Hayley

Oooh yay! I hope the foxes are in it, I love them. [Edit: I expanded the description and I see they are in it ] Are the novella's usually that expensive though? I can't remember paying £12.99 for the last one...

Brilliant would you prefer an ebook or physical copy?

I've recently been in touch with the daughter of an author who sadly passed away last year. The daughter, Sarah, was given the rights to her father's autobiography and has since had it published (with Figtree Industries). Sarah is now looking for readers to give an honest review of the book (on their choice of platform) in exchange for a free copy (either physical or ebook). If you are interested in reviewing the book please let me know either via personal message or by replying to this thread. Further details of the book, from the press release, below: 'Beyond the Mayflower Steps - One Man's Journey to Womanhood' 'A touching story filled with social history, depicting Freds' life in Plymouth in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, capturing his journey through life, from his birth in Plymouth at the end of World War II, through a postwar childhood into adulthood, when he travelled around the country and across to Europe as a vagrant in the late 1960s, returning to Plymouth to find a place to call home. He then struggled for 17 years with the knowledge that he was a woman trapped in a mans' body and made the painful decision to leave his family and begin gender reassignment in 1986.' What Others Are Saying "I couldn't put this book down! Reading Joy's story made me laugh and cry. It's a beautifully written and honest insight into her life and a wonderful historical piece! I think everyone should read this book to gain understanding and compassion and no doubt it will be of great help to many people going through similar experiences. It was easy to give this book 5 stars and I'm sure that Joy would be so happy and proud to know her story is out there!" Rebecca R. "I highly recommend this book. It is a heart-felt autobiography full of insight and reflection on the journeys we take in life. The narative is always compelling, but at times this book was hard to read due to the truths being relayed. Joy's story is written in a startlingly honest way; even in the darkest moments, when it would be all too easy to gloss over a fact, Joy gives us everything. I have learnt more about the human condition from reading Beyond the Mayflower steps." Michael P. "Beautiful inside and out. Revealing writing and bound in its lovely cover. Something to treasure truly." Aurelie E. About the Author Joy was born in Plymouth in 1945 and was taken into care aged 4. She identified with her ‘sisters’ from an early age and was confused when she realised she was different from them. She struggled to understand the conflicting feelings inside her until the 1980s when things finally came to a head and she knew he had to become the woman she felt she was born to be. In the first instance, by writing this memoir, Joy sought to put the events of her life to rest. Her daughter thought it had the potential to raise awareness and help other people understand why someone is compelled to make the change. 'This book is my father's legacy and I hope that it can help others, their families and friends who have taken the same lonely path he did. When my father transitioned in 1989, there was virtually no understanding of gender dysphoria and little support for my mum and I and it was a very traumatic, confusing, isolating time for us. I only wish there had been a book I could have read that might have helped us to understand what was going on inside my father's mind and why he was compelled to make the changes that hurt us all so very much.' Sarah Connor (Daughter)

What an interesting mystery! I wonder if it’s the same James Porter who wrote ‘A Prince of Anahuac’. It would be the right time period. Does it have any information about where it was published or printed?

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum. What an amazing find! Unfortunately we don’t have any book valuing experts or contacts here, but there are a couple of bookshops selling ‘A New Work of Animals’ etched by Samuel Howitt through Abe books. Charles Russell in Cirencester has it listed at £375 and Symonds Rare Books in London has one for £700. It might be worth contacting them?

Hi Katty, welcome to the forum! I think we all have that bad book buying habit here .

I forgot to check the page number but I finished the first two stories in The Ladies of Grace Adieu. It’s nowhere near as much as I hoped but it’s been a weird weekend! I’m glad you’re feeling better! My niece is fine, thank you. Her year group is huge so it’s very unlikely she’s even been in contact with the person who tested positive. I did really enjoy what I managed to read! It seems like everyone enjoyed what they read over the read-a-thon so that’s good!

I hope your stomach will start to feel better soon! And I hope everyone is enjoying their reading! I started The Ladies of Grace Adieu yesterday but only managed to squeeze about 15 pages in before I went to bed. My niece has been sent home from school for two weeks because someone in her year tested positive for Covid. I’m her ‘bubble’ and her mom was at work, so I had to help her to sort out her online schoolwork (luckily she had English!). I think I’m really going to like the book though!

I just saw your post and thought ‘woah, it’s been a month already!?’ But you’re right, it’s because we moved the last read-a-thon forwards a week that it feels so soon since the last one. I wouldn’t mind moving it again if you’d prefer, but I’m also happy to join in if it’s this Friday. I think I want to read The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke for it

Hi Margaux, welcome to the forum! I wouldn’t say The Handmaid’s Tale is an easy book to read. If you can read that comfortably I don’t think you’ll struggle with many books in English (unless, maybe, they are old and use outdated language). What type of books do you like?

These were brilliant answers, thanks for getting involved in the thread everyone! Just as it's beginning to turn suspiciously autumnal, we have a summer giveaway winner: Brian.!

I will, thank you I did get to sleep eventually! You know when you just start thinking of a million things when you need to go to sleep? The book helped to distract me from thinking about anything else, but the ending was so tense! I have the next book in that series, The Darker Arts, and I'm leaning towards starting that now. I'm glad you enjoyed most of your reading! I hope today's is as good I read up to the third book in the Chronicles of St Mary's series and I really should go back to it. Especially now I know the ending of the seventh book is so good . I'm glad you're enjoying Moon Over Soho now! It's been quite a while since I read it but I think I remember feeling like it got a lot better further into the book. It had a lot to live up to after the first one didn't it!?

I couldn’t sleep so I finished Loch of the Dead. It was so good but it hasn’t really helped me to feel sleepy! I didn’t make any plans for what I wanted to read this read-a-thon, other than Loch of the Dead, so I’m not sure what to go for next.

Happy reading! I have noticed the tagging issue but I’m not sure what’s stopping it from loading, I can only assume it’s a coding issue, and I’m still waiting to get a price and date from the web developer. Hopefully it’s not too annoying in the mean time but it is on the list to be fixed!

Wow, that's a tongue twister! I'm reading Loch of the Dead by Oscar de Muriel. It's brilliant so far but I haven't had as much reading time as I'd have liked this week. Hoping to finish it over the read-a-thon weekend

My 14 year old niece also finds serial killers (or anything scary, really) fascinating. I can't think of a non-fiction book off the top of my head but I'll ask her if she knows of any when she gets back from school .

Yes, do it . We've extended the read-a-thon to a Monday before, starting a day earlier isn't really different to that!

Hi Molly, welcome to the forum!

Multiple answers are allowed if you can’t choose just one

Extra reading is never a bad thing though. I agree with moving it to the 11th-13th

Recursion sounds very interesting! I find the concept of false memory fascinating but also very disconcerting! It’s a shame there were so many two-stars in that last lot of books. I would have found disliking the first Viking book particularly disappointing as it’s so hard to find a whole series in a charity shop! Fingers crossed that the next one is better though.

Going on a Summer Holiday (Sort Of...) The summer giveaway for Patreon supporters is finally here and this time we're doing something a little bit different. I want supporters to tell me where you would go on holiday, if you could go anywhere. The winner will receive a bookish prize based on their answer! Please post your ideal destinations below Terms and conditions are as usual. Patreon supporters will be automatically entered into the giveaway and selected at random. As we're a little late this year the draw will be held on the second weekend of September. If you aren't currently a supporter but want to be involved in the giveaway you can sign up to support us here: https://www.patreon.com/bookclubforum

That's absolutely fine too. I love starting a new reading log at the beginning of every year . If it makes you feel better about your reading goal, mine was 50 too and I've only read 16 so far!

That does make sense now that I think about it. It's weird though...

I always remember a teacher I had once saying 'we were never meant to read Shakespeare's plays, we were meant to watch them'... which is a good point really. I would vote for Macbeth next, to see how it compares to your memory of it from school!