Her Fearful Symmetry

This is my second book of Audrey Niffenegger and a choice for my book club. I'm not sure what I think about this book... I read it in a day and it started off with a really interesting premise but in all honesty, at the risk of giving a little spoiler, I was disappointed by the ending.

Vantiy Fair

I didn't really know what to expect from this book. It has a famous title and a fabulous author name and that was about it... It is the story of two women and their rise and fall in society. It was an interesting novel set in and around the Napolianic wars and was an interesting social commentary. I found Rebecca's story far more interesting, but then the author also said that that would be the case...

These got lost somewhere...

A while back I read Catching Fire and Mockingjay and I forgot to add them to my list on here. Both were, again, real page turners. A very exciting read and I was glad that I had the third book available do that I could simply move on to that book when I finished the second. I'm still having a little bit of a debate in my head as to whether or not I watch the movies of the trilogy. I have quite strong images from the book in my head which I don't want diluted or changed due to the movie, so I think that I might wait a while before watching them. 

Children of Men

I took this novel on holiday with me and, whilst not a brainless read, I couldn't put this book down! I watched the film ages ago but fortunately couldn't remember it too well so the book was fresh. It follows the life of Theo who lives in the time of Omega. This is a time where the human race have lost their ability to breed and reproduce. Theo is approached by a group of dissidents unhappy with how the country is being run and his adventure begins. 

I understand how this novel is not P.D. James' usual style but I really enjoyed how she brought the characters alive. I had to accept this novel as set up in an alternative world as I believe when it was written it was a futuristic world. It was funny to read about events in the 1990s that just didn't happen. After the first couple of references though, I didn't really notice this and enjoyed the book for itself. 

The hundred year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared

OK, I'll confess. What grabbed me with this book is the outrageously long title and the stunningly effective front cover design. I didn't have high hopes for the content. As it turns out it was a remarkably entertaining read. I read this on holiday and that may have added to my enjoyment but the book didn't require much brain power. The story follows the protagonist (100 year old man) who leaves his care home on the afternoon of his 100th birthday party. On his way out he happens to acquire a suitcase belonging to a criminal gang and what follows is an entertaining tale of a man on the run (interspersed with the remarkable story of his life prior to entering the home). It's a clever book in terms of linking a character with events in a century of history but is also a book that doesn't take itself too seriously. 

Quilt for Mr and Mrs P - sunshine by the sea

I wanted to make a quilt as a belated wedding gift for my brother and his lovely new wife. I asked them for their opinion on colours and they came back to me with the request of 'sunshine by the sea' (and no red and white stripes).

This is the result! I used the half triangle square method again (a new favourite!) and used lots of blues with a smattering of yellows. I used some fabrics from Lewis and Irene's Marrakech range which are gorgeous! The final size is just short of queen sized. The quilting is very simple, with straight lines following the seams of the quilting. I think you can see the quilting more on the back of the quilt. It's not perfectly straight and I had to do quite a bit of of unpicking but I'm happy with the result. It was hard work pushing all of that fabric through the machine! 

For the back of the quilt I made one panel using the same fabrics as the front. The only exception to this is the large panel which is a fat quarter from the Marrakech range, and right at the bottom of the panel is one of the usher's ties from their wedding. The binding is a fabric called treasure map and is a yellowish green colour that I think complements the colours of the quilt and brings out the yellows a little bit more. 

Some of the fabrics that I chose had a slight nautical theme, but the majority of fabrics were plain. The main colour was just a plain white, but it looks a little bit cream in some of the photos. I had a bit of a nightmare with the patterned fabrics as I kept on cutting it wrong so that it was upside down. Someone else is likely to benefit from my mistakes soon though!!!