Russia

Midnight in St Petersburg is proving to be a very interesting book to read. While I find it slightly unusual in its style the descriptions of St Petersburg and the tribulations people had to endure leading up to the assassination of the Czar are expanding my knowledge of that era. I have always had a fascination with the Russian royal family and wonder if the rule of Putin would even exist if they had not removed them and opted for communism.

I had a long email conversation with Stephanie at work about book clubs yesterday. Most of these seem to rely on people reading a set book and discussing it but I have heard of one group who discuss the books they have been reading to encourage the other members to expand their reading genres. I would love to take the plunge and try something similar but am unsure if it would be successful. We often discuss books we have read during morning tea or lunch but never really get the chance to do more than offer recommendations. My list of proposed Kindle purchases is now so long I doubt I will get through them by the end of 2014.

  
Alice is making an appearance at this year's Hamilton Gardens Festival. A series of statues have been commissioned for the gardens and characters from this wonderful story will come alive and introduce themselves all around the gardens over the two week festival.This is a wonderful event held each year with all kinds of music, theatre, poetry, plays and other events. Unfortunately it is totally inaccessible to blind people as there is no way to get there or home again. I have complained but to no avail, hopefully things may change with the new disability advisor at the council.