Friday 10 October 2014

Cider With Rosie

Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee has been on my to read list for a long time now. I saw on Mitzi's Lazy Days & Sunday's At The Willows blog that she'd recently reread the book and when I mentioned that it was a book I'd like to read, she kindly offered to lend it to me.


Laurie Lee was born in 1914 and the book tells of his childhood in a remote Cotswold village before electricity or cars. It has a gentle pace, which I prefer as I like to read in bed before I go to sleep, so I don't read books which make me think too much. The writing is vivid and descriptive and it transported me to the time Laurie Lee was writing about.

Thank you for lending me the book, Mitzi. I enjoyed reading it very much and it will be winging its way back to you very soon.


I came across Daniel's copy of To Kill A Mockingbird whilst packing away his books when we decorated his bedroom earlier on this year. I studied this book for my English Literature O Level, I enjoyed it then and thoroughly enjoyed it again when I recently reread it. It's such a wonderful book, it's hard to believe that this is Harper Lee's only published book.


At the moment I'm reading Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. I'm about half way through but it's a gripping novel, focusing on Sibyl Danforth, a midwife who becomes embroiled in a legal battle when one of her patients dies following an emergency caesarean section.

I haven't been buying any books just lately as I'm trying to wind down my pile of books to be read as I've got an e-reader on my Christmas wish list. I must admit that I do like to have a proper book in my hands when I'm reading, however, I'm a terrible sleeper and an e-reader will be great when I'm awake during the night. I don't like to put the light on when I wake up as it disturbs Mick, but some e-readers have a backlight which allows you to read in the dark, so this would be perfect for me.

I hope that Santa reads my list.

24 comments:

  1. Hi Jo,

    I'm so glad you enjoyed reading Cider with Rosie. It certainly makes you realise how much we take for granted these days doesn't it. I absolutely loved To Kill a Mocking Bird. It was my favourite school read and was just as good 30 + years later and I'm sure I may even read it again one day. I saw the film version of The Midwife I think it had Sissy Spacek as the Midwife but it was very good and usually the books are even better. Like you I don't sleep well so my kindle is great at 2 in the morning and when everyone else is fast a sleep, and they sometimes have really good prices on their books but I do still like the feel of a book when I'm reading.

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    1. Cider With Rosie certainly does make you realise how much we have now compared with a hundred years ago. To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my favourite books, there's so many elements to the story. I'm so pleased that I read it again and I'm sure I shall read it again sometime in the future. I usually prefer to read a book before I see a film, somehow it spoils the book for me if I see a film first. I'm sure I will receive an e-reader for Christmas, Mick knows just how fed up I am of lying awake during the night.

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  2. I've read the first two a long time ago, and will probably read them again some time.
    I sympathise about being a terrible sleeper as I'm the same. Your last paragraph made me smile. Flighty xx

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    1. I very rarely reread a book, but I think both Cider With Rosie and To Kill A Mockingbird are books which you can enjoy time and time again. I usually read a chapter or two when I go to bed, it makes me sleepy and I can usually get off straight away, but I wake up just a few hours later and find it very hard to get back to sleep, so I'm sure that reading would help.

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  3. I agree about the kindle's, brilliant for those sleepless nights. A couple of suggestions that might help one is lavender essential oil rubbed into the sole of your feet and increase your magnesium intake, not an instant cure but building it up is certainly helping me xcx

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    1. I picked up the tip about lavender essential oil rubbed in to the sole of the feet when we visited Yorkshire Lavender. I have to admit that I haven't tried it yet though, I really should as I'm fed up of sleepless nights.

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  4. I daren't use my iPad to read at night, I'm afraid I'll fall asleep and drop it! Dropping a paperback feels so much safer.

    Isn't Cider with Rosie such a lovely book.

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    1. I always manage to put my book down before nodding off so I don't have the same worries. I really enjoyed Cider With Rosie, I love reading books about yesteryear.

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  5. Midwives is one of my favorite books! I first read it about 15 years ago and have read it numerous times since. It's really good.

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    1. I finished Midwives this morning. I don't often read until I go to bed on a night but I got to the point where I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. I found it a little hard to get in to it at the beginning but once I had, it was a brilliant read. I can certainly recommend it.

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  6. Nothing beats a proper book in your hands and I just don't seem to get to read much these days, although I did read a small book of short stories about knitting whilst away. Also came home with some cheap paperbacks, so may try and read a bit more now I'm home. I've always been a bit of a bookworm, but just not for the last 4 years, not to say I've not done any reading at all. Take care.

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    1. I used to read all the time when I was younger but just didn't have the time once I had children, it's only these past few years that I've got back in to it and I'm so pleased that I have.

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  7. If you enjoyed Cider with Rosie,you may like his 2 follow up books too. I enjoyed them all but Cider is my favourite. You feel like you know the time and the landscape.

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    1. I'd read that he wrote two follow ups so I shall have to look out for them. Someone recommended Cider With Rosie to me when I'd read Lark Rise to Candleford, they're quite similar being of the similar time period.

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  8. I haven't read Cider with Rosie for years, but I loved it when I did. I love the descriptions of the grannies and the one who made wine and floated triangles of toast on the top, I can remember reading it so clearly. You are right, it is so beautifully written isn't it. I didn't realise that this was Harper Lee's only book though, you learn something new all the time don't you! xx

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    1. There are some books which just stay in your memory, aren't there? I loved To Kill A Mockingbird when I read it at school and I love the film too. I'm so pleased that it didn't disappoint when I reread it.

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  9. I usually like to read the book before I see the film too. I read both Cider with Rosie and To Kill a Mockingbird when I was at school and I think I'd like to re-read them although like you, I rarely read books more than once. I think I'd probably appreciate them even more now I'm older!

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    1. Even though I'd read To Kill A Mockingbird at school and enjoyed it then, I definitely saw it in a different light now that I'm older. I think they're both books which you could read, and enjoy, more than once or twice.

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  10. You'll have to direct Father Christmas in the direction of your blog so he can see this wish list and your Yarndale post!
    Lisa x

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    1. I think Father Christmas has got plenty of ideas. I just wish that Mick could make a wish list, Father Christmas never knows what to bring him.

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  11. Hope you get that eReader for Christmas! I don't have anything like that yet - just the old fashioned printed on paper type of books.

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    1. I wouldn't bother with an e-reader if I didn't wake so often in the night. I much prefer holding a proper book but I think an e-reader will be brilliant when I can't sleep and I don't want to turn on the light.

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  12. All those books look good, was Cider with Rosie made into a film? Would you believe that To kill a Mockingbird has been banned in some places, I had to read that one in high school. An e-reader would be nice. :)

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    1. I don't know if Cider With Rose was made in to a film. I too read To Kill A Mockingbird in school for my English Literature O Level, I enjoyed rereading it.

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