Ian's A- Z Challenge 2011

[Em]

Oh, is that latin??? I thought you'd just slammed the keyboard in frustration...

[Ian, Moderator]

What is it about Latin teachers? Mr Bibby sounds like Mister Chips compared to the not so very Reverend Wilkinson who taught me. If you can imagine someone who looks like Ian Paisley, but who undoubtedly thought the latter was a moderate - then that's him. His party piece was to raise you from your seat by gripping your sideburns whilst attempting to conjugate verbs. I also remember that someone in an RE lesson once had the temerity to question the existence of god - lifted up and thrown against the wall of the classroom. Is it any wonder I am a fully signed up heathen!! Almost makes me wish there was such a place as Dante's imagination of Hell so that the "the Rev" could be sampling the delights of red hot pokers as I sit here and type....ouch!!

[Ian, Moderator]

And H will be Hemingway....but which one??

[Ian, Moderator]

Em wrote: "Every Liverpudlian I've ever met (virtually or otherwise)is a frustrated comedian! Why is this?"

It's a good question Em and one that I have discussed over the years with other similarly afflicted members of my tribe.

I think it's cultural, male bonding thing that started who knows when, and this is generalising of course, but from my experience we are all brought up with sarcasm ringing in our ears from an early age, be it from dads, uncles, older brothers/cousins and then teachers. We have no choice but to try to compete and try to perfect the art through our teenage years, so that eventually when we are thrown out into the wider world - inside us, we are all that shell suited, curly headed, mustachioed, chirpy (but suspicious and slightly bitter)character that Harry Enfield got so right, wisecracking through life like Pavlov's Dogs, thinking we are funny even if on many occasions we are not.

Feel sorry for us. We cannot help it.

Rideo ergo sum

[Em]

Ahhhh... interesting theory Ian!

[Ian, Moderator]

Now can I turn it into a standup routine??

More importantly - U is going to be by Cathi Unsworth - great cover art

[Timothy]

Hi Ian,
back on the teacher thingy, Mr Bibby was about 5feet tall in his socks,thick glasses which made his eyes look 'beady'. He was always immaculatly dressed, bow tie etc and arrived at precisely 8.45 on his old bike, complete with cycle clips and his brown shiney shoes. Quite a character with the only caterpiller on his top lip among all the staff, carefully trimmed, of course.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Ian, Moderator]

Paul - I think Mr Bibby was indeed Robert Donat in disguise

[Ian, Moderator]

Another update - 15 of 26 letters now read, 9 chosen and just 2 letters still to choose although H will be Hemingway, just still haven't decided which one yet. Must get round to finding a Y that interests me.

A - Case Histories by Kate Atkinson - read
B - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - read
C - Heart of Darkness by Jospeh Conrad - read
D - Room by Emma Donoghue - read
E - The Communist Manifesto - by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels - read
F - The Blasphemer by Nigel Farndale - read
G - The Confession by John Grisham
H - xxxxxxxxxxxxxx by Ernest Hemingway
I - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
J - The Rapture by Liz Jensen - read
K - The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
L - Sister by Rosamund Lupton - read
M - The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli - read
N - The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo - read
O - 30 Minute Meals - Jamie Oliver - currently reading
P - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - read
Q - After Dachau by Daniel Quinn - read
R - 44 Years withe the Same Bird - Brian Reade - read
S - Dry Season by Dan Smith
T - Trespass by Rose Tremain - read
U - Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth
V - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
W - Tamburlaine Must Die - Louise Welsh
X - Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Y -
Z - The Warsaw Anagrams - Richard Zimler - read

[Ian, Moderator]

Y - by Toby Young

[Susan]

Ian wrote: "Y - by Toby Young"

I loved the movie....it will be interesting to read what you think of the book.

[Ian, Moderator]

I'll let you know Susan

[Ian, Moderator]

Another update - 17 of 26 letters now read

A - Case Histories by Kate Atkinson - read
B - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - read
C - Heart of Darkness by Jospeh Conrad - read
D - Room by Emma Donoghue - read
E - The Communist Manifesto - by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels - read
F - The Blasphemer by Nigel Farndale - read
G - The Confession by John Grisham
H - Mister Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt - currently reading
I - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
J - The Rapture by Liz Jensen - read
K - The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
L - Sister by Rosamund Lupton - read
M - The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli - read
N - The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo - read
O - 30 Minute Meals - Jamie Oliver - currently reading
P - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - read
Q - After Dachau by Daniel Quinn - read
R - 44 Years withe the Same Bird - Brian Reade - read
S - Dry Season by Dan Smith - read
T - Trespass by Rose Tremain - read
U - Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth - read
V - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
W - Tamburlaine Must Die - Louise Welsh - read
X - Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Y - How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young
Z - The Warsaw Anagrams - Richard Zimler - read

[Nick 2E0NAQ]

Well done old boy lol!

[Ian, Moderator]

Nick wrote: "Well done old boy lol!"

Thanks Nick

[Ian, Moderator]

Have finished my W (number 18) and just about to start my H which will not be a Hemingway but by Rebecca Hunt which I am really looking forward to

[Em]

Mr. Chartwell has caught my eye too - I'll be reading your review with interest!

[Helen]

I like the cover.

[Timothy]

Pleased to see Dan Smith there.
Just wish someone would read 'The Day the Ravens Died', Lynne did and loved it
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Timothy wrote: "Pleased to see Dan Smith there.
Just wish someone would read 'The Day the Ravens Died', Lynne did and loved it
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]"

I do keep trying to get people to read it Paul!

[Timothy]

I know, thanks Lynne, it's their loss.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Ian, Moderator]

Timothy wrote: "I know, thanks Lynne, it's their loss.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]"

Get it on kindle Paul at a reasonable price say £4.99 or less and I would certainly buy it. Currently £9.49 on Amazon as a "dead tree book" only (as Helen would call it)- a price which I think will just put off any passing trade. £6.99 is about my max.price point, but I buy probably 90% of my kindles at below £5. I don't buy paper books any more.

[Timothy]

Hi Ian,
you can download ebooks from Authors OnLine site onto your kindle.
I agree about the prices, that is a down side to Print on demand, at least if you want a good quality product. Just for your info, it is about 120,000 words roughly equivalent to a 380 page mass market paperback.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Timothy]

Hi, me again!
Just checked, 'Ravens' is £3.95 as a pdf [adobe acrobat].
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Em]

I must admit I've browsed it on Amazon many times and the price is a bit steep on there and although I really ought to know, I'm not sure how to download to my Kindle from sites other than the Kindle Store.

[Susan]

I've looked for it on my IPad store to download, but sadly it wasn't available, and like Em, not sure if I can download to my iPad from any other source.

[Helen]

I went looking and it was too expensive for my book budget, you can buy to calibre and then transfer to kindle but I haven't done it so don't know how easy/hard it would be.

[Helen]

Wow, hard work. Went to download it and was told had to update outlook express, wasn't able to do that so had to download Firefox. Then bought book and had to download an extraction programme. Have saved to my documents and extracted into calibre (open that and click '+book'.So when I connect my kindle it will be all systems go.

So Paul, you have a sale - I aim to read it in the summer hols

[Helen]

Further update, its on my kindle but the font is so small that it would be a real struggle to read, its about 2mm high. PLus you can't change font size, you can zoom but then have to move to read rest of line.

[Ian, Moderator]

I haven't bought it Paul - sorry old geezer, I really wanted to support you - but when I went on to Authorsonline, I read the chapter One extract and just didn't enjoy it....just too much dialogue for my tastes.

[Ian, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "Further update, its on my kindle but the font is so small that it would be a real struggle to read, its about 2mm high. PLus you can't change font size, you can zoom but then have to move to read r..."

Helen, I downloaded a freebie off Authors online and then converted from .pdf to .mobi in Calibre before transferring to kindle. Font size looked OK even for a blind git like me. Might work??

[Helen]

I emailed it direct to my kindle. I didn't notice the try before you buy!

[Timothy]

Hi Gang,
Thanks for all the input, now I'm aware of precisely what the problems are I will have a go at Authors OnLine to make life easier.
I was aware of the 'price problem' but can't see an answer to it, as many of the factors are out of our control.
As for Ian, sorry mate, it's just the way I write,
it's fair enough, as we have ageed before it would be a dull world if we all liked the same thing. It's a pity though as I think you would have enjoyed it, as a story, but as you say, there is a lot of dialogue, and I can understand if you don't like that how it would put you off. A bit like me and the Smiths!!
And of course, a special thanks to Helen for taking the trouble to download it, I really hope you enjoy it after all the problems.
Thanks again for taking the trouble to look, all of you.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Ian, Moderator]

Another update at 8 July - 21 of 26 letters now read....

A - Case Histories by Kate Atkinson - read
B - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - read
C - Heart of Darkness by Jospeh Conrad - read
D - Room by Emma Donoghue - read
E - The Communist Manifesto - by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels - read
F - The Blasphemer by Nigel Farndale - read
H - Mister Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt - read
J - The Rapture by Liz Jensen - read
L - Sister by Rosamund Lupton - read
M - The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli - read
N - The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo - read
O - 30 Minute Meals - Jamie Oliver - read
P - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - read
Q - After Dachau by Daniel Quinn - read
R - 44 Years withe the Same Bird - Brian Reade - read
S - Dry Season by Dan Smith - read
T - Trespass by Rose Tremain - read
U - Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth - read
V - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - read
W - Tamburlaine Must Die - Louise Welsh - read
Z - The Warsaw Anagrams - Richard Zimler - read

Still to read or complete
G - The Confession by John Grisham - currently reading
I - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
K - The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
X - Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Y - How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young

[Timothy]

Thanks again for all the input, I've had a word with the 'teckie types' in the office at Authors OnLine and 'The Day the Ravens Died' should be available in the next few days on Amazon as a direct kindle download. This should cut out all this 'faffing' about, Amazon are being predictably greedy but if it makes as much difference as your comments suggest it might, then it will be worth while. Time will tell.
Thanks again.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Ian, Moderator]

Just bought my K - Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna - price dropped to £2.76 for the kindle on Amazon

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Ian wrote: "Just bought my K - Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna - price dropped to £2.76 for the kindle on Amazon"

I have that as a DTB not sure when I shall get round to it though!

[Susan]

Ian wrote: "Just bought my K - Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna - price dropped to £2.76 for the kindle on Amazon"

I read this last year and thought it was very good.
Hope you enjoy it.

[Helen]

Isn't that a fantasy Ian?

[Ian, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "Isn't that a fantasy Ian?"

It's an epic but not a fantasy as far as I can see.....I've just checked.....phew!!

[Helen]

Her name comes up regularly on a Fantasy group.

[Ian, Moderator]

Also finally finished my O - the Jamie Oliver - first cookbook I've ever read cover to cover

[Ian, Moderator]

Finished my V - Abraham Verghese - best read of 2011 so far and now reading my G - John Grisham for a complete change

[Susan]

Ian wrote: "Also finally finished my O - the Jamie Oliver - first cookbook I've ever read cover to cover"

Did you try any of the recipes?

[Ian, Moderator]

Susan wrote: "Ian wrote: "Also finally finished my O - the Jamie Oliver - first cookbook I've ever read cover to cover"

Did you try any of the recipes?"

Yes loads...I use it constantly as he has set out so many simple ideas for delicious food

[Susan]

I agree....he's great, and everything I've tried from his books has turned out well.
I love his programmes.

[Ian, Moderator]

Finished my John Grisham - just the last 4 to go now

I - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
K - The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
X - Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Y - How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young

[Ian, Moderator]

Just started by Qiu Xiaolong

[Ian, Moderator]

And then there were three.....which apart from being the title of a dreadful Genesis LP, means I've finished which I found to be a very interesting read.

[Helen]

The pasta on page 45(I think) is one of my regular meals. 10 mins and really tasty.