Five Minutes Peace

MOVIE NEWS: Angelina Jolie as Dr Kay Scarpetta

How do we feel about this?  

At first I thought, "Oh dear me, no" but that's mainly because I've always pictured Scarpetta - who, in case you don't know is the main character in Patricia Cornwell's massively successful crime series - as looking exactly like the author... who looks a bit like Jodie Foster and so I imagined Jodie Foster in the movie too. 

Apparently Jodie Foster turned the role down and Ms Cornwell is delighted with the casting of Angelina. Now that I've thought about it for a bit longer, I think she'll be good. She's tough *and* sexy and - and I often forget this thanks to Angelina's notoriety - she can act. 

What do you think? 

Vintage children's audio books from the BBC

Whenever Johnny Morris is mentioned (which doesn't happen all that often, I'll grant you), my husband gets a misty look in his eye. So these new BBC audiobooks will be right up his street.  

Facsimiles of the original vinyl LPs, they come in vintage packaging with the CD even designed to look like an LP. This makes me happy. 

Along with Johnny Morris's Bedtime Stories, there's Camberwick Green, Willo the Wisp and The Magic Roundabout. Buy them from the BBC Shop. 

[via Parentdish and @joannemallon]

BOOK REVIEW: My So-Called Afterlife by Tamsyn Murray

My So-Called Afterlife by Tamsyn Murray had me at the first line. I knew it was time to move on when a tramp peed on my Uggs. I mean, how could you not want to read the rest after that?

Lucy Shaw is fifteen and also dead. Trapped in the men's toilets as a ghost. She has been down there for six months, unable to get out above ground, invisible to the men who come down there for a comfort break. Until, that is, Jeremy comes along. Wonder of wonders, he can actually see her. After the initial shock, on both sides, Jeremy decides to help her. And gradually Lucy starts to make sense of her new world. 

MOVIE NEWS: Katherine Heigl to play Stephanie Plum

I know, I know. We've only just dealt with the Something Borrowed issue and now we've got an even thornier problem - looks like One for the Money - the first of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books - is FINALLY being made into a movie. And Katherine Heigl has signed up to play Stephanie.

I always wanted Sandra Bullock, but I have to admit she might be a bit *whisper* old. Unlike a lot of people, I don't have strong feelings about Katherine Heigl one way or another. I didn't watch much Grey's Anatomy, but I did like her in Knocked Up. I think I can see her as Stephanie... 

What do you think? And who would you like to see as Joe and Ranger? 

[via New York Daily News and @bevrosenbaum]

MOVIE NEWS: Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang

The second in the trilogy (I didn't know it was going to be a trilogy - did you?) of Nanny McPhee films is out in March. Nanny McPhee - based on the books of Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand  - has a brand new adventure with a different family, written, I understand, by Emma Thompson. 

The film stars Maggie Smith, Rhys Ifans, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Gyllenhaal and, of course, Emma herself.

Our new design

I hope you like it! 

I've been meaning to mention for AGES that the banner photo was taken by my lovely and talented online friend Cara Donovan of Freckles Photography. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh & Judi Abbot

I received this book yesterday and as soon as I'd taken it out of the envelope, Joe (1) started hopping up and down with excitement, so we stopped what we were doing (he was chewing on a slipper, I was watching The Daily Show on catch-up) and read it.  

It's not a story, it's more a list of different types of kisses, illustrated beautifully. 

"Kisses on noses. Kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes. Who likes to kiss? I do, I do! Even the shy do, Why not try, too?"

BOOK CLUB - February: White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

As February is a short month I thought we shouldn't dilly-dally, so I'm jumping in with the introduction of the book club pick for this month.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga isn't my usual sort of book and it's not the usual sort of book we review (just two of the reasons I chose it!) - it's written by a man, it won the Booker Prize in 2008 and it's set in India. But I thought it would do me good to get out of my reading "comfort zone" (I almost always read books by British or American women) and I would love for you to join me so I have someone to discuss the book with when I've finished...

I hope you won't be put off by this choice - yes, it won a major literary prize, but I hear it's more accessible than most Booker winning novels. It's also less than £4 in paperback almost everywhere, so it's no big loss if you hate it (though I really hope you don't).

As usual, we'll discuss the book at the end of month - see you then, I hope!

MOVIE NEWS: Something Borrowed

Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed is one of my favourite chick lit books, so I was thrilled to read on her Twitter feed that Ginnifer Goodwin* has been cast as Rachel in the forthcoming movie version. 

Rachel was, I think, the easiest character to cast. No news yet on Dex or Darcy. Who do you think? I'm thinking Emily Blunt for Darcy and maybe Patrick Dempsey for Dex? Or is he too old? 

* One of the only "things" that made the movie version of He's Just Not That Into You tolerable, IMO. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Disengagement Ring by Clodagh Murphy

I need to say right up front that I know Clodagh, the author of this book. I've never met her, but we are in an online writing group together and so obviously I wanted to love this book... and fortunately I did. 

In fact, I loved it so much that I read it twice and that is very unusual for me, I promise you. (Other books I've read more than once: our January book club book, Stuffed. Our December book club book, Waiting for Birdy. My favourite chick lit book of all time, Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing.)