Chethams

Last weekend I returned from a visit to the Chethams piano summer school - a useful few days listening to concerts and participating in lessons and workshops. I got some useful comments on my playing and here is my performance of John Ireland's 'In a May Morning' from his Sarnia - written in the Channel Islands in May 1940 just before he escaped the German invasion. Maybe I will look at more of his piano works?

Teaser Tuesday - Mar 18

The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

I've not done one of these for a bit, but am enjoying this book!

She changed tack. "This watch is for Anna's own good, to disentangle her from her web of deceit

From The Wonder Emma's Donoghue's novel of moral complexity in 19th century Ireland.

Teaser Tuesday - March 25

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

And why would you want to be goin' on a diet, Jamie? Sure there's nothing much wrong with the way you are.

From Christina McKenna's The Misremembered Man. Alternating humour and dark tragedy, it's our book group book of the month. Here's a review

Teaser Tuesday - 2 March

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Those sunny days in Clare Street, working in Aunt Florence's shop, for example. They made things then. Things that would last, things that you could look at, admire.

From Part 2 of Christine Dwyer Hickey's Dublin Trilogy 'the gambler'. Having enjoyed her latest book 'The Last train from Liguria', I wanted to try some of her other work, I'm currently struggling rather with this, but am still hoping that I, or it, settle down!
Here's the Amazon page for the book, curiously there are no reviews, interesting for a book published in 1996!

Teaser Tuesday - 6 Oct

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

I lie listening to the rain needling the windows, or soft shuffling on the rooftops and flat-roofed extensions that deform the rear of these houses, until I can't put it off any longer. Turning slightly to look over my shoulder, I find the wrong hair on the wrong-shaped head lying behind me; one gold-stud earring, a gold chain around the neck, a signet ring on the hand hanging over the quilt. I slide out of bed and wish I could die.

Christine Dwyer Hickey's `Last Train from Liguria' a book about connections between modern Ireland and 1930/40's Italy. A book I've been wanting to read and spotted it in the local library at the weekend, so far it's definitely been worth lugging the heavy volume on the train each day. From the above linked review:

In 1933, Bella Stuart, the introspective daughter of a London surgeon, sets out for the country where Mr Mussolini is busy making the trains run on time. The plan is for her to be tutor to the son of the aristocratic Lami family - "there's a villa in Sicily and a summer house on the Italian riviera", and there is "some German connection, so you'll probably be popping off to Berlin". Fateful words for the whole of Europe, perhaps.