Five Minutes Peace

Christopher Eccleston reads Night Monkey, Day Monkey

Two of my favourite things, together at last. I love Christopher Eccleston (and have done for YEARS! I'm not one of these Doctor Who johnny-come-latelies) and Night Monkey, Day Monkey is one of my favourite kids' books. So I thought I'd share my joy. Here you go: 

MARCH BOOK CLUB: Vampire Diaries (and February update)

March's book club pick is Vampire Diaries.

Vampires are everywhere these days, but this book was the original vampire series for teenagers and has recently been made into a very popular American TV programme (shown here on ITV2). The first two books of the series come in this volume, but we're just focusing on book 1 for our March read (although obviously feel free to read as many as you want if you want to keep going).

Those of you who have read Charlaine Harris, Anne Rice and of course Stephanie Meyer will have lots of room for comparison and I'd love to hear your thoughts but this is my first dip into vampiric fiction so I'm very curious to find out how accessible it is for non-fantasy fans like me.

I'm sorry to say February's book club has been postponed - I got very ill (so much so I couldn't concentrate to read - nightmare!) and didn't finish The White Tiger in time. Expect our thoughts about that book after we've discussed The Vampire Diaries at the end of March. Sorry for the delay (and for any confusion you may now be experiencing...).

TELEVISION REVIEW: Enid Blyton

It's been a few weeks now since Enid was aired on BBC 4 as part of their Women We Loved season. It has taken me until this last week to start watching it. Then a few days more to digest it. See, I'm a fan of Enid Blyton. Strike that. Make that a massive fan. Her books, her children's books, comfort me. They entertain me and transport me to other worlds, other lifetimes and secret passageways. Or to an island called Kirrin. I distinctly remember as a child devouring whole Famous Five books in bed, waking up gritty eyed in the morning from lack of sleep.

I did start watching Enid on the night it aired. Immediately the screen was filled with Helena Bonham Carter. After a few seconds Helena disappeared and I just saw Enid. But then we had to stop watching. I just wasn't ready yet for my heroine to be portrayed in a way I would find uncomfortable, perhaps ruining her books for me forever.

CHRISTMAS LIST: Strictly Come Dancing Annual

I actually originally looked at the Strictly teach yourself dancing book, but could anybody ever seriously learn ballroom dancing from a book? And why would they even try since there's such a thing as DVDs and, you know, classes.  

Anyway, I got the Strictly Come Dancing Annual as a present last year and I loved it. I haven't enjoyed the show all that much this year (can't exactly say why, but it's just been a bit meh, in my opinion), but I still hope someone's bought me this book. Gossip, frocks and info on the pro dancers, it's a Chrismas winner for any right-minded Strictly fan. 

£5.83 from Amazon. 

Enid Blyton Biopic

For those who are interested in Enid Blyton as a writer or because of her stories, her biopic is aired tonight on BBC Four at 9pm.

Both of Enid's daughters have/had differing opinions of their mother, and tonight's drama focuses on the viewpoint of the younger, less favoured one, Imogen. It promises to be a brilliant watch, not least because Enid is being played by the fabulous Helena Bonham Carter.

Win a book deal with the Alan Titchmarsh Show

I've never actually watched The Alan Titchmarsh Show, but I'm going to have to, because Mr Titchmarsh is running a competition to find "the People's Author" and the judges are Cecelia Ahern, Fay Weldon, Marian Keyes and Kate Mosse.

The competition begins on Monday (5th October) with 16 finalists going through four heats with the judges selecting a winner for each heat. Cecelia Ahern is judging the first heat, Weldon the second (19th October), Keyes  the third on 2nd November, and Mosse finishing things up on the 16th.

Candace Bushnell's web series: The Broadroom

Missing Sex and the City? Well Candace Bushnell, the author of the original book (yes, it was a book, remember?), has written a web series for the US magazine, More. It's called The Broadroom (the less said about *that* the better, IMO) and it stars Jennie Garth, Jennifer Esposito, Talia Balsam (who was once married to George Clooney, don't you know), Mary McCann and Lauren Devereux. Running for four weeks, you can Watch new episodes here.

TELEVISION NEWS: Small Island

Andrea Levy's Small Island has been commissioned by the BBC. The drama, which will unfold in two ninety minute parts, will be shown this autumn.

From the heat and hustle of life in Forties Jamaica through to the devastation of London in the Blitz, Small Island is an ambitious yet personal tale which deftly touches on the weighty themes of empire, prejudice and war, with a gentle touch and a warm, uplifting generosity of spirit.

It will star Naomie Harris, David Oyelowo, Ruth Wilson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ashley Walters and Nikki Amuka-Bird. [via BBC Press Office]

I'll definitely be looking out for this, although I'm sorry to say I haven't read it (yet).

TV NEWS: Miss Marple

I am a big fan of Marple and thoroughly enjoyed Geraldine McEwan's portrayal of her. Now that Geraldine has hung up her knitting Julia McKenzie reprises the role. Her first adaptation, A Pocketful of Rye, is on ITV1 this Sunday (6 September) at 8pm. Also joining her will be Matthew MacFadyen, Rupert Graves, Helen Baxendale, Ralf Little and Wendy Richard.

Prospect Park West

A novel called Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn has been optioned by Sarah Jessica Parker's production company in conjunction with HBO. The book, out in America on September 1, is about four women on Brooklyn's Park Slope who are all desperate to get their children into the right school.

If you haven't heard of Park Slope before The Sunday Times writes that it is the epicentre of competitive parenting where parents hog the pavements with their £500 baby buggies and kids aged two and upwards can take courses in science, African drumming and world politics.Sounds like my idea of hell (just ask my son playing with the Wii).

Surely a must see?