Chat thread - come chat, rant, or celebrate, here!

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

With thanks to the lovely timetosmile - here's the new and rejuvenated Chat Thread.

Space to yak on, rant, post any of the good and bad stuff ... just basically any chat that you don't feel fits into a specific post. With a side order of reclaiming the word 'gossip'.

9 and 7. Proper menaces. I have started reading the preteen board. >

DS1 has just got into the Harry Potter books. DS2 is unpredictable - tried to like the books but I think his heart's not in it. DS1 has plans to read the Hobbit after Harry Potter but I have plans to divert him to Diana Wynne Jones. But they are readers and will pick what they fancy and there is no telling ...

Oh, but that's a great age, there's so much out there to buy for us them!

Theresa Thomlinson probably more like 9 (or older, but I was dead sheltered!) than 7. What is lovely is the Children of Green Knowe by Lucky M Boston. It does have a male main character, but two wonderful strong female characers too, and it is a lovely book. If they like that, Chimneys of Green Knowe has a main female character.

(Maybe you know these, sorry! I just get giddy about books as I love them!).

Alan Garner's books are great too, IMO, but lots are for older ages.

Do you know Wynne Jones's Magicians of Caprona? I love that so much. I think the thing I like best is that it re-tells a Romeo and Juliet story, but does it so as to present boys being friends with girls as normal. I think that's great. Cos I was thinking, of the books we're talking about, you don't get many boy-girl friend pairs, do you? Siblings, yes, but not often friends.

Same in grown up books, I suppose.

Lucky?! Lucy.

God almighty, that gave you the wrong impression, sorry!

I love the Magicians of Caprona. Such a kind book, I thought.

I read the Weirdstone book - the relationship between the siblings are good, but it might be too scary.

I'll check out the Lucy M Boston books too next time. We have maxed out all our library cards now...

The Stone Book is (IMO) very sweet and not scary. I agree the Weirdstone is scary!

I agree about Magicians - it is lovely and kind. But beautifully non-preachy. As a dyslexic her idea of children who don't do magic well struck a chord with me.

I'm wondering if the Boston books would be in the library ... they only came back into print quite recently, it's daft to recommend I suppose. I'll see if they're in my local bookshop.

Tomorrow's Woman's Hour on why so few female mathematics professors.

LordCopper I got Laura Marlin (Lauren St John) for my nephew's 9th birthday and he asked for another one for his 10th. I haven't read them but they have a girl detective as a central character which I thought might be a nice change. His mum seems to like them too.

Ah, that's reminded me to stick the Howl's Moving Castle DVD on Ds1's birthday list.

I'm having a PD James fest at the moment. Kate is a good character, even if she does fancy Dalgliesh a bit.

Say what you like about Poirot, at least no-one fancied him.

Not even Miss Lemon?

Ooh, who was Miss Lemon (hazy memory)?

Sounds like a Cluedo misfit!

IIRC, in the books she was just "Poirot's efficient secretary". In the TV series they made her more of a full character, which I thought added some interest, and of course one wants to see more women on screen (except as sexualized figures, but that was never Agatha Christie's style).

Oooh, Doctrine, let me warn you that the DVD of Howl's Moving Castle is nothing like the book at all. It changes the plot quite significantly. Even Hayao Miyazaki has since admitted that he got it wrong.

Also, with regards to PD James, you can't really blame Kate for fancying Dalgliesh. I rather fancy him myself.

I was really disappointed in Howl's Moving Castle DVD! The book and the sequels are good. In fact the sequels are nothing as complicated as HMC.

Talking about them makes me want to read them again ...

I wished I had HMC the other day when I was in labour with DD2 but we lent it to my friend's niece.

I hope it is ok to announce my pride in having given birth to DD2 on 17 April. DD1 has been insisting the whole of this pregnancy that 'Mummy tummy sisser' and she was right.

Congratulations!

Thank you. She is a snuggly love.

Congratulations!

Following on talking about HMC DVD, I watched My Neighbour Totoro last night. That is a masterpiece.

Isn't it though? I love its simplicity and the way Mei genuinely howls when her mummy isn't coming back from hospital. And Mr. Kusakabe is one of the best film dads ever.

Congratulations Terraria :) xx

Congratulations Terraria. Hope you are having lots of newborn cuddles and enough sleep!

Hello,

I haven't popped into FWR for ages, but today I've read several interesting threads, with intelligent discussion.

So of course I have to hide in here and ask my question:

What is cellulite and why are women supposed to worry about it?

This came up because of an advert on tv. It was for a product to make cellulite vanish, or something like that. DH was watching and asked me "what is cellulite anyway?"
"I don't know," I replied. "But apparently I've got loads of it" (in ref to advert)
"I don't know why women worry about it," he said. "I'm sure men don't notice it, whatever it is."
I assured him I've never worried about it, hence me not even knowing what it is exactly. I can tell you how to say it in several different languages, but as to what it is, I haven't a clue.