Of Mice and Malteasers Two - Pooters book

[pooter]

confession time - i hadn't chosen a book by the deadline so i plumped for one on my 'to read' pile and hoped for the best. Luckily it is an absolutely lovely book and i commend it to the house!!

I read this ages ago, and wasn't planning to re-read it. I'm glad I did, however, because I loved it all over again.

I'm a fast reader and often don't take in the detail. Before I re-read it, I would have sworn that it was set in the Highlands of Scotland. I also don't remember the ending - ie, when she runs away with Neil!!

I thought the narrator's voice was authentically teenage, and her thoughts about love/kissing are probably embarrassingly like I would have written in my diary if I were that age in that era.

I'm disappointed that she didn't get together with Simon or Stephen, and didn't take the opportunity to go to college.

I'm not sure that I understood the Dad very well, and his first book - was it all meant to be a metaphor for something? He was emotionally very cold, and selfish.

All in all, a great book. Thanks, Pooter.

I had this in, waiting to read it for YEARS! Im so glad i finally got round to it. I really liked the narrator, and shared your frustration about her not liking poor (handsome) Stephen, and not going for it with Simon.

Yes, i didn't 'get' the dad at all - how could he leave his family starving and not even bother to look for paid work? Stephen never even got paid!!

It reminded me a bit of Jane Austen. Not a hell of a lot happens apart from flirtation - it certainly didnt leave me with nightmares.

Glad you liked it the second time around AP.

Hi - it was the same for me: I read this as a teenager and probably it wouldn't have occured to me to read it again, but I'm really glad I did.

It's really funny! I love the fur coats/train/shooting incident.

I must admit I didn't have a problem with Dad. Perhaps linked to the fact that I live with one academic and therefore tend to have them hanging round the house a lot - they can be rather driven self obsessed types (DP excluded of course ) and I definitely recognise the Dad "type". I also can identify with the problem of having a very devoted, but not especially passion-inducing hanger-on (though I to my shame did go out with him for a few months and let him down badly, so I think Cassandra did a pretty good job. Much nicer than me!).

It's just such a well-written satisfying book, really glad to have been back there again.

I've liked the first two books so much I'm worrying it can only be an anti-climax from hereonin, especially as you two had my "favourites" from last time. I shall endeavour to keep an open mind!!

Don't worry Sticky - i have absolutely LOVED this month's book and the two before that, so you should be in line for a few good reads!

Glad you enjoyed my choice. I laughed out loud at the scene where she is coming down the stairs with green arms with that particular tune playing! Such a romantic book. Sigh...back to the washing up.