Great Fictional Characters: Albus Dumbledore

This year, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge 2015.

My theme, unsurprisingly for someone who devours books so voraciously, is Great Fictional Characters. And who better to begin with than the most beloved headmaster, Albus Dumbledore?



Artist credit

"Albus Dumbledore was never proud or vain; he could find something to value in anyone, however apparently insignificant or wretched, and I believe that his early losses endowed him with great humanity and sympathy. I shall miss his friendship more than I can say, but my loss is as nothing compared to the wizarding world's. That he was the most inspiring and the best loved of all Hogwarts headmasters cannot be in question."

Elphias Doge

 

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is the headmaster we all wish we'd had in school: wise, just, kindly- with a pinch of mischievous spirit that made him more fun than a classroom full of Cornish Pixies.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2015: Theme Reveal

Exciting news! This year, for the first time, I'll be taking part in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2015!

My theme is Great Fictional Characters, and I've been scouring my bookshelves to pick out my favourites (which has been really tough- I think there may be a scuffle between Sam Vimes and Scarlett O'Hara).

Come join me on the 1st of April to see it all kick off!

RIP Pterry

As you've probably heard, we lost a great man today.

Terry Pratchett, the fantastically and deservedly successful author, passed away as he wanted to, in his home, surrounded by his family, with his cat sleeping on his bed.

I don't even have the words for how sad I am feeling right now.

And it was his words that I loved. No other author has shaped my personality with his ideas as he did, spoken to and resonated with me as his characters did, changed my view of the world, of life, of religion and love and honesty and humanity as his writing did. There isn't a single day I don't see Discworld somewhere.

I had the honour of meeting him in 2012, and those hours sat in the bar chatting with him over a couple of pints (he had a pot of tea) will always be a treasured memory. He was as fascinating and witty in person as he is in his novels. Despite the "embuggerance" taking a hold, his conversation sparkled as much as it challenged my thinking (yet again). I came away with the same feeling that I would no doubt have had if I had spoken to God. And, in terms of being a creator, he was a god to me.

I will always be so, so grateful for the words he gave us but so, so, so selfishly devastated for all the words he had left that we'll never get to read.

My only comfort today is from these words, his words, that prove he will never be forgotten:

"...no one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away..."
Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

Recent related post
Remembering Sir Terry Pratchett: birthday post

Oh no, I got a cold...

 

 This is so not what having a cold is like. STOP! Don't come too close! I'm infected.... Yes, that's right: it's half-term, time for a deserved rest and, naturally, my body has decided to attack itself and ruin my week of fun.   Despite obsessive hand-washing and avoiding contact with sticky children wherever possible (quite a challenge in my job) one of the little monsters has managed to infect me (and by monsters, I mean germs, rather than children. Or maybe not...)

Review: The Humans

The Humans by Matt Haig

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Ummm... although I enjoyed "The Humans", I can't get evangelical about it like some readers have. I didn't find it life-changing, just ("just"!) witty, touching and amusing- which is more than enough for a bedtime read. I liked the observations about humanity, and the dog- obviously- and some of the situations were laugh-out-loud funny as "Andrew" navigated his way through social norms and expectations. Good, sweet fun.



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Review: Corpsing

Corpsing by Toby Litt

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Clever, in a Clever kind of way. I was hooked from the start, lost my way for a while (Josephine... yuk, yuk and triple yuk) and ended a bit confused. The neat ending didn't work for me and left more questions than it answered. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the pace and intrigue as Conrad tried to figure out who was behind the murder of his girlfriend and the attempted murder of himself. This might appeal more to fans of noir (or graphic descriptions of the effect of a bullet ripping through flesh), but it isn't one I'd read again.



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Review: The Girls

The Girls by Lori Lansens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, a joint "autobiography" by craniopagus twins, but what I got was a sweet and poignant story of sisterly love. It was easy to read Rose and Ruby as distinct characters, with separate hopes, dreams and desires and, although it is made clear early on that the girls are nearing the end of their lives, their story was not depressing. Rather, I found myself admiring them, laughing with them, and hoping they would manage to finish their book (I slowed down reading as I realised I was near the end, to give them time to do it- lol). This won't be for everyone, but it was an easy read that still managed to be uplifting and thought-provoking.



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Book Reviews and Recommendations: 5 Picks for Fantastic Phil

 

Tea, cake and a good book- bliss!

I love stories, whether in book or film form and, when one really moves me, I have a hard time keeping quiet about it. I can get positively evangelical at times... (by the way, have I recommended "Confessions" to you yet?)

 

So, imagine how thrilled I was when Fantastic Phil (you may remember him for his contribution to Rock God) asked my opinion on whether he should read Gone Girl, (yes, obviously) and how chuffed I was that he enjoyed it.

He's asked me again for my recommendations and, after perusing my bookshelves, this is what I've come up with:

Read The Hungry-Man for half-price!

On Wednesday, my Harvey- my bestest boy and eternal puppy- will be turning twelve!

I don't know where the years have gone... it feels like only a few months since I was teaching him to sit and shake his paw for treats, and having to lift him on the bed because his little legs were too short to jump up and snuggle with Mummy.

Back then, he was scruffy-looking bundle of fur, sometimes compared to Spit the Dog, who tried to make friends with cats and attack fireworks. Now he's a slightly larger bundle of differently-coloured fur who chases cats and runs away from fireworks!


Harvey aged 6 months

Naturally, I shall be spoiling him rotten on his birthday and feeding him sausages, but Harvey thought it might be a nice idea to share the joy by offering The Hungry-Man at half-price as part of his celebrations.

"What a good idea!" I told him. "You really are a very Clever Boy!"

(Yes, I do actually talk to Harvey. All the time. He's a wonderful listener).

So, that's what we're doing. From now until the weekend, The Hungry-Man will be on offer for only 99p as an ebook.

Harvey thinks you'll really like it but then, as the hero of this cracking tale of a plucky pup who battles unimaginable evil to save his beloved Mummy, he is slightly biased ; )

NaNoWriMo: My Ten Commandments

And we're off! National Novel Writing Month starts today and so I'll be busily doing typey-typey every spare moment I can find in order to achieve my 50,000 word goal before December. Just like last year, I've drawn up my list of non-negotiables- my Ten Commandments- to make sure I still have a job, friends and dogs that love their Mummy. Here they are:

 

1. Thou shalt not let the day job suffer- this is thy quest, not thy employer's.

2. Thou shalt write at least 1,667 words on a week day, and aim for 2,000.

3. Thou shalt not lie in on weekends, but shall rise with the dawn to write at least 2,500 words on those days.

4. Thou shalt not neglect thy terriers, for lo they will perform dirty protests if regular walkies are not adhered too.

5. Thou shalt not eat Haribo by the bucket, as thy is wont to do when sitting at a computer for lengthy periods of time.

6. Thou shalt not idle thy time waiting for more Candy Crush lives, but shall banish the iPad from thy sight until the daily word count is reached.

7. Thou shall make use of quiet moments to reflect on thy novel, and scribe every idea on post-its for future reference.

8. Thou shall shower every day and eat too, for a smelly and hungry writer is no joy to the world.

9. Thou shalt not go home to commence work on thy novel until planning is completed and books have been marked.

10. Thou shall phone thy parents at least twice a week, or face the wrath and woe of anxious fretting that thy have been eaten by terriers.

Keep an eye on the counter (top right) to track my progress and feel free to hassle me about it. I may need the extra motivation!