Forums and Twitter

Preparing for a large, and very important forum, in Wellington is very stressful. I am sure once it is over I will wonder what the worry was about but having to speak to influential people is rather difficult for me. On top of this CCS Disability Action asked that I open a Twitter account or be linked into theirs. I felt it was easier for me to write in my own account and then ask them to retweet. Unfortunately they are not as dedicated to passing on the results of our survey as we are. After I have spoken with them next week hopefully there will be more attention to the detail.


 

Audere, agere, auferre.To dare, to strive, to conquer.For generations, privileged young men have attended St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric Classics teacher who has been a fixture there for more than thirty years. But this year the wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork, and information technology are beginning to overshadow St. Oswald's tradition, and Straitley is finally, and reluctantly, contemplating retirement. He is joined this term by five new faculty members, including one who -- unbeknownst to Straitley and everyone else -- holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Oswald's ways and secrets. Harboring dark ties to the school's past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: to destroy St. Oswald's.

As the new term gets under way, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances -- a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug -- they are initially overlooked. But as the incidents escalate in both number and consequence, it soon becomes apparent that a darker undercurrent is stirring within the school. With St. Oswald's unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of its ruin. The veteran teacher faces a formidable opponent, however -- a master player with a bitter grudge and a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move, a secret game with very real, very deadly consequences.

A harrowing tale of cat and mouse, this riveting, hypnotically atmospheric novel showcases New York Times bestselling author Joanne Harris's astonishing storytelling talent as never before. (less)

Like all of Joanne Harris's books I am finding this book fascinating. The theme weaves in and out of the pages as one waits for the next event to befall this school. I am listening to this on my VRS and finally have a book I can stay awake to listen to. 

 

I have been reading this book in short spans as there has been some good TV on lately. I am a little lost on some of the themes but am enjoying exploring the mind of Perdu as he takes his Literary Apothecary on a journey from Paris to the south of France. Many ideas are interwoven and I am sure I will have a better idea of where this books is journeying in the next few days.

Two neighbours are meant to be moving this weekend, it looks as though Sharon is packing and I am sure that Margaret will be very happy to see the back of her boarder. When Carolyn is leaving is in the lap of the gods. She has told one neighbour she is going on the 27th and another on Monday, tomorrow, so not sure. 

The dogs are both well although Chocky is definitely reaching her most senior years. I hope she improves as the weather warms up and can enjoy the summer and just lazing in the sun.     

Summer!

Authors keep writing to me when I have complimented their book asking me to put a review on Amazon, Goodreads and similar websites. I don't like writing reviews as anyone who googles my name can discover what I have been reading lately. My reading varies from genre to genre, I am reading far more fiction than I used to, but I am a little nervous of people I no longer connect with or a future job interview being impacted by my taste in books.

Summer is now here, well at least it is warm enough for me to pack away my winter clothes and hang the summer ones on hangers. I have kept out a few warmer tops, hopefully I can also store those in a couple of weeks.

Last Sunday I finished reading 'Born for Life' by a New Zealand midwife and started reading 'Hope in a Ballet Shoe'.
 

 Orphaned by war, saved by ballet.

Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.

But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.

And then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture.

Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina".

And yet...

Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.

A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future. (less)

ebook, 272 pages

Published December 30th 2014 by Faber & Faber

more details...edit details

Get a copy:

• Amazon
• online stores ▾

sponsored books

I am a lover of ballet so this story has really touched my heartstrings. Written with passion and forgiveness, this young woman's journey from war torn Sierra Leone to the Dutch National Ballet is a lesson in what persistence can achieve. I admire her tenacity and drive to achieve what she had so longed for.

On my VRS I am reading:
 

Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet . . . So begins this debut novel about a mixed-race family living in 1970s Ohio and the tragedy that will either be their undoing or their salvation. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue—in Marilyn’s case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James’s case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.

When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart.

I have only just started reading this book but it is so interesting I keep rewinding my machine in case I have missed something by going to sleep before it turns off. It seems to be a very powerful novel and one I am really enjoying.  

Life is Frenetic

I feel very guilty for not writing in this blog more often at present. I know some people only blog once a month or less but I like to put up a couple of posts a week. Blame it on work; the Measuring Accessible Journeys project has taken up a huge amount of my time, much of it unpaid.

I still take time in the evening to read - my VRS and Kindle are working overtime. I have almost finished listening to 'Julia's Chocolates' which has been at times bawdy and others sad, an interesting introspective look at how women interact and support each other.

Last night I finished reading:
   

A nurse aide position in the local maternity annexe at the age of sixteen gave Julie a love for being with women during labour and birth and caring for mothers and their babies. 

Life could not have been happier until the tragic death of her own baby in the first hour of life, led to depression, loneliness and despair. 

This true story tells of Julie’s struggle to triumph over adversity and follows her journey to fulfill her dream and become the midwife she was born to be. 

I emailed Julie after I closed the book and discovered she is now living in Palmerston North. This book helped me remember all the small things that happened to us after having a baby in the 1970's, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the language was very basic but all in all an enjoyable read.

I have now started:
 

Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.

But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.

And then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture.

Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina".

And yet...
Today, Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19.

A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future. 

As I only started this last night I am not sure of the storyline from my viewpoint but I have always loved ballet so assume it is a story that will enrich my life.

Spring is now here and the garden is full of roses, irises, honeysuckle and lots of lovely cottage flowers. It looks lovely and the scents are very special. Jay is enjoying it and loves lying in the sun on the newly mown lawn.