Happy Easter 2014!



 

 

 

 Eat chocolate and have fun! :)



Brief Encounter (1945)

A suburban woman of Milford, England, Laura (Celia Johnson) once a week travels to the city where, after shopping, she  watches a film at a cinema, returning by the evening train to her conventional marriage and two children. Much of the story centers around the small tearoom, and it's mostly comical residents, near the train's waiting platform, wherein traveller's sip tea and munch on pastries.

On one such visit, Laura stands on the platform when another train, not stopping there, passes, throwing a small cinder into her eye. Inside the tearoom she asks for a glass a water to wash her eye free of the painful bit of grit, whereupon a man, Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard), stands up to help, noting that he is a doctor.

This simple event is almost forgotten until the following week the two run into each other again, this time at a busy restaurant where almost every table is taken. Accordingly, the two share a table and, later, an afternoon at the movie house. Charmed by the idealistic doctor, Laura intrigues the married Alec with her strong sense of self and her easy laugh (as he later puts it: "I love you. I love your wide eyes, the way you smile, your shyness, and the way you laugh at my jokes"). Feeling a bit guilty, the couple furtively make plans to repeat their outing the next week, but this time the doctor, who fills in once a week at the local hospital for a friend, does not show up until Laura is at the tearoom at the train station, where he hurriedly explains his absence as his train, travelling in the opposite direction as hers, arrives. The two again plan an outing the next week.

Their next venture together, a comical boating trip downstream, quickly develops into a furtive relationship, in which they both admit their love for one another. When they take a drive into the country on this penultimate meeting, however, he purposely misses his train, intending to stay at his doctor-friend's flat, into which he invites her. She refuses, returning to the station and her voyage back to Milford, but at the very last moment, rushes from her train, running through the rain to the flat in which she has left Alec. At almost the same instant she arrives, however, the friend returns early, so that she is forced to rush out the back entrance, ashamed for what has almost occurred.

 

 

Realising the impossibility of their relationship, and the dark consequences arising in both their relationships with their spouses, he announces upon their final meeting that he will be travelling with his family to Africa, and will never see her again. Painfully, they sit together in the tearoom—which, in fact, has been the very first scene of the film—awaiting perhaps a tender goodbye, until one of Laura's chattering, suburban friends enters, and the two are unable to say anything. When Alec's train arrives he has no option but to tenderly squeeze her shoulder before disappearing forever, Laura rushing out of the tearoom as another train passes, possibly intending suicide to squelch what she describes:

 

"I had no thoughts at all, only an overwhelming desire not feel anything ever again."

 

She returns, however, to the tearoom, riding home with her incessantly chatting friend to suffer out the night, as she mentally repeats the events to her seemingly unaware husband, as he studies a crossword puzzle. As they are about to go up to bed, he approaches:

Fred Jesson: "You've been a long way away."

Laura Jesson. "Yes."
Fred Jesson: "Thank you for coming back to me."

 

 

 

Brief Encounter is one of the most poignant films I have seen.  I love it! :) xx

  

  

  

    

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

 

 

 

What stands out in book 7:

* The Dursleys have a heart after all (sort of)
* Harry comes of age and is now no longer protected by the spell that his mother bestowed on him when she died to save him.
* The second war really gets going in this book. Many lives are lost for the cause.
* House elves show their devotion to good vs evil in the end.
* We see how far the characters have come in their magical ability by the remarkable spells they are able to perform
* A view of the life and family of Albus Dumbledore including unknown tragedies that he endured.
* The REAL life of Severus Snape
* Love between Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione (although if you're any sort of fan, you would have guessed this long ago)
* And last but not least the incredible display of love, loyalty and outstanding courage against mind-boggling enormous odds.

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues. 

 

 

 

 

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. Enjoy.

 

 



 

 



 



Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

 

 

 

It is Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As Voldemort's sinister forces amass and a spirit of gloom and fear sweeps the land, it becomes more and more clear to Harry that he will soon have to confront his destiny. But is he up to the challenges ahead of him?

In her darkest and most breathtaking adventure yet, J.K. Rowling skilfully begins to unravel the complex web she has woven, as we discover more of the truth about Harry, Dumbledore, Snape and, of course, He Who Must Not Be Named.

 



 

 

 

What stands out in book 6:

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.
* We get a fascinating view of the history of Tom Riddle.
* The major question of the book: Whose side is Snape really on?


 



 

 
 

 

 

Book 6 is a lot darker than the other books in the series. It is heartbreaking but funny as the characters start to fall in love with each other. I really like this book! Enjoy! :)
 



Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix

 

 

 

 

 

The magic and mystery continues in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down ...

This is a gripping and electrifying new novel, full of suspense, secrets, and - of course - magic, from the incomparable J.K. Rowling. 



 

 

 

 

 Poor Harry. It's a tough year, this one.

When he thinks the Ministry of Magic is going to expel him from Hogwarts for prohibited use of magic he is desperate to go back to school. When he gets there and discovers the dreadful Professor Umbridge he'd rather be somewhere else. And if he only had his OWLS to think about at school he might just about manage, but there's so much else going on. I disliked the chapters that Harry and the others spent in Number 12 Grimmauld Place I found that plot wasn't going anywhere.

 

And most of it is going on at a personal level. For a start, Harry suddenly seems to be the object of public contempt and derision in an attack spearheaded by the Daily Prophet newspaper. As we all know, what you read in a newspaper must be true, so most of the students at Hogwarts now doubt the truth of Harry's assertion that Voldemort is back. Professor Dumbledore doesn't seem to want to support Harry. In fact, Professor Dumbledore won't even look Harry in the eye any more. What has Harry done to offend the professor?

Mind you, Professor Dumbledore has problems of his own. The Daily Prophet is waging a bit of a personal war against him too, and worse, the Ministry of Magic seems to be critical of him. That's why the dreadful Professor Umbridge appears at Hogwarts. She is the Minister of Magic's right hand woman, and is also the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. As she relentlessly increases her power and influence at the school, Professor Dumbledore's authority apparently diminishes. Actually, with Professor Umbridge it is hard to say whether she is For or Against the Dark Arts.

Harry raised the sharp black quill, then realised what was missing.
'You haven't given me any ink,' he said.
'Oh, you won't need ink,' said Professor Umbridge, with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.
Harry placed the point of the quill on the paper and wrote: I must not tell lies.
He let out a gasp of pain. The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Harry's right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel - yet even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth.
Harry looked round at Umbridge. She was watching him, her wide, toadlike mouth stretched in a smile.  I really hate Umbridge, she is evil and a really nasty piece of work!

And where are Harry's friends through all these trials? Well, Hagrid's not around and nobody seems to know where he is. That's a worry. Ron and Hermione are there, but they have been made prefects, and while Harry isn't exactly jealous, it takes a bit of an effort to be pleased for them. Then there's Cho Chang. Harry still goes a bit weak at the knees whenever she comes within range, but he is a bit of a novice when it comes to understanding girls.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

The Tenant of Wildfell Hal is one of few nineteenth-century novels to address alcoholism, psychological abuse, violence and the inequality of women's property rights. In a powerful psychological narrative, Anne Brontë tells the strange tale of the disintegration of the marriage of Helen Graham, the mysterious tenant of Wildfell Hall.

When it was first published in 1848, Anne Brontë's second novel was attacked by the spectator for its 'morbid love of the coarse, if not the brutal'. In her defence, Anne stated that she 'wished tot ell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it'.

Anne Brontë challenges the reader, proving that she is a novelist in her own right and not just of interest as the youngest sister of the better known authors Charlotte and Emily.

This is my second favourite Bronte novel.



Singing In The Rain (Gene Kelly)

I love this song! It makes me happy. :) xx

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I'll never forget the first time I read Jane Eyre, I was 11 years old and I think it was in Autumn 2000. We were going away and I got very bored in the car, (still do!) without a book so my mum gave me the paperback copy of Jane Eyre she owned at the time and placed it on my lap. From the first page I loved it! I remember not being keen on Rochester because of the way he deceives Jane but as I got older I understood Rochester more and more and fell head over heels in love with him. In September 2000 I started high school and I was bullied which made me very unhappy so Jane became my best friend and as I thought myself plain I could easily understand what Jane meant when she wishes she was pretty.

Jane Eyre has also distracted me from my disability and has made me believe that a man will love me for who I am, despite my disability like Jane loves Rochester even though he is blind. It also taught me to resist temptation and I was amazed at how strong Jane was in leaving Rochester even though she loved him so much, I remember thinking how hard that must have been.

One of the reasons I love Jane Eyre so much is because Jane stands up for herself and overcomes ever obstacle that people put in her path; I also love her morals too and I also like the fact that she is plain but is such a strong heroine. I love the language in this novel and think it is beautifully written.

Another reason why I love it is because there is a brooding, dark, blunt, rude but a very passionate and gorgeous hero in the novel (what woman doesn't like one of those?!) which is Mr. Rochester who loves Jane for who she is, is very kind to her and treats her like an equal, I know that he has his faults but I can't help but fall for him! I also find him a very sympathetic character because he has a lot of very unfair things to deal with in his life.


My favourite parts of the novel are:

When Jane and Edward first meet
The first conversation they have sat by the fire
After Jane saves Edward from the fire
The conversation they have when Jane leaves the drawing-room
When Jane finds out Edward is the gypsy
When Jane asks Edward's permission to leave Thornfield Hall
When Jane returns to Thornfield Hall
The proposal! (This part is so passionate and romantic!)
When Edward is explaining everything to Jane after their interrupted marriage and is trying to convince her to stay with him (I nearly cry when I read that part!)
The reunion of Jane and Edward

Every time I read Jane Eyre nowadays I still feel like Jane is my friend telling me everything about herself, I love to read it in bed where I can get cosy and fall in love with the novel and Mr. Rochester all over again! I also have Jane Eyre on audio disc as well it's lovely to listen to when I am unwell or the weather is bad. My mum often passes me one of my copies when I'm upset or ill. I often forget my worries when I read it. When I can't sleep I read it, I once read parts of it at 5:00am! I read it many times a year. Edward Fairfax Rochester is my favourite hero in English Literature.

Jane Eyre is my favourite novel. I will love it forever and it will always be a very special novel to me. I recommend everyone read Jane Eyre with a cup of tea, a slice of cake or a bar of chocolate. 

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

One of my favourite children's books is Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild. I first read Ballet Shoes in 2011. I was unwell so I grabbed my paperback copy and went to bed. I instantly fell in love with it. It made me feel better, warm and cosy. I loved the story so much that my Mum bought me this beautiful hardback edition by The Folio Society for my 23rd birthday in 2012.

Pauline, Petrova and Posy are orphans, found by Great Uncle Matthew (or Gum) on his travels. Pauline was rescued from a shipwreck, Petrova from a Russian hospital and Posy from a family who could not afford to keep her. Sent to live with Gum’s niece Sylvia in London, the girls choose their own surname – Fossil – vowing to put it ‘into history books’. But with Gum away and money short, their ambitions must take second place to earning a living. Salvation comes in the shape of a free education from Madame Fidolia at the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. Posy is a natural dancer and Pauline has a gift for acting, but Petrova would rather be left alone to read about cars and aeroplanes. For all the sisters, being a star isn't as easy as it looks…


I highly recommend this wonderful children's story and you can read it at any age. I hope you love reading this magical book as much as I do! :) xx