Here are my answers to this week’s SYW from Di

What was the last book you read?
My goal at the beginning of this year was to read 40 books and what a great year it has been. Almost all have been excellent reads. I am currently on number 38 – The Precipice by Robert Harris.
I have just finished reading Ancestry by Simon Mawer which is a historical novel where he uses facts from his research about his ancestors and blends it with what he imagines might have happened in their lives. It follows figures like Abrahm Block, a very poor farm boy who leaves home at 15 to go to sea, and George Mawer a soldier in the Crimean War but the focus is really on the very strong and resilient women who were left, without compensation from the army or merchant navy to take care of their families.

Do you think movies are better or worse than the books they are based on?
I prefer to read the book before watching its film adaptation. While it frustrates me when a movie strays too far from the original story, I usually enjoy the film version too. I never imagined that 84 Charing Cross Road, a collection of letters between a London book dealer and an American rare book collector, could translate well to the screen. Yet the adaptation was brilliant, and I ended up loving both the book and the movie equally.

What is the most memorable movie soundtrack or theme to you?
I was about twelve or thirteen when I first watched The Sound of Music, and it has never lost its magic. Even now, I could happily sit down and watch it all over again. Who could ever forget that opening line — “The hills are alive with the sound of music”? Another song that has stayed close to my heart is Fill the World with Love from Goodbye, Mr. Chips. As someone who has taught small children, its message resonates deeply with me.

Did you enjoy the old musicals (Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Howard Keel, Doris Day etc)
In my twenties, I found endless joy in the reruns of old musicals. Among them, one that has never left my heart is the 1936 classic Rose Marie, with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Their duet, Indian Love Call, still echoes in my memory — a hauntingly beautiful song that carries the romance of voices reaching across the distance, as timeless today as it was then.

Gratitude
Everything worked out well for me this past week and for that I am truly grateful.