Do be an angel.....

Studio shot of a young woman dressed as an angel or a fairy c 1929

...and join me next month in a readalong of Elizabeth Taylor's Angel in July - that's only a week away!  The lovely Laura  arranged hosting of the Elizabeth Taylor Centenary celebrations this year and we've had a lot of fun along the way.

I encourage you to grab a copy of this slim volume and join me on a weekly basis to discuss your thoughts.

The Virago Modern Classics edition I have was published in 1984 - although the original was published in 1957.  Paul Bailey wrote the introduction to my volume.  He says:

 Angelica is the odd woman out in Mrs Taylor's gallery of women, and in some ways her boldest conception.  To write about a purveyor of twaddle and yet render her preposterousness human is a challenging task, for the likes of Angelica - Marie Corelli, Ouida, E.M. Hull, Ehtel M. Dell - are somehow above this mortal coil.  

Saturdays are good days for me as I work full-time and I hope that fits in with those who reside in the northern hemisphere too.  I propose the following schedule:

Saturday 7 July - Theme - Purveyors of Twaddle - I've read a few....which authors or purveyors of twaddle are your guilty secrets?  Which books do you devour rather than read?  Are purveyors of twaddle necessary in this hectic/stressful world in which we live?  Or are they end of civilization as we know it?

Saturday 14 July - Theme - Reviewers - Some reviewers are the bane of Angel's life.  Which reviewers do you find most useful?  Are readers the best judge?  What do you look for in a review?

Saturday 21 July - Video Chat - I'm keen to host a Google+ hangout to discuss your thoughts about the book so far.  Please let me know asap if you're up for it and where you are so we can try and agree on a time that will suit both hemispheres.....I'm thinking about 9pm Saturday night Brisbane time which would be midday Saturday London time and 7am Saturday New York time, I think. 

Saturday 28 July - Wrap Up - by now we should have all read the book and I will highlight your thoughts etc.

When you share your thoughts on the book please do so via a Mr. Linky on Laura's Elizabeth Taylor Centenary page.

Please note that I have 36 followers on this blog and months ago I did promise a prize for the 40th 50th follower so tell anyone you think might be interested in joining us next month.....and get your reading wings on!

PS Sorry about the change to 50th follower - I realised that it was in celebration of my 50th birthday...as per this post !  Silly me....

Long Weekend

One is currently luxuriating in a bevy of long weekends.

The first long weekend was spent celebrating one's birthday and the significant birthday of one's BFF by traveling down to Melbourne.

We went to inspect the Grace Kelly exhibition at Bendigo and enjoyed a lovely lunch afterwards at Basement on View just near the gallery where these photos were taken.  We didn't book and were VERY lucky to get a table at all.  I suggest you book to avoid disappointment.

 

You'll be lucky if you get tickets to the Grace Kelly exhibition at all...it's put on by the V&A and is very interesting.  The frocks look lifeless and dull without Grace in them - (dim lighting for conservation purposes probably doesn't help) and the photos supporting the exhibits are vital to see how they really used to look.. The archival footage/home movies in the theatrette was the best bit of the exhibition as far as I was concerned.  Bear with the crowds and grab a seat when you can and do stay for all three mini-sessions which vary in subject matter.  They gave you a real sense of what an extraordinary individual Grace Kelly was...

One's BFF then took one to Lavandula where one had much fun buying hats and mittens and lavendar for all and sundry....

One admired the copious amounts of lavendar whilst one's teeth were chattering from the cold.

 
One heard an unmistakable sound ...a kind of "eeyore...eeeyore" only even more miserable because it was so very wet and cold...and so, one was very excited to make a few new friends....

Some friends were more excited than others...

The rest of the weekend was spent pampering ourselves with a beauty treatment and lunch at The Langham Hotel.

And then we shopped til we dropped on Sunday.

It wasn't Paris but I suspect we had just as much fun as if we had been there....