Favourite Halloween treats

 This topic from Long and Short Reviews is definitely not for me - I am not a Halloween person. I don't decorate, I don't buy sweets in for kids - in fact every year we go out for dinner so we don't have to pretend to be out. I envy America its rules about the porch light being out meaning no treats here, because here in the UK kids will bang on every door regardless.

And they terrify my cats.

However, as a child I used to go to my best friend's house for a Halloween party, so I do have some experience of Halloween treats. Her parents were very big on apple bobbing, and after we had dunked our faces they would give everyone a freshly-made toffee apple. I didn't care for Halloween even then, but I did love those toffee apples.

So what's your favourite Halloween treat?

Scariest book I've ever read

Despite the fact that I love horror films, I don't often read horror books, so I had to think about this topic from Long and Short Reviews. Somehow the creep factor that I enjoy in a film doesn't seem to carry over into books for me. I don't mind the occasional Stephen King, such as Carrie, but I didn't find it especially scary.

So I ended up choosing The Woman in Black.

The Woman in Black has been adapted into films and a play, both of which are quite a different animal from the book. Certainly the most recent film, while scary, had very little in common with the book apart from the woman and the rocking chair. The book, however, while understated, does have a certain poignance that grips you, making you want a happy ending even though you know there won't be one.

So what's the scariest book you've ever read? 

An odd or useless talent

 This topic from Long and Short Reviews was an easy one for me, as I practise this one a lot, particularly recently.

Many years ago I had the intention of moving to the US and getting my green card. To that end I started memorising state capitals, presidents and so forth as I assumed those were the sorts of things I would be asked. Life happened and I never went, but I also never lost the ability to remember and continue to memorise these facts - most of which are completely useless.

I'm currently reading a book about the vice-presidents of America and have been memorising those. Will I ever need to know who the three VPs for Franklin D. Roosevelt were? Not unless I decide to appear on a quiz show, but hey, I've already been on The Chase, so why not? You may well see me on Pointless or Impossible, hoping against hope that a question about US states or presidents comes up.

So what odd or useless talent do you have?

Required reading in school - yay or nay? And why?

 Growing up in the UK at the time I did, I think I'm at a bit of a disadvantage for this topic from Long and Short Reviews. My school didn't so much have required reading as "this is what you're studying for English lit, like it or lump it." I could live with having to read particular books, but not with the way my school did it.

There is nothing more likely to kick the stuffing out of a good book than being forced to sit in class taking turns to read it out, one paragraph at a time. The number of times I had to sit and listen to the worst reader fumble their way through every word was utterly ridiculous. Why couldn't they just tell us to read it at home? Surely if we didn't bother it would become obvious when we failed the tests?

I can prove this too by "To Kill a Mockingbird". My class didn't do this one (we got "Lord of the Flies" instead) but another class did, and they all utterly hated it. Later on I read the book myself under my own steam and really enjoyed it, probably because I wasn't being made to write essays on why Scout's teacher was a mother figure.

So how do you feel about required reading?

Something I wish someone would invent

 After a week away in the Lake District and Blackpool, I'm back and considering this topic from Long and Short Reviews. What would I want someone to invent? 

I'm sure many people would come up with things which are much more useful, to do with household management or saving lives possibly, but the thing I came up with was a little more personal. I want a foolproof cat attractor.

Why?

My two cats Dash and Spot, who I love, are most definitely not lap cats. Spot is reasonably friendly, but Dash is a moody bugger and hardly ever comes over. Catnip? Don't make me laugh. If I sprinkle it on the floor they'll roll in it, but attempt to attract them with a catnip mouse and they'll just look at me like I'm weird.

We also have a lot of cats in the neighbourhood who I would love to get to know, but most of them leg it the minute you try to approach them. So I would love a foolproof cat attractor so I can finally get some kitty attention.

So what do you wish someone would invent?

Books to include in a time capsule and why

 This topic from Long and Short Reviews was an interesting one. Should I choose current books that would showcase recent times, or books from a wider range because they're classics?

In the end, I went with the classics. Well, some of them anyway.

I think it would be vital to preserve Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters for posterity. In the case of Jane Austen, I chose "Emma". I know many people prefer "Pride and Prejudice", but I've always found the wordplay and style of "Emma" to be more up my street.

As for the Brontes, I'm going to take a more unusual route and say I would preserve "Wuthering Heights" and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall". Okay, I might agree to "Jane Eyre" at a push, but I personally have always preferred Anne and Emily over Charlotte.

And finally? It may be undeserved, but I'd add my own "Photograph" in there. It's my favourite, and probably the only chance I'd get at being remembered past my own lifetime.

So what would you include?

What I do to recharge

 After taking a break last week, since I never cook, I thought I'd put in for this topic from Long and Short Reviews. During lockdown and as we come out it's been important to find things to do to recharge, particularly when trying to switch off after working from home all day. So what do I do?

The first thing I do is read. A lot. Not just fiction, although I usually have at least three books on the go at any one time. I'm fascinated by America, so at the moment I'm reading books on American history, including one about the vice-presidents of America.

I also love to see films and plays. Now that we're allowed back out I've been going to the cinema and theatre - I seriously missed that - but I did a lot of streaming during lockdown too. The Globe had a lot of plays on YouTube, as did the National Theatre.

And now we're allowed out...

Bottomless brunches. What it involves depends on the restaurant, but generally it's a brunch dish plus unlimited prosecco, beer, cocktails or whatever else they specialise in. I've become addicted to them.

So what do you do to recharge?