Stuck-in-a-Book's Weekend Miscellany

Why, hello there. I'm all geared up for my weekend of novellas - in fact, I've snuck another one in by Violet Trefusis, just in case my whim takes me in that direction - but I thought I wouldn't leave you adrift... before I tuck myself up in my room with the world of short novels, here's a link, a book, and a blog post.

1.) The blog post - Peter mentioned Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson when I was asking for suggestions for books about moving house, and my curiosity was definitely sparked - now Jodie's blog post has sealed the deal. Rarely has a review made me so very keen to read a book, and it's absurd that I haven't any Moomin books, given how much I love Jansson's novels and short stories for adults. Is it going to be next on Project 24? Maybe maybe maybe...

2.) The link - thanks to all those people who spotted The Great British Bake Off and told me it would be right up my street. Of course it was! If you're familiar with Masterchef, basically it's that format but with baking. The first episode (which was on last Tuesday, but which I've only just seen) specialised in cakes - the contestants had to make their own speciality cake, then a basic Victoria sponge, and finally a chocolate celebration cake. The judges then sent two bakers home... I was surprised that I found the programme quite genuinely moving! I started off laughing a bit at the idea of competitive cake baking, and the serious tones everyone had, but I felt all anxious and sad when people had to go home... But anything presented by the fab Mel and Sue can't be *too* serious...

Oh, and thrown into the mix is a bit of cake history - including some quite astonishing pictures of the wedding cakes Queen Victoria ordered for her children's weddings! Of course, this is all leading up to a link - until the 14th September you'll be able to watch the first episode here. Episodes continue on Tuesdays... as usual, I don't know whether or not it's available outside of the UK. Hope so!

Appropriately enough, I watched The Great British Bake Off whilst baking a cake. It's a coconut and lime sponge - a combination I haven't tried before, so the proof is in the, er, pudding. Chocolate/lime sponge and coconut sponge with raspberry jam are my favourite types, so I thought combining bits of both might work... it's out the oven and cooling, so I can't show you a pic yet.

BUT (gosh, this is getting more loquacious than most Weekend Miscellanies) this is a good opportunity to show you a piccie or two of a 1950s cakestand I bought last weekend... so I have. I would have loved a three-tier cakestand, but the one I got is pretty darn beautiful...


3.) The book - is getting a bit ahead of myself, but Lyn (of I Prefer Reading) mentioned in our online book group that Capuchin Classics are reprinting Stephen Benatar's When I Was Otherwise next March. His novel Wish Her Safe at Home rather charmed me recently, and with great titles including A.A. Milne's Two People on their backlist, Capuchin may well have scored another triumph..