Evening All
Remember about 2 weeks ago when I was so excited because I got Rebecca By Daphne Du Maurier from Freecycle?
The reason I got this particular book was because it January's choice for my book club. Actually, I chose the book this month.
I set up the book club about 2 years ago and we have, including me, 4 regular members plus others who have drifted in and out over the years. And, I love book club! We only meet once a month and take it in turns to choose a book for everyone to read and then discuss.
In all honesty, we spend half the time discussing the book and the rest catching up with each others lives. I love the range too in people. The youngest is in their 20s and the oldest in their 60s. All women and we just sit and talk and talk and talk.
It is a pretty frugal activity too, as I only buy a soft drink for about £1.50 and get so much entertainment for one evening.
It has also taught me to be pretty inventive too about getting the books. I do own a Kindle and love it, but sometimes the books on their can be pretty expensive for example we are reading next month a book about the Titanic and that is coming in on Kindle for about £10. Way too much!
So time for a rethink. Last month I got Rebecca for free. But for the next club as it is a recently published book, I will go to the Library. For 25p I can order any book I like and have it delivered to my local library. They send you a text when it arrives and... well..."Bobs your Uncle" A virtually free book! You have got to love some government services haven't you!?
I loved Rebecca, such a classic novel. I had seen the old Hitchcock movie which was great,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_(1940_film)
but nothing beats reading the words. This book for me, had everything I wanted - a hero reminiscent of "Rochester" who loves passionately and deeply but is not overt in his actions. A heroine who develops from child to woman during the course of the novel and a countryside that evokes a longing for the Cornish coast.
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again" is the quintessential opening line and immediately the prose grabs you and the characters are well rounded coming alive in your head from the verbal pictures painted.
It contains all you could want, a love story,thriller, with a mystery and even elements of a ghost story. Some books really stand the test of time and this is one of them. I would put it up there with "A Town Like Alice" By Neville Shute which we read about 6 months ago. Ok, sometimes it is a bit dated in narrative and expression. But, that is ok with me, as it is "of it's time".
Thank you Daphne! We loved you at book Club.
On a more frugal note, I am currently sitting with my coat on. Brrrr it is cold and I am refusing to put the heating on this evening. Shortly, I will change into PJS and my thickest dressing gown. As, I still want to reduce my utilities next quarter to under a £300.
Reading any good books lately?
Frugally yours
Abigail
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Well done on wearing your coat/blanket etc. Have you got one of those microwavable wheat bags. I bought mine from Saver? for £3.50. I microwave it for 1m 40s then put it around my shoulders or on my lap etc, keeps you warm for quite a while and is cheap. We have been having our heating/hot water on for 1 hour morning and afternoon. In this last quarter (compared to the same quarter last year) we have saved the equivalent of 12 days worth of electricity. It is the smallest bill we have ever had despite their double hike in prices this year. I'll be posting about it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI wil look forward to reading it.
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