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Original poster

Stuck in hospital, what shall I read?

32 replies

fruitful · 15/10/2007 10:42

I am mouldering on the antenatal ward (25wks, placenta previa, escape tunnel from hospital not progressing very fast!).

What shall I read?

I've just finished Zorro by Isabel Allende which was rather good but a bit much for my concentration span in here. And now I'm reading A Bad Brides Tale by Polly Williams which was suitably fluffy until the heroine's sister just had a premature baby, aargh! That wasn't mentioned on the back cover!

I'm wondering about starting Tales of the City (never read them, should keep me going for a while). Or getting dh to bring my Swallows & Amazon set in.

OP posts:
fullmoonfiend · 15/10/2007 10:45

I recommend TOTC series as they were written as installments, so easy to dip and out of if neccessary or can be devoured in one huge chunk

Poor you, how long will you have to stay in for?

Original poster
fruitful · 15/10/2007 18:29

I'm probably in here till the baby is born - so somewhere between 3 and 13 weeks!

OP posts:
ScottishMummy · 15/10/2007 18:36

o poor you, take lots of varied reading to adapt to your preference/mood - bit of humour, crime, good biography, and a schmaltzy book

good luck

fullmoonfiend · 15/10/2007 18:36

ouch!
You'll need a lot of books, if you're anything like me

and bumping for some others to come add their recommendations....

lionheart · 15/10/2007 18:42

this is good if you want short stories and conversations to start

artichokes · 15/10/2007 18:44

If you want easy to read, sentimental stuff then I reckon you cannot beat the Little House of the Prairie series. I re-read it for the first time as an adult when I was in hopsital with pre-eclampsia and loved it.

artichokes · 15/10/2007 18:46

i also read Gone With the Wind and Rebecca.

ScottishMummy · 15/10/2007 18:50

rebecca is an outstanding book, literally a page turner

HonoriaGlossop · 15/10/2007 18:53

along the easy-read, sentimental line, how about some Georgette Heyer books?

I devoured these as a teenager (and Stephen Fry was on TV recommending her as a fantastic writer recently, though he did class them as one of his guilty pleasures I think!) they are so easy to read but they're not pulp fiction, she is a good writer; Friday's Child is the absolute best, it's a rollocking good regency romance. I think if I was to go in to hospital for any length of time I'd want those.

Also, I would say this (just look at my mn name) but PG Wodehouse, particularly the Jeeves stories, are fantastic light reads.

BellaBear · 15/10/2007 18:56

ooooh definitely read Tales of the City, all six, they are fabulous!

DaisyWhoooo · 15/10/2007 19:02

Don't I repeat don't read The Time Traveller's Wife - not a good book for a pregnant woman IMHO

Ladies' No1 Detective Agency series is quite light and a good read.

How about knitting - I find that whiles away the time quite nicely?

mylittlefreya · 15/10/2007 19:05

I read the first Tales of the City book whilst I was festering in hospital antenatally too. Have you read any Jodi Picoult? I think they are great, thoughtful but easy to read - others may disagree. I reread my whole Michael Connelly collection antenatally too - but I am definitely not going to suggest that that is literature at all!

EffiePerine · 15/10/2007 19:08

What about some biographies? Recently read Francis Wheen's biog of Tom Driberg and that was good (and no premature babies, in fact very few women at all .

Or what about a collection of correspondence? Good for small attention spans (like mine). I loved the letters between Evelyn Waugh and Diana Cooper.

Can you get someone to get a selection od stuff from your local library? That way you don't have to worry about forking out for stuff you might not like. And I'm sure they'd give you some leeway on returns

Original poster
fruitful · 15/10/2007 19:14

Ooh, Little House, I have the first few of those at home. And Rebecca.

Right, off to ebay for Tales of the City and some Georgette Heyer then!

Thank God for wireless internet.

OP posts:
ScottishMummy · 15/10/2007 19:23

i presume altho you will be a hospital in-patient that you will still be able to go out for walks, local shop for provisions, canteen, cafe

so try get out and about too

Original poster
fruitful · 15/10/2007 19:27

I can walk around the hospital site - there are shops, and a park to go to when dd & ds visit. But I have had one major bleed and they are worried that the next one will be completely torrential.

Good point about the library Effie.

OP posts:
blousy · 15/10/2007 19:32

Poor you! Hope the time passes quickly. Have just re-read 'Lady's Maid' by Margaret Forster - it's a wonderful book, imo.
Or what about making a cross-stitch sampler for your baby. (If you're that way inclined!) this company do lovely ones.

ScottishMummy · 15/10/2007 19:46

its about getting a safe balance - not being bed bound bored , same ole same ole, and purposeful use of time to hospital cafe, shop, garden. do u have an ipod for pod cast news, radio etc. radio 4 plays etc

VictorVictoria · 17/10/2007 15:41

Fruitful hope you will se this. I am facing the same thing because of vasa praevia although I think am unlikely to have to go in before 32 weeks.

How are you managing wireless internet? sofar, what are your Top Tips for coping

Califright · 17/10/2007 15:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BritTex · 17/10/2007 15:53

I just LOVE the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. the first one is called 'one for the money'. they are light, funny, crime/romance. I have read all 13 of them and am adicted. I have not seen anyone here on Mumsnet discussing them ?

Lindiriel · 17/10/2007 21:43

I'm a Stephanie Plum fan too.

Now I've seen your post, I shall have to re-read the whole series again!

Kath

BurpyErnie · 17/10/2007 21:55

Never mind the time travellers wife don't read We Need To Talk About Kevin!

Original poster
fruitful · 18/10/2007 10:59

VV - top methods so far are

a) gratitude that I don't have a premature baby born at 23 weeks

b) denial of the idea that I'm going to be in here for another 13 weeks

c) the internet

Dh says I have a 3G Datacard which we bought from 3 but could have got from Orange or other mobile phone companies probably. You have to pay monthly, I think for a year but dh will use it for business when I'm out. The NHS mobile phone policy says don't use phones within 2 metres of sensitive equipment. And don't use them on wards because of noise/privacy issues. So I figure a mobile-phone internet connection is ok.

OP posts:
VictorVictoria · 18/10/2007 11:08

Agree with all your sentiments!

so are you using the surfing then internet on a mobile phone? Or a laptop

am confused (and building a case to put to DH about the need for technology if/when I am admitted)