One book…

Thanks for tagging me John. I'm gonna enjoy this!

1. One book that changed your life:
'Making History' by Stephen Fry - it made me read lots more books about the Second World War and holocaust, and I then I took myself off to Eastern Europe to see places that had featured in what I'd read. Then it all got too distressing and I stopped reading and visiting.

2. One book you’ve read more than once:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (it was my A' level text, but that's not the only reason for re-reading it - I mean I've read it many times since)

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
OK, this will seem odd. It's more of a pamphlet than a book. It was produced for the memorial service of a family friend called Hugh Bishop - it contained a few of his sermons and some of his writings. Lots of wisdom. A great, charismatic and joyful person. Enough to turn you to religion! I turn to it often, when in a crisis. Actually, I don't turn to it any more. I lent it to a curate and haven't had it back - but I believe he has used bits of it in his sermons and I'm delighted about that. (Mum has a copy though)

4. A book that made you laugh:
Second From Last in the Sack Race - David Nobbs - and I was in labour when I read it. Anything that can make you laugh when in labour HAS to be funny!

5. A book that made you cry:
Flambards by ??? (sorry, should know that, c'mon Ruth, I can almost see it on the book cover..... doh). I was quite young.

6. A book I wish I’d written:
All of the Harry Potters....... $$$$$$

7. A book I wish had never been written:
The Harry Potters - then I could have done so (like, as if). Actually there are lots that I think are roooobish. I once wrote to M&S to complain about the grammar in one of their children's books (and, I mean, mine's not good but this....)

8. A book I am currently reading:
Loads: Here's one: Elizabeth the Queen by Alison Weir. I'm making hard work of this one. I'm sure it's brilliant - her other books are, but ....somehow.....it's not exactly light, bedtime reading

9. A book I’ve been meaning to read:
Man on a Donkey, by Hilda Prescott

10. A book I wish had been written:
Something that covers what life was life for women in England in 1500s and 1600s (including child-birth and child-rearing, and living with the knowledge that child-birth would probably kill you , if something else didn't first). I want to know about the minds of those women. Isn't it funny that we're all older now than we would have been when we died, if we'd lived 500 years ago. If you have come across such a book, please let me know. I THINK it's something that's not been written about. And I've searched high and low.

And

Six Wierd Things About Me (come one Anne, you've not done these, but I think John wanted us to do both!!)

Well, actually, there are no wierd things about me. I am the Man on the Clapham Omnibus. I think that my lack of ability to make polite, trivial conversation means that lots of people might THINK that I'm wierd. But I'm not. I just don't do "the price of bread" conversations. (If you don't want to know about my haemarrhoids, then why did you ask me how I was?)! - and I am not spell-checking that.

So here are 6 wierd things about my husband:

(1) he married me, for heaven's sake.
(2) he is an electriciany type person (hang on, I've not finished yet). He is an electriciany, engineery, phone-mendingy type person and yet: nothing blumin works in this 'ouse. Our phone - now that's wierd. We have 4. I pick one up (if ANY are in the mood for ringing, and the other three continue to blinkin' ring. So I'm on the blower, and I can't hear myself think because I've three phones ringing in the background. And it's not just the phone. The telly's on the blink, the bath only runs hot if you've the skills of a safe-cracker with the hot tap, the computer takes for ever and a day to boot up (cos he's installed that many anti virus things) and, ooooooooh, REALLY
(3) his second toe is a lot longer than the rest - but he tells me that's normal (mine graduate from longest to shortest, the big toe being the longest. He says THAT'S wierd!!!!!!)
(4) he laughs at random, for no apparent reason. And when I ask him what's funny, he says 'nothing'
(5) If you were to ask him to remove the wallpaper from a really massive room, and then re-decorate it, he'd do it. No problem. He wouldn't get bored after 45 seconds. Nope. He'd do the lot. Day in. Day out. Till the job was completed. Then he'd move to the spare room, er, I mean the next room, and do that one too.
(6) He takes the same packed lunch to work EVERY DAY. I kid you not. It doesn't vary one iota. And he'd love for us to have a weekly rota of evening meals...

Gawd, he is one adorable wierdo!!!!!!

(And he never reads my blog)

!