Fullers Folio
  • Blog
  • Book List 2015-16
  • Book List 2014-15
  • Book List 2013-14
  • Book List 2013
  • Book List 2012
  • Book List 2011-12

Icon by Frederic Forsyth

3/29/2013

0 Comments

 
Friends

This is my review of the book Icon by Frederic Forysth, which I have read recently. Maybe it is because of the snow, cold or just the season, but I thought I would re read this book which I last read, about 10 years ago.

Like all Frederic Forysth books it is full of detail and back story making the whole thing far more believable. Th book is written in two parts. The first half introduces one to the key characters, by using back history. During this process Frederic brings along a whole cacophony of characters, who sadly nearly all end up being betrayed and killed, but build the back story for the main characters.

For a lot of authors, this would have been a book in itself, but part two moves on to the main story line of the book, a forth coming election in Russia. The favourite candidate on the surface seems all milk and honey, but underneath he as a completely different agenda. He is working to the “black manifesto”. When this comes to light a group of ex-spies come up with a master plan to stop a disaster happening.

Through a series of seemingly unrelated events they manage to start to change events. The final twist happens on the eve of the election, but I can't reveal what happens otherwise it would spoil the story.

It has been an enjoyable few days reading nearly 1000 pages in the last two books, and have I missed the TV – no not really? Though the power is useful for providing light, as reading by candle light is not that brilliant.

This was book 11 week 8 – fiction 10 (1 on audio) non fiction 1  

0 Comments

The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

3/27/2013

1 Comment

 
Friends

This is my review of the book the Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, which I read recently.

This was read largely by candle light in a house with no power or heat, was very suitable as the book has a sizeable part of it allocated to a description of a long journey across the Alps in the winter, with lots of snow and ice. The wind, snow and ice out side all made the text come to life, but I am jumping the gun a little.

The story is set during the final end of the Roman empire in the mid 400's AD and is all about the adventures of the last Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus and his tutor Meridus Ambrosinus. He is protected by a ragamuffin collection heros Rufius Aelius Vatrenus, veteran of countless battles,Cornelius Batiatus – a gigantic Ethopian of incredible strength, and Lvia Prisca, a formidable warrioress. Their commander is Aurelius and together they make up the last legion, whose task is to protect the last Emperor.

To escape from all their enemies, who either want to kidnap the Emperor, or kill him, they have to go on a dramatic journey from Capri to Britain, via large parts of Europe. This includes crossing the Alps during the winter in the snow and a barge trip down the Rhine.

There is a lovely twist at the end, which makes the whole exciting book even more genius. A book I can well recommend, and it doesn't have to be read by candle light to enjoy it but that does help.

An enjoyable read as book 10 week 8 – fiction 9 (1 on audio) non fiction 1  

1 Comment

Snow power cuts and lack of broadband

3/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Lots of Snow
Friends

Like a lot of people recently we have been hit by large snow falls, no of power and a subsequent lack of broadband.  


Picture
The lack of power did not matter too much during the day as we spent all the day light hours digging ourselves out. I don't know how many tons of snow it was but the depth of snow varied from 30 cm to over a metre.


Picture
Digging the snow
Eventually after two days worth of digging – around ¼ km our neighbour a farmer was able to finish off digging the track as he had finished digging cars out on the main road.





Picture
Cleared Track
Well we are now catching up with things, which includes writing reviews of books I have read over the last few days, some of which by candle light.

It all looks very alpine now, with the sun shining on the snow but that is for another entry








0 Comments

The Potting Shed Papers by Charles Elliott

3/21/2013

0 Comments

 
This is my review of the book The Potting Shed Papers by Charles Elliot, which I have read recently. As you will see from my list of books this is something completely different to the books that I have been reading recently. If you read this blog you will see that I am doing a lot of work on our garden at Trostrie and as inspiration I have been given several gardening books. I also over time I have acquired quite a collection of gardening books, which I will be looking at again.

So getting back to our book, this is a collection of short essays about gardening, covering plants, history, people and machines. He manages to take the seemingly uninteresting and turn it round making it engaging, by using history and relevant anecdotes. Because each essay id fairly short even if one finds that that does not appeal, then probably the next one will, though one of the sad things I noticed was how he describes a beloved cultivator, only to add a ps that it has now been stolen.

The book has nearly 40 chapters and each one is different so I can't really describe them in too much detail, only to say that the book surprisingly kept my interest, so much so that I will be looking out for other ones he has written

An enjoyable read as book 9 week 7 – fiction 8 (1 on audio) non fiction 1




0 Comments

Trostrie Garden - Snowdrops

3/19/2013

0 Comments

 
Friends

Even though the weather does not seem like it, spring has sprung and the snowdrops are popping up all over the place. It is thought that the Romans brought Snowdrops Galanthus to the UK

Picture
The snowdrop grows from a small bulb, producing slender leaves about 15 cm long, and flower stalks ending in a solitary white flower with three spreading outer petals which are larger and more convex than the three inner ones. The flower is milky-white, as indicated by its scientific name, Galanthus (Greek,gala= milk,anthos= flower). There are green markings on the inner petals, which are used as a means of identification.


Picture
Snowdrops @ Trostrie
They grow freely in the wild; but 'wild' snowdrops seem to be garden escapees. It is generally thought that, if you find snowdrops growing wild in the middle of a wood, you can be almost certain that there was once a dwelling there. Snowdrops are generally spread by birds scratching the soil, dispersing the bulbs.


Picture
Snowdrops @ Trostrie
So the fact that we have then growing in an overgrown area of the garden by a flattened area indicates that there used to be buildings there.





Picture
Snowdrops @ Trostrie
All they are is really sign posts that are telling us that the daffodils will be out soon.


This is my ad hoc update and diary describing our garden at Trostrie Cottage in Galloway. You can see the garden for yourself if you book a self catering holiday @The Shieling which is attached to Trostrie Cottage http://www.trostriecottage.co.uk/


0 Comments

The Dreaming Void by Peter F Hamilton

3/14/2013

0 Comments

 
This is my review of the book The Dreaming Void by Peter Hamilton. This is the first book I have read by Peter for a large number of years, and one is immediately struck by the shear quantity of words in the book. The font is small and there is nearly 650 pages.

The first couple of hundred pages seem to be setting the scene and introducing one to the vast crowd of characters. I imagine a lot of people give it before they get to the end of this section because it was a bit boring, sort of a cross between a geography and a history text book.


But once the scene had been set and the story got going it was great. Well in fact it is two stories, that one assumes will be linked in some way in a future book. Both of the story lines could have been books in themselves, and so long as one remembers which refers to whom, then it is exciting.

As often with books that are part of a series, it did not really come to an end, but that of course makes one want to go out and get the next book in the series. The story lines are so vast and complicated that it would take a couple of pages just to write a very short summary, so I am not even going to bother.

If you do read the book then it is worth persevering past the descriptive phase to the more exciting plot line. Also it is not a book that one can easily read whilst doing other things, otherwise one ends up having to re-read the section, as it is quite easy to loose the plot line due to it's complexity. One of the quotes on the cover is “Epic, multi-stranded” and I can't agree more.

An enjoyable read as book 8 week 6 – fiction 8 (1 on audio) non fiction 0

0 Comments

March 2013 Digital Wallpaper – Daffodils in an Orchard

3/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Friends

Please forgive me for not posting this a few days. It was thought about and half written, but other things came along and I did not realise it had not been posted. Oops!

When we were thinking about what to have as March's digital wallpaper, we looked at the long range weather forecast and thought, this is very different to the heat of last year. So maybe it would be good to have an image that reminds us of the warmer weather from 2012

Picture
March Digital Wallpaper
This shot was taken at an old orchard near to Penrith, towards the end of March 2012





Picture
Orchard full of daffodils
The new growth of nature was bursting out all over the place, and it was hard to capture, but I took 129 pictures that day so have lots of future potential





Picture
March Digital Wallpaper without the month
We hope you like our choice of free Daffodils in the Sun March digital wallpaper taken near Penrith last March. Hopefully we have included all common screen size combinations, so you can enjoy it too, over this coming month. There are more free digital wallpapers to be found here...
http://www.fullersfolio.co.uk/photo/freebie.php





0 Comments

Zero Day by David Baldacci

3/7/2013

0 Comments

 
This is my review of the book Zero Day by David Baldacci, which I have read recently. It is always interesting to note in a book the font size and the number of words per page. The version I had of this book, had quite a large font size and fairly few words per page compared to other books, so it was a big fat book, of over 600 pages, but I zoomed through it.

The hero of the story is John Puller, who is a top investigator with the US Army, and he is called to look into the death of a whole family that has high military connections.

The murder took place in an area known for it's mining activity, and very soon the body count is zooming upwards. Helping John is the local homicide detective Samantha Cole.

Family relations and things being not quite what they seem, make the story twist and turn on almost every page.

The story charges along as a roller coaster ride against time – Can they stop a very major disaster happening, and does have an unexpected twist at the end.

An enjoyable read as book 7 week 5 – fiction 7 (1 on audio) non fiction 0 




0 Comments

Trostrie Garden – Paulines Perch

3/6/2013

0 Comments

 
Friends

With a garden that has been around for a number of years and had numerous owners, each person will have made their own alterations to the landscape, and form of it. Pauline decided that she wanted a flat area where she could sit and look at the view, whilst at the same time enjoy the sunshine.

Looking around the garden we identified somewhere between seven and ten areas that were flat and had previously either had a building on them, or were some form of paved floor, but sadly none were quite in the right place.  

Picture
Old Paving Stones
So we decided to make our own. We would recycle some paving slabs from one of the other areas that we would not use

The place Pauline decided that was ideal had a bit of stone wall to one side and the wire fence to the neighbouring field to the other


Picture
Site of Paulines Perch
To make an area large enough we needed to build up one corner


Picture
Stones for foundations
Fortunately there are lots of stones around which can be used as filler foundation


Picture
Check to see if level
It is good to make sure all is level


Picture
Well almost level
well just about


Picture
Clearing the final bits of undergrowth
Pauline hard at work clearing space for the last slabs to go down


Picture
Almost finished
Just got the steps up to the perch to finish off


Picture
The end result
The end result. Just now need some sun to enjoy sitting on it, and a nice cuppa


Picture
This is my ad hoc update and diary describing how I am developing our garden at Trostrie Cottage in Galloway. You can see the garden for yourself if you book a self catering dog friendly holiday @The Shieling which is attached to Trostrie Cottage http://www.trostriecottage.co.uk/

0 Comments

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

3/1/2013

0 Comments

 
This is my review of the book Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This is a book that I thought I knew, having seen several adoptions of it on the TV and even I think one film version, but until now I had never actually enjoyed the original work.

Daniel wrote the book back in the early 1700's and as such the writing style of the time takes a bit of getting used to. So often with more modern book, we zoom into the plot, then back track and fill for around 100 pages to make it all make sense. 

Back in the 1700's it was evidently good practice to start at the beginning and progress slowly through time in an orderly manner. As such the part of the story that is so well known now, does not really appear until well into the second half of the book.

The second element of the book that was a real surprise, was how long Robinson Crusoe, was marooned, on the island. If I had been asked before this I would have said that it was for a few years, and guessed that he was off in under five years. In fact I would have been out by over twenty years.

The enormous time span allows the reader to come to terms with the conflict between hope and despair that he went through whilst waiting to be rescued. The experiences described are based on the real life experiences of the castaway Alexander Selkirk.

The version I listened to was a Librivox.org http://librivox.org/robinson-crusoe-by-daniel-defoe/ version and a very enjoyable 14 hours listening.

This was book 6 week 4 – fiction 6 (1 on audio) non fiction 0 

0 Comments
    Picture

    Tim Fuller

    Dyslexic doodles on photography, food (growing, cooking & of course eating), faith and other fascinating things. This is a personal blog expressing my views.


    www.fullersfolio.co.uk
    www.trostriecottage.co.uk
    www.thespinneycottage.co.uk
    www.cardswithamessage.co.uk
    www.gallowaygetaways.co.uk
     www.tpfuller.com


    Archives

    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    1 Peter
    1 Samuel
    2 Kings 6
    2 Samuel
    52 Books In 52 Weeks
    Acts 14
    Adrian Plass
    Agatha Christie
    Alanna Knight
    Alexander Mccall Smith
    Alexandre Dumas
    Alistair Moffat
    Amy Orr-Ewing
    Andre Norton
    Andrew Harrington
    Andrew Paterson
    Anna K Green
    Ann Cleeves
    Anthony Horowitz
    Arthur B Reeve
    Autumn Colours
    Banana
    Baroness Orczy
    Beetroot
    Biomass
    Blackberries
    Blog Sites
    Booklist 20112012
    Book List 2012
    Book List 2013
    Book List 2013 2014
    Book List 2013-2014
    Book List 2014
    Booklist 2015
    Bread
    Bt Broadband
    Business (Ad)venture
    Butterflies
    Charles Dickens
    Charles Elliott
    Charles Petzold
    Chicken
    Chocolate Brownie
    Christmas
    Christmas Traditions
    Chutney
    C J Sansom
    Clare Francis
    Colin Dexter
    Conn Iggulden
    C S Lewis
    Dan Brown
    Daniel Defoe
    David
    David Baldacci
    David Donachie
    Derek Wilson
    Desmond Bagley
    Diet
    Dorothy L Sayers
    Edmund Clowney
    Elijah
    Elisha
    Elizabeth George
    Eric Van Lustbader
    Faith
    Fish
    Folio
    Food
    Frederic Forsyth
    Frederick Bartlett
    Free Wallpapers
    Freeware
    Gardening
    Gayle Lynds
    George Hendry
    George R R Martin
    G K Chesterton
    Good Choice Foods
    H G Wells
    Holiday Cottage
    Home Group
    How To Loose 50lbs Or More
    H Rider Haggard
    Hungry Giraffe
    Ian Rankin
    Irfanview
    Jack Higgins
    Jam
    Jean-Yves Ferri
    Jed Rubenfeld
    Jeffery Archer
    Jeffery Deaver
    J Jackson Bentley
    John Buchan
    John Cheeseman
    John C Lennox
    John Grisham
    John Le Carre
    John Mortimer
    Johns Gospel
    John Thomas McIntyre
    John Wyndham
    Jo Nesbo
    Jules Verne
    Kate Atkinson
    Ken Follett
    Kielder Power Problems
    Kielder Water
    Kirkcudbright
    Laurence Clarke
    Laurie R King
    Lee Child
    Len Deighton
    Lentils
    Librivox
    Librivoxorgb9a2cc43c9
    Louis De Bernieres
    Low Fat
    Luke
    Margery Allingham
    Martin Bell
    Martin Cruz Smith
    M C Scott
    Michael Chabon
    Michael Crichton
    Michael Dobbs
    Mick Brooks
    Mincemeat
    Monty Don
    Netprotectplus Problems
    Ngaio Marsh
    Nicky Gumbel
    Northumberland
    Oats
    Open Source
    Pasta
    Patricia Highsmith
    Patrick O Brian
    P D James
    Peter
    Peter F Hamilton
    Peter May
    Peter Robinson
    P G Wodehouse
    Phillip Margolin
    Photos
    Pierson
    Plums
    Prayer
    Productivity
    Prophecy
    Python
    Raspberry Pi
    Recipe
    Richard Preston
    Risotto
    Robert Dale
    Robert Goddard
    Robert Harris
    Robert Louis Stevenson
    Robert Ludlum
    Roger Stelljes
    Rory Clements
    Sardines
    Scottish Borders
    Sebastian Faulks
    Simon Conway
    Simon Monk
    Simon Scarrow
    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
    Sir Walter Scott
    Snow
    Software
    Soup
    Spiders
    Spring
    Stella Rimingtom
    Stephen
    Steve Berry
    Steve Timmis
    Story Behind Image
    Stuart Clark
    Summer
    Superfoods
    Suzanne Collins
    Talk
    The Cloud
    Three Wise Men
    Tim Chester
    Trostrie Cottage
    Valerio Massimo Manfredi
    Vegetation
    Victor Appleton
    Vince Flynn
    Watermakering
    Wayne A Grudema172e2ef81
    Weather
    Web Site Design
    Wigtown
    Wilkie Collins
    William Boyd
    William Le Queux
    Willow Wood
    Winter
    Yann Martel
    Zane Grey

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.