RosReadMe

Me Before You - JoJo Moyes

I bet you think it's chick lit, well you're wrong... it's actually a think piece.  A story about a city exec who has an accident that paralyses him from the neck down and his unconventional carer.  Both trapped in lives that they do not fit.  To be honest, there is no right or wrong ending to this book but I tell you now the writing will hold you till the end.  I have a friend who could not read it on the train as she had already embarrassed herself by laughing out loud in the quiet carriage.  She woke up at 3.00am to finish it, sobbing and laughing in equal measure, my sister threatened her husband with doom and destruction if it was left behind on a weekend trip.  Just read it, but know it will only last you a ouple of reads as you will need to get to the end once you start it.

Elizabeth Zimmermann or Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

The Hare with the Amber Eyes - Edmund de Waal

I borrowed this book from a friend and it is a real corker.  It is the story of a collection of Japanese Netsuke, an extensive collection of small carved objects told from the time of their purchase by a wealthy Jewish family and how they journeyed from the heady Paris of the 1870s, to Vienna leading up to the Nazi Anschluss and thence to post-war Tokyo to their current resting place in England. 

The book tells not only of their physical beauty but also of the awful way in which their owners were ostracised from society.  From moments of despair that the collection may be lost to the amazing twists to save them.  This book is an absolute joy to read.

The Knitter's Year - Debbie Bliss

I received this book in my Christmas stocking - I like Debbie Bliss, her patterns are well set out and sumptuously photographed.  This book offers a knitting project for every week of the year, so that's 52 in total. Having a look through the book, there are approximately 30 patterns that I would seriously consider undertaking but I will be giving the mug cosies and plant pot covers a wide berth at least for the moment.  This means that the book is pretty good value on a cost per pattern of 36p or in my case liking just 30, it's 63p.

The book contains a mix of Fair isle, cable and lace, which any competent knitter could happily undertake.

My only disappointment is the number of errata that appear in Debbie's books there are five cited on her website, with the number of publications that Debbie has under her belt this should not be happening anymore.

BTW, I also got some Noro wool in the stocking from which I will make the scarf on the front of the book :)