queen’s new make-up, ” You look like a badger.” I do hope this film gets lots of prizes, especially, Olivia, our newest national treasure. (Weisz already has an Oscar (best supporting acress for The Constant Gardener) and Stone has hers for La La Land of course).


Everyone’s Talking about Marie Kondo:

Well – now she’s on the telly that is. YAWN! Readers, I read and reviewed her book TWO YEARS AGO – and blogged about it here!

Nothing I’ve read or seen since has changed my opinion of her methods, which do have their good points I’ll admit, but just so grated on cynical old me. It was her take on the TBR pile that broke me – didn’t ‘spark joy’ at all!

You might like to read Anakana Schofield’s article for the Guardian though – see here.


Normal service will be resumed tomorrow with my turn in the Wellcome Book Prize’s 10th Anniversary Blog Tour.

11 thoughts on “Weekend Miscellany

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      I loved the way they threw the rule-book out of the window on occasion (rabbits, weird dancing etc) and found the gender reversal with all those periwigged popinjays hilarious. I rather liked the ending – just deserts for Abigail…

  1. Café Society says:

    The trouble with this current version of the lurgy is just how long it is hanging on for. As one sufferer to another get well soon. As for Kondo, I’m not sure she and I are the same species. When it comes to throwing books out because they no longer give me joy I simply fail to understand what she can possibly be talking about.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      Thank you. At least the current throat lurgy doesn’t come with shivers and headaches like last weekend’s version. As for Kondo… 🙂

  2. Col says:

    Sorry to hear you’ve got the lurgy – there seems a lot of it about – most of my meetings at work last week has at least one poor soul coughing or whispering! Gutted missed start of your read along on Name of the Rose – I loved that book. Hope you’re enjoying. And as for The Favorite – saw it last weekend – brilliant film and all three of the female leads were stellar.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      Thanks Col. You can join in NoTR – never too late. I’m aiming to finish by the end of the month, posting gain next week sometime.

  3. Calmgrove says:

    I’d say ‘Get well soon’ but it sounds like a command than a wish—still, you know what I mean! The Favourite is a joy yet to come, but from what I’ve heard in multiple places I hope Marie Kondo never ever darkens my bookshelves, in person or in publication…

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      Thanks for your good wishes. It’s rather ground-breaking as historical dramas go, and it has so many killer funny moments! You must go if you can. As for Kondo, she certainly has managed to antagonise the book world!

  4. kaggsysbookishramblings says:

    Oh dear – there is indeed much lurgy about and I hope you get really better soon. As for Kondo – don’t get me started. I’m a cynical old thing and I get really cross at a lot of this nonsense. Yes, I need to declutter but not at the expense of books. I hear she even advocates tearing pages out and keeping them if they ‘spark joy’ (good god) and only keeping these while discarding the rest of the book. Is the woman mad????? If she comes near my books, she’s had it…

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