Showing posts with label Gods Behaving Badly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods Behaving Badly. Show all posts

Monday, December 17, 2007

Crockatt & Powell related stuff

C&P are on the move: it's all go to the Fulham Road SW10. Ken & Chel here they come...*

Recently described as "It's like a Waterstones where you've taken out all the rubbish", they really are a fine treasure trove of goodies. Heck, they've employed the goddess that is Marie Phillips - whose novel Gods Behaving Badly (in case you forgot) is coming to a small screen near you via Ben Stiller. Marie's move to work there was incentive enough for me; once visited it went straight on the 'when in London, must visit' list.

And mentioning Marie, for those who visited her much-loved Struggling Author site for discussion of boilers, shoes, encounters with famous people, countdowns and cancellations of housewarming parties promising encounters with David Tennant, and much much more... well, you've missed your chance. It went Members-Only on release of Marie's first novel and now has said goodbye. Sniff. Thankfully, Marie will continue to blog over at The Woman Who Talked Too Much. That's a relief: blog-life without Marie would be like no bloglife at all.... (speaketh moi who has virtually abandoned blogging of late - not intentionally of course, but by circumstance).

*I for one will be quite sad to see C&P move from Lower Marsh... I rather liked nipping in when I was on the South Bank. No chance of keeping C&P mark 1 and running mark 2 as an additional venture? Sigh.

UPDATE: Hurrah! C&P are STAYING at Lower Marsh and EXPANDING to Fulham Road! Phew, Wooo! and indeed WHOOOO... thanks to Marie for the update!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Marie's News

(Further) stardom beckons!!!

Marie's book optioned by Ben Stiller....

(The news is all over the place - I first found it at Medium Rob's - but mega congrats to Marie!)

Friday, October 19, 2007

A reminder that good things come to those who wait...

Billy recently praised the lovely Marie's book, "Gods Behaving Badly" which, if you haven't already read it should be on your 'to buy and read' list!

[PS the link on Marie is to her new open blog rather than Struggling Author which is members only].

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Marie and Martin Amis

I know she's feeling a bit post-book blues at the mo, but rifling the backlog of unread Marie posts from her blog I did chuckle at this gem:
I have never read anything by Martin Amis. As longer-term readers of the blog know, I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a police line-up if the other participants were Jordan, Kermit the Frog, and a mule. Anyway I was in the mood for something London-y having read two African books recently, and I thought it was about time I found out whether I am an Amis-lover or an Amis-hater (I don't believe that it is possible to be Amis-indifferent.) Sadly, I have checked inside and outside covers but there is no photo of Martin Amis.
Hee.

As you know, Marie is a restricted access blog now but this was too priceless a remark. Bless her. Now, if you haven't already, go and read "Gods Behaving Badly".

Monday, August 13, 2007

Review: Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Or should that be Ma Phillips?

Awh, bless her. On reading this gem of a book, you can see how she has well-deserved all the grinning plaudits the book has drawn. It is, quite simply, a delight. Gods Behaving Badly is currently - as at 13 August 2007 - 122nd bestseller on Amazon.co.uk. That's not bad going our chuck! And its a thrill to see her book on the shelves and promoted in bookshops and think: I know her!! (well, I know its only in the blog-kinda 'know' way, but given the exchanges we've shared I think I can claim some level of 'knowing').

Anyway!

It's well-written (god, you would/wouldn't be surprised at the appalling numbers of poorly expressed prose out there). It has a well-driven plot. It has characters you care about (even, or especially, the horrid ones: Daniel Craig living it up as the arrogant but beauteous Apollo? Bring that casting on).

It has well-constructed settings (I felt I could visualise the house of the Gods and other places without excessive tell-the-reader everything descriptions). And best of all it makes fine use of all those half-remembered Greek Gods and Goddesses. By the end I was cheering Artemis and the gang, grinning at the lovely Neil and Alice's adventure and wondering how utterly brilliant a filmed version would be.

It's a joy to read, and not just because of Hermes...

Thursday, August 09, 2007

DWM New Who Season 3 Companion magazine and other forthcoming activities

Yippee! There was me expecting that this was out the day I fly and expecting to have to squeeze it into my hand luggage. By chance I pop into Forbidden Planet today and YIPPEE! There it is! Hurrah!

So, between now and Wednesday I will be:

  • Dying my hair (it's been cut - and by all accounts people like it)

  • Going to Summer Sundae in Leicester (not camping, just train/taxis)

  • Finishing reading The Eyre Affair

  • Starting and finishing reading - Gods Behaving Badly (signed copy arrived today, personalised by the lovely Ma Phillips)

  • Starting and finishing reading DWM New Who Season 3 Companion magazine

  • Catching up with the most recent issue of the Buffy season 8 comic book

  • Washing clothes dirtied by attending Summer Sundae

  • Packing for vacation
Pah - its all a bit busy!

And some kind Sass-y soul sent me a DVD copy of Blink with the full-length Doctor Who confidential to keep me cheered.

Brilliant!