Books, so many books...

I can't resist a book, especially if it is going cheap in a charity shop. I now have more books than I care to mention on my bookshelves which need reading. Alway motivated by a good list (or two) here are the outstanding books on my bookshelves - I just need to get cracking!

• Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
• Marley and Me - John Grogan
• The Interpretation of Murder - Jed Rubenfeld
• How to be good - Nick Hornby
• Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
• Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
  
• The Amber spyglass - Philip Pullman
• The Man in the picture - Susan Hill
• Enigma - Robert Harris
• Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
• Last Tango in Aberystwyth - Malcolm Pryce
  

Jobs for May

Now spring is well an truly upon us and the greenhouse is filling up with little plants, here is a list of jobs for May:

• Sow more salad leaves
• Net strawberries and get some hay to protect from ground
• Keep an eye on broadbeans and pinch out when first beans appear
• Turn compost heap
• Find a suitable pot/place for cucumbers
• Water, water, water - especially if this weather continues!
  

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones isn't the type of book I would usually read but I picked it up for the bargain sum of 50p from the local charity shop. Everyone who reads it seems to rave about it, so I thought it was worth a look.

I found the whole concept of the book bizarre to start with and to be quite honest a bit morbid. However, the more I read the less it became about death and more about family relationships. In the end it was a fairly enjoyable read and it surprised me how quickly I got through it.

The Kite Runner

Being an avid book reader I thought it would be nice to keep a record of my 'conquests' on my blog. The latest book I have read is the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I was trying to avoid this book because of all the hype and the recent film but it was chosen as the book group book for March - and I am really glad it was.

This book was brilliant and is definitely my book of the year so far. It charts the lives of two very different boys from Afghanistan. I will be very interested to see what the rest of the group think as we all usually have very contrasting opinions on the material we choose.

I was so impressed by this book I really want to see the film adaptation now - I usually avoid films of books I love like the plague but I am interested to see how this one translates.

Overall I give The Kite Runner 9 out of 10.

Next book - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

Back in the garden

Things are hotting up in the garden. The new green house is up and the raised beds are in place, covered in fleece and ready for the growing year ahead.

Planted 1st March 2008:

Broad Beans (in the greenhouse)
Mixed salad leaves (in the greenhouse)
Onion sets (in the raised beds)

Want to get the radishes and tumbling toms in the greenhouse as well but that may have to wait until next weekend!

Back in Blighty

Hola! Back from holiday in Majorca and yes, it is still raining. My tomato plants have completely given up and I have had to pull them all up. Luckily friends and family still have some spare so I have rigged up my green house and hoped for the best!

The rocket I planted before I went away is doing well. May have some for my lunch... I also spotted down the lane that the blackberry bushes are starting to fruit. Will keep a close eye on them as I really want to make some cassis since seeing a recipe for it here.

Hopefully the local children will keep their hands off them and I will be enjoying Kir Royale on Christmas Day!

and more rain...

...the rain is due to continue until Friday.  The seeds on the deck are now becoming waterlogged, will have to get them in, if it ever stops!

Going to get started tonight by sketching the design for the back garden and decide which plants will go where.  So back to the drawing board quite literally until the rain stops.

In a brief break in the downpour I managed to get outside to inspect my tomato plants.  They desperately need tying to the canes as all the rain is making them grow at strange angles.  A couple of the plants are beginning to flower, so the rain can't be too bad!