Tag Archives: writing

My Porridge & Cream read: Simon Fairfax

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Today I’m delighted to welcome spy novelist Simon Fairfax. His ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Heller with a Gun by Louis L’Amour.

“The book is called Heller with a Gun by Louis L’Amour. His books number 192 and 46 were made into films. Simon Fairfax“I first read it when I was about fifteen. I have always loved westerns, but this is probably the best western I have ever read. I bought it because I like the author’s style and stories. He is above all a great storyteller. I bought it in the winter and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a great sense of ‘place’ with writing truly evocative of a cold, frozen climate. I read it every winter and never tire of it. It would in reality be strange to read it in the summer.

“The lead is a great character and typifies a dying breed, with strong values, pitting himself against the wilderness and evil. Living by a code of honour that will one day fade as he inevitably will. The writing style is perfect and you can imagine exactly all the circumstances and places that the book takes you to. Everything he writes about exists and he inspired me to adopt the same approach in my novels. Simon FairfaxThe plot: “King Mabry, an aging gunfighter and cattleman, is travelling to Cheyenne across frozen wastes and is being hunted for what he knows and the gold he is carrying. Thwarting his pursuer, he comes across a troupe of players (being led astray by outlaws), he is attracted to one of troupe and returning to help against his better judgement, tracks them and tries to help. Wounded, he is aided by one of the troupe who escapes. Travelling together they fight Indians, the weather and finally the outlaws in a tense action filled showdown. It is a perfect story of relationships, growth of spirit, survival and romance.”

Simon Fairfax’s Bio
A chartered surveyor for nearly 35 years, I have always loved crime thrillers, growing up devouring Ian Fleming and Dick Francis novels and a TV diet of The Saint, Persuaders, The Sweeney and The Professionals. I have seen first-hand what goes on in this world of multi-million pound deals and can attest to the fact that it has its fair share of characters, heroes and villains. I write about a world I know and enjoy with a spy twist, full of intrigue, great characters and set against world events that really happened and influenced markets and deals. I have enjoyed my characters, bringing them to life and continue to do so: I hope that you enjoy them too!

Simon Fairfax’s links
Website
Hursley Park Book Fair, June 23-24 2018

Simon Fairfax’s latest book
Simon FairfaxRupert Brett is back and it is 1995, with the property markets raging and the Sub-Prime madness just beginning. The Irish Sea, a shipment of drugs is intercepted, the IRA lose the cocaine and their most feared enforcer, Tir Brennan, is captured. Deauville, a wealthy French aristocrat has a terrible accident with far reaching consequences. Bogota, the head of the old drug cartels is dead and Ballesteros is now running new routes to the US and beyond. The events are all linked and somehow drugs are being smuggled with impunity across the globe. With a source originating in Palm Beach, US, Rupert Brett is again asked to go undercover, with SAS Sergeant Chris Adams as protection. They must find out how the drugs are being smuggled into the corporate world of property, polo and high finance. The answers run deeper than either could imagine and a dangerous former nemesis returns, throwing their lives into turmoil.
‘A Deal with the Devil’ by Simon Fairfax [UK: S Fairfax]


What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book? It’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message here.

Simon Fairfax

‘Heller with a Gun’ by Louis L’Amour[UK: Bantam]

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Jane Lambert
Carol Cooper
Shelley Weiner

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does spy novelist Simon Fairfax re-read HELLER WITH A GUN by Louis L’Amour? #books https://wp.me/p5gEM4-3pw via @SandraDanby

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A poem to read in the bath… ‘After a Row’ by Tom Pickard #poetry #nature

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Winter Migrants by poet Tom Pickard is a collection of poetry and prose, starting with the prize-winning sequence ‘Lark & Merlin’, an erotic pursuit over the hills and fells of the poet’s Northern-English homeland. In truth, I could have selected anything from this slim volume, but ‘After a Row’ just caught my mood today.

Tom Pickard

[photo: carcanet.co.uk]

Because of copyright restrictions I am unable to reproduce the poem in full, but please search it out in an anthology or at your local library.

‘After a Row’
A lapwing somersaults spring,
Flips over winter and back.

After a fast walk – my limbs
The engine of thought – up long hills
Where burn bubbles into beck and clough to gill

Tom Pickard

BUY THE BOOK

Read these other excerpts, and perhaps find a new poet to love:-
‘Sometimes and After’ by Hilda Doolittle
‘Cloughton Wyke 1’ by John Wedgwood Clarke
‘Forgetfulness’ by Hart Crane

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
A #poem to read in the bath: ‘After a Row’ by @tompickardpoet http://wp.me/p5gEM4-2UD via @SandraDanby

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First Edition: Jane Eyre

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Is there a more iconic novel than Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte? Beloved by generations of teenage girls who identify with the eponymous Jane, her suffering, her fortitude and generosity, Jane Eyre also plays a key role in the acceptance of female authors. Bronte famously submitted the novel to her publisher under the pseudonym Currer Bell.

First editions of Jane Eyre by Currer Bell are available rarely for sale. See [above] the title page of the first issue which did not include a preface by the author, something remedied in the second edition; you can read the preface here, the book is held by the British Library. The most recent sale of a first edition [above] was at Bonhams, London in 2013 for £39,650. Jane Eyre

A three-volume edition published by London, Smith Elder & Co [above], available at Peter Harrington, is for sale [at time of going to press] for £4,500. This is a third edition; given the popularity of the novel when it was first published, around October 19, 1847, it was quickly followed by second and third editions on January 22, 1848 and April 15, 1848 respectively. This particular edition attracts a high price as there are a number of typographical errors that make it unique.

Another example of how a printer’s error can boost the price of a book is the 2012 Penguin Classics edition [below] which is wrongly credited on the spine as being written by Emily Bronte. At the time of going to press, this hardcover edition was for sale at Amazon for £199.99.

The story
When the novel starts, Jane is 10 and living with her maternal uncle’s family. Her uncle has since died. Mistreated by her relatives, Jane’s only comfort is a doll and some books. She is sent to Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls. The life at Lowood is harsh but Jane makes a friend, Helen Burns. During an outbreak of tuberculosis, Helen dies and the director’s maltreatment of the girls is discovered; conditions subsequently improve. On leaving Lowood, Jane secures a position as governess at Thornfield Hall to the ward of the mysterious Mr Rochester.

The film
Many film and television versions of Jane Eyre have been made, starting in 1910 with a silent movie [below] produced by the Thanhouser Company and starring Marie Eline as Jane and Frank H Crane as Mr Rochester. Unfortunately the reel of this is presumed lost. Jane Eyre
The most recent adaptation in 2011 starred Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska. Watch the trailer here. Jane Eyre

Other editions

Jane Eyre
‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte [UK: Penguin Classics]

If you like old books, check out these:-
‘Jurassic Park’ by Michael Crichton
‘The Hobbit’ by JRR Tolkein
‘An Ice Cream War’ by William Boyd

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
First Edition: JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte #oldbooks https://wp.me/p5gEM4-37V via @SandraDanby

My Porridge & Cream read: RV Biggs

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Today I’m delighted to welcome mystery writer RV Biggs. His ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

“I first read the book as a child, which is a very long time ago, so would be in the 1960s. I’d hazard a guess at 1966 when I was nine or ten years old and probably as a book we were given to read at school. I recall having my own hardbound copy a little later, given to me as a present, but one of my uncles borrowed it to read to my cousin. After a while I never saw it again. Many, many years later my sister-in-law brought me a new hardbound copy as a birthday present and this is the copy I still have. RV Biggs

“I’ve read Wind in the Willows many times over the years and mostly when nothing else seems to appeal. It draws me in because of the childhood magic of it… animals having adventures… the Wild Wood… but also because of the setting and style. Kenneth Grahame describes the landscapes with exquisite perfection, setting the scenes of the seasons so that I’m there… inside his world. I believe that the description of Mole’s utter grief in chapter 5, Dulce Domum, when he rediscovers his home, and the ethereal magic within chapter 7, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, when Mole and Ratty go in search of the baby Otter, may well be partly responsible for my own need to build description into my own writing when setting a scene.

“All in all Wind if the Willows is a magic childhood world into which I think I’ll lose myself once more very soon.”

Rob’s Elevator Pitch for Wind if the Willows: Along the margins of the river, and deep within the trackless woods, a hidden world of magic unfolds.

RV Biggs’ Bio
RV Biggs lives in the West Midlands, England. His heart however lies north of the border, where the world becomes wide and wild and less turbulent. Robert’s imagination was shaped in childhood by such stories as The Wind in the Willows and Lord of the Rings, but only turned to creativity decades later when in the quiet moments before sleep, song lyrics triggered an idea which turned into an obsession. The result was his first novel Song of the Robin, a tale of destiny and family. A sequel is scheduled to be released during 2018. Working within the telecommunications industry for thirty five years, Robert now works for a children’s hospital helping to provide Mental Health services.

RV Biggs’ links
Facebook
Twitter

RV Biggs’ latest book
RV BiggsSong of the Robin is a tale of destiny and love, tragedy and joy. The story of a young woman’s weeklong struggle for survival amidst whispered voices, unsettling dreams and disturbing visions.
‘Song of the Robin’ by RV Biggs [UK: RV Biggs]

What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book? It’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message here.

RV Biggs

 

‘Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame [UK: Oxford Children’s Classics]

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Laura Wilkinson
JG Harlond
Shelley Weiner

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does mystery writer @RVBiggs lose himself in WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame? #books https://wp.me/p5gEM4-3j8 via @SandraDanby

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First Edition: Jurassic Park

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First published in the USA on November 20, 1990, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton would, like HG Wells and Jules Verne, bring science fiction to the masses and to the movie screen. The book actually started life as a screenplay written in 1983 in which a graduate student creates a dinosaur. Then, given the fact that genetic research is expensive and there was no need to create a dinosaur, Crichton changed the story so the dinosaurs were made to put into an entertaining wildlife park. Another thing changed from first to final draft was the point of view: originally it was told from a child’s viewpoint, but Crichton changed it when everyone who read the draft felt it would be better told by an adult.

A signed US 1st edition [above] is for sale [at time of going to press] on eBay for $225. Read more about the first edition of the 1991 UK hardback edition [below] published by Century at Biblio. Michael Crichton

The story
Following strange animal attacks in Costa Rica and nearby island Isla Nublar, one of the animals involved is identified as an extinct dinosaur. Palaeontologist Alan Grant and paleobotanist Ellie Satler are asked to confirm this, but are whisked away by billionaire John Hammond to visit his nature reserve on Isla Nublar and calm his investors. Hammond’s park contains not lions and tigers but cloned dinosaurs. Fellow consultant, mathematician and chaos theorist Ian Malcolm, predicts the park will collapse into chaos.

The film
Released on June 9, 1993, the film of Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg was a monumental success and has taken well over $1bn worldwide.Michael Crichton

The film closely follows the storyline of the book, though there are slight differences in some of the characters. Nedry is much the same, but both children have stronger roles in the film while Alan Grant in the novel is considerably scruffier than the movie version as played by Sam Neill. Watch the original film trailer here.

Other editions

Michael Crichton

 

‘Jurassic Park’ by Michael Crichton [UK: Arrow]

If you like old books, check out these:-
‘The Moonstone’ by Wilkie Collins
‘A Passage to India’ by EM Forster
‘The Sea The Sea’ by Iris Murdoch

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
First Edition: JURASSIC PARK by Michael Crichton #oldbooks https://wp.me/p5gEM4-37x via @SandraDanby

My Porridge & Cream read: Graeme Cumming

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Today I’m delighted to welcome thriller writer Graeme Cumming. His ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Eagle in the Sky by Wilbur Smith.

“My Porridge & Cream book is Eagle in the Sky by Wilbur Smith. I can’t remember exactly when I first read it, but suspect around 1977. I’d started reading him after seeing Shout at the Devil at the cinema. A week later, I spotted the book in my local library (remember those?), picked it up and became hooked on Smith for years after. Eagle in the Sky was just another I picked up to read, but it’s the one that stayed with me.
Graeme Cumming“I don’t read it often, probably once every five or six years, the last time about three years ago. I remember being surprised at how dated some of the dialogue came across, but it was written in the early ‘70s! Even so, I still enjoyed it. There are no particular circumstances that prompt me to read it, but, unusually for me, once in a while I like to go back to it: I know I’m going to love it, and I’ve usually forgotten enough to be surprised. I have bought this book as a present more than any other.

The one thing that ultimately draws me back to it is the emotion I feel at the end. I’ve even been known to pick it up and read only the final few pages. The same feelings I had as a teenager reading it for the first time come flooding back to me. And then more flooding starts, and the print blurs.

The plot: A reckless young man with a passion for flying uses his skills helping the Israeli army in their war to gain favour with a girl he loves. A terrorist attack and an horrific crash thrust the reality of conflict tragically into his personal life, leaving him to rebuild everything he previously took for granted.”

Graeme Cummings’ Bio
Graeme Cumming lives in Robin Hood country. He has wide and varied tastes when it comes to fiction so he’s conscious that his thrillers can cross into territories including horror, fantasy and science fiction as well as more traditional arenas. When not writing, Graeme is an enthusiastic sailor (and, by default, swimmer), and enjoys off-road cycling and walking. He is currently Education Director at Sheffield Speakers Club. Oh yes, and he reads (a lot) and loves the cinema.

Graeme Cummings’ links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Graeme Cummings’ latest book
Graeme CummingMartin Gates left the village fifteen years ago because he didn’t belong any more. Now he’s back, and looking for answers. The problem is, no one wants to hear his questions. Well, maybe Tanya McLean, but she has an ulterior motive and her husband won’t like it. In the meantime, a horrific accident leaves a farm worker fighting for his life; a brutal killing triggers a police investigation; and even the locals are falling out amongst themselves. Is Martin’s arrival more than a coincidence? Do the villagers really want reminding of the past? And why are ravens gathering in Sherwood Forest?
‘Ravens Gathering’ by Graeme Cumming [UK: Matador]

What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book?

Graeme CummingIt’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message here.

Graeme Cumming

 

‘Eagle in the Sky’ by Wilbur Smith [UK: Pan]

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Shelley Weiner
Lev D Lewis
Margaret Skea

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does thriller #author @GraemeCumming63 re-read EAGLE IN THE SKY by Wilbur Smith? https://wp.me/p5gEM4-32g via @SandraDanby #amreading

A poem to read in the bath… ‘Tulips’

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Anyone who enjoys gardening understands this poem, the feeling of planning for a garden of the future, digging, sowing, hoping, and then the temporary feeling of joy when the flowers appear. To be replaced again by the annual cycle of planning, digging and sowing. Wendy Cope obviously has a garden.

Wendy Cope

[photo: Stevie McGarrity Alderdice]

Because of copyright restrictions I am unable to reproduce the poem in full, but please search it out in an anthology or at your local library.

‘Tulips’
Months ago, I dreamed of a tulip garden,
Planted, waited, watched for their first appearance,
Saw them bud, saw greenness give way to colours,
Just as I’d planned them.

Wendy Cope

 

‘If I Don’t Know’ by Wendy Cope [UK: Faber] 

Read these other excerpts, and perhaps find a new poet to love:-
‘The Boy Tiresias’ by Kate Tempest
‘The Roses’ by Katherine Towers
‘Elegy of a Common Soldier’ by Dennis B Wilson

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
A #poem to read in the bath: ‘Tulips’ by Wendy Cope http://wp.me/p5gEM4-2Uo via @SandraDanby

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My Porridge & Cream read: Margaret Skea

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Today I’m delighted to welcome historical novelist Margaret Skea. Her ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery.

“When I was a child, the lady next door had a wonderful library of children’s books and I could borrow as many as I wanted. So over about 18 months I read lots of full sets, including all 12 Swallows and Amazons and the 10 ‘Anne’ books. Both series have remained favourites, but if I have to make a choice of just one it has to be the first of the ‘Anne’ books.
Margaret Skea“We used to foster children, and Anne of Green Gables was a wonderful story either to read to them or watch with them. It has so many resonances for their circumstances and such a positive ending. I vividly remember one child stopping me half-way through, saying, ‘Please tell me this ends well, or I can’t bear to hear any more.’

The plot involves an elderly couple who, intending to adopt a boy to help on their farm, are sent a girl instead. Despite their initial misgivings and her capacity for getting into scrapes, they keep her.

I usually re-read the book or watch the film every year and I still get a lump in my throat when we come to a particular point. (Anyone who has read the book will know the incident I’m referring to. For anyone who hasn’t, you’ll recognize it when you come to it.) That it still moves me after all these years and many re-reads, is a testament to the emotional power of the story.

The central character is key to my love of the book. Perhaps because, aside from her situation and her red hair, in many ways growing up I was Anne. I’ve done the equivalent of smashing a slate on Gilbert Blythe’s head, and rarely, if ever, refused a dare – including walking along the ridge of a garage roof. I only stopped talking when I was reading, spent a lot of time living within my imagination and wished I had a more exotic name!”

Margaret Skea’s Bio
Margaret Skea grew up in Northern Ireland during the ‘Troubles’, but now lives in Scotland. Her passion is for authentic, atmospheric fiction, whether historical or contemporary. An award-winning novelist and short story writer, her credits include the Beryl Bainbridge Award for Best 1st Time Novelist 2014 (Turn of the Tide), and a longlisting in the Historical Novel Society New Novel Award 2016 (A House Divided). Her short stories have won or been placed in a number of competitions, including: Fish, Mslexia, Winchester, Rubery and Neil Gunn.

Margaret Skea

Margaret Skea’s latest book
Katharina: Deliverance is Margaret’s first work of biographical fiction. It is based on the early life of Katharina von Bora, the escaped nun who became Martin Luther’s wife, and seeks to bring this influential, but little-known character out of the shadows in which she has remained hidden for five hundred years.
‘Katharina’ by Margaret Skea [UK: Sanderling Books]

Margaret Skea’s links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon UK / Amazon US
Goodreads

What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book?

Margaret SkeaIt’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message here.

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Helen Christmas
Rachel Dove
Catherine Hokin

Margaret Skea

 

‘Anne of Green Gables’ by LM Montgomery [UK: Puffin Classics]

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does #author @margaretskea1 re-read ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by LM Montgomery once a year? https://wp.me/p5gEM4-2Zx via @SandraDanby #amreading

My Porridge & Cream read: Toni Jenkins

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Today I’m delighted to welcome novelist Toni Jenkins. Her ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

“My sister-in-law heard about a book in early 2008 she thought I might like and gave me a copy of Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. It has become a precious companion and the book that I turn to most. It always spurs me on to make courageous decisions in my life.
Toni JenkinsIt’s about an American woman in her thirties who decides her perfectly normal life is unfulfilling and leaves her husband and home to find herself abroad, travelling to Italy to find love in food, to India for enlightenment, and to Bali for love and peace. I re-read it, or at least parts of it, at least once a year. It’s one of those books where you feel as if you’re reading your own thoughts. There’s a real comfort in reading again how Elizabeth overcame her challenges. I also love the way she uses language so I get a double-whammy of the feel-good factor every time I delve back in.

I particularly enjoy the first third of the book as it’s based in Italy, my favourite country. It’s also where she’s just starting out on her journey to re-create her new life and you can feel the rawness coming through in her words. I particularly love the way she personifies Depression and Loneliness. She writes:
I say to them, “How did you find me here? Who told you I had come to Rome?”
Depression, always the wise guy, says, “What – you’re not happy to see us?”
“Go away,” I tell him.
Loneliness, the more sensitive cop, says, “I’m sorry, ma’am. But I might have to tail you the whole time you’re traveling. It’s my assignment.”

Toni Jenkins’ Bio
Toni Jenkins was born in New Zealand in 1970. After graduating with a BA Honours degree in Education, she bought a one-way ticket to the UK and so began her love affair with the northern hemisphere. She has been writing all her life, beginning with poetry, short stories and quotes and later moving into novels. Toni wrote her first novel in her early thirties, with her second being penned in an Italian village during her ‘mature gap year’. The Sender is her third and the first to be published. She is currently working on two further novels – The Gift is at editing stage and Benevolence is under development.

Toni Jenkins’ links
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Linked In

Toni Jenkins’ books
Toni Jenkins

The Sender follows the journey of a mysterious and inspiring unsigned card, linking the lives of four women from different backgrounds and cities who are all facing unique adversities. The card instructs each woman to hold it in their possession for six months before choosing another woman in need of its empowering quality to send it to, and invites them all to meet in Edinburgh two years from the date of its inception. The card seems to hold an extraordinary quality that helps the women face their challenges head-on, though none of them can imagine who the anonymous sender is or why they were the chosen ones.
‘The Sender’ by Toni Jenkins [UK: New Generation]

What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book?

Toni JenkinsIt’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message via the contact form here.

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Renita d’Silva
Linda Huber
Judith Field

Toni Jenkins

 

‘Eat Pray Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert [UK: Bloomsbury]

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does @tonijenkinsauth love EAT PRAY LOVE by @GilbertLiz http://wp.me/p5gEM4-2Sf via @SandraDanby #amreading

First Edition: The Secret Garden

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First published as a US serial in The American Magazine beginning in 1910, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett [below] was first published as a book in 1911. The American edition by Stokes [below] featured illustrations by Maria Louise Kirk, while illustrations in the British edition published by Heinemann were by Charles Heath Robinson. Burnett was born in Manchester, England in 1849 but after the death of her father, she emigrated with her family to the Knoxville, Tennessee, USA in 1865. Frances Hodgson BurnettRead more about the Stokes first edition at Bauman Rare Books.

The story
Mary Lennox, born at the turn of the twentieth century to wealthy British parents in India who do not want her, is cared for by servants. After the death of her parents she is sent to England to Yorkshire, to live with her Uncle Archibald at Misselthwaite Manor. There she is bad-tempered and dislikes everything about her new home until Martha, a maid, tells her the story of Mrs Craven who loved her private walled garden of roses. When his wife died, Mr Craven locked the garden and buried the key. As Mary wonders about the secret garden, her humour and behaviour improves and she makes friends with the gardener. When she finds the key, Mary’s brother Dickon helps Mary to learn about gardening, plants and wildlife. Then one night, exploring a cry in the night, she discovers a boy living in a hidden bedroom. This is Colin, her cousin, who has a damaged spine. She tells Colin of the secret garden and when they visit it together, Colin finds his weak legs can stand after all.

The film
The 1993 film The Secret Garden starred Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott, John Lynch and Maggie Smith. Exterior shots of Misselthwaite Manor were shot at Allerton Castle in Yorkshire, internal scenes at Fountains Hall near Ripon. Watch the film trailer.

Other editions

Read here why The Secret Garden is the ‘Porridge & Cream’ comfort read of novelist Laura Wilkinson.

Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

‘The Secret Garden’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett [UK: Virago] Buy now

If you like old books, check out these:-
‘An Ice Cream War’ by William Boyd
‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’ by John Fowles
‘Watership Down’ by Richard Adams

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
First Edition: THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett #oldbooks http://wp.me/p5gEM4-2TQ via @SandraDanby