poppyshake Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 I occasionally have catch-ups when I've fallen several books behind, with several mini-reviews to a post - no more than a paragraph or so long. I like to write something, as it helps me remember my thoughts later, never mind everybody else!! It's amazing how easily I can forget some books, even those I really liked or really hated at the time. This is what I need to do .. keep it short! I always intend to but rarely stick to it. Also, I've mentioned this before, I write marvellous reviews in my head when out walking .. plan it all out and everything but then when I get home I either fail to write it up or my mind wipes it. Yes .. there are books that I love that I would struggle to give a decent idea of to someone if they asked me It's shocking really .. how little I retain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Good luck Kay ! It sounds ambitious, but hopefully at least you'll have some fun . I quite like The BFG, I hope you enjoy it. Have you read it before? (I can't remember if you ever mentioned it before yesterday). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Good luck! I hope you enjoy Don't Tell Alfred. I've had it on reservation for weeks from the library - I hope it comes soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 it's great to share our views on books but it's reading them that's important Exactly ! What she said ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Hope you enjoy Spill Simmer Falter Wither. I liked it, the writing was beautiful, but I found the mundane and uneventful plot quite tedious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 The BFG by Roald Dahl (must read it before seeing film later this year ) I love The BFG! I thought the trailer for the new film looked brilliant. It seems as though it will be more like the book than the old animated film. Good luck with your challenge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 Good luck Kay ! It sounds ambitious, but hopefully at least you'll have some fun . I quite like The BFG, I hope you enjoy it. Have you read it before? (I can't remember if you ever mentioned it before yesterday). Thanks Gaia! I read myself into a headache yesterday Oh dear, what a bad beginning! I've read two .. and started another but will take it more steady over the next few days. Good luck! I hope you enjoy Don't Tell Alfred. I've had it on reservation for weeks from the library - I hope it comes soon! It was a bit of a struggle Janet tbh It might be me but it didn't have the spark of the other two and a lot of it was about French politics. I missed the Radlett's and the Hampton's/Montdore's so much. That's not to say that it wasn't good ... it just wasn't as brilliant as I was hoping. Hope you get on better with it. Exactly ! What she said ! Hallelujah! Hope you enjoy Spill Simmer Falter Wither. I liked it, the writing was beautiful, but I found the mundane and uneventful plot quite tedious. Oh dear! Having said that I do find that sometimes I like mundane and tedious If I like the writing I don't mind if it meanders along .. we'll see. Thanks Noll I love The BFG! I thought the trailer for the new film looked brilliant. It seems as though it will be more like the book than the old animated film. Good luck with your challenge! Thanks Hayley I really enjoyed The BFG .. it made me giggle constantly and was a delight to read. The trailer does look brilliant .. I'm beyond excited .. I just wish it was avaialable to see NOW!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 Alan and I met up with lovely Janet and Claire yesterday I don't want to make you jealous or anything but we met up in the bookshop and had coffee and cake/biscuits .. plus lots of booky chat (and other stuff .. we basically set the world to rights! ) Such a lovely day .. plus Alan bought me a couple of books (haha .. so good meeting in a bookshop you have to pass through it to get in or out of the cafe .. genius! ) I can't have them until tomorrow though Just as well because the challenge is making me nervous of books at the moment I'm eyeing them all warily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Having a cafe in Waterstone's is just genius! I do wish they hadn't changed it though. It looks lovely and clean and fresh, but too exposed. That's just my opinion though, I guess they know what they're doing! I shall look forward to seeing what books you got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Happy birthday lovely lady. I hope you have a wonderful day. Enjoy your trip out with Alan. xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 I think the space is just a bit too small for the café they've set up and as we discussed, the old layout was better. They should have just given it a lick of paint and changed the furniture to give it their own look, instead of moving around the counter. Too many tables for two also, which didn't seem to suit moving together to make a bigger table for a bigger group. Still, the coffee, cakes and company were great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) Happy birthday lovely lady. I hope you have a wonderful day. Enjoy your trip out with Alan. xxx Thank you lovely Janet I have had a wonderful day .. so your hopes have been fulfilled I ate a lot and looked at/bought books .. so happy days! xx Thank you so much for my book token .. I've spent it Janet xx The ink on it wasn't yet dry xx Will post pics soon. Edited February 25, 2016 by poppyshake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 Having a cafe in Waterstone's is just genius! I do wish they hadn't changed it though. It looks lovely and clean and fresh, but too exposed. That's just my opinion though, I guess they know what they're doing! I shall look forward to seeing what books you got. I think the space is just a bit too small for the café they've set up and as we discussed, the old layout was better. They should have just given it a lick of paint and changed the furniture to give it their own look, instead of moving around the counter. Too many tables for two also, which didn't seem to suit moving together to make a bigger table for a bigger group. Still, the coffee, cakes and company were great! It is a shame .. I liked it how it was It was cosier before. The cakes were great .. and the company as you say Claire but .. though it looks lovely and all .. it's not what it was! Ah well .. we can try Costa's another day .. it's not that cosy in there though either I hate change!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 Thank you Claire for my lovely books So exciting! :exc: xx. I do love this time of year .. I'm always drowned by books It has to last me though as I have a lean time of it for the rest of the year I hope to get my book pics sorted and put them up soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunn300 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Many happy returns for yesterday. I happened to be in the Cirencester Waterstones last week, which is the one I think you are referring to, and was also very disappointed in the new cafe layout. The new Costa across the road however is also no better. My favourite café in Ciren is Coffee number 1, as not only do they make great coffee, they also have no wifi so you don't get table clogged with people on their computers. A great place to spend a few hours reading. I hope you enjoy all your new books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Thank you lovely Janet I have had a wonderful day .. so your hopes have been fulfilled I ate a lot and looked at/bought books .. so happy days! xx Thank you so much for my book token .. I've spent it Janet xx The ink on it wasn't yet dry xx Will post pics soon. I'm glad you had a good birthday. And you're very welcome. I shall look forward to the pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Many happy returns for yesterday. I happened to be in the Cirencester Waterstones last week, which is the one I think you are referring to, and was also very disappointed in the new cafe layout. The new Costa across the road however is also no better. My favourite café in Ciren is Coffee number 1, as not only do they make great coffee, they also have no wifi so you don't get table clogged with people on their computers. A great place to spend a few hours reading. I hope you enjoy all your new books. Thanks tunn It's a great shame about the Waterstone's cafe .. I agree though .. the Costa is no better. I like Coffee #1 .. Janet and I have met in there before and they do have bookshelves (WITH books .. though mostly cookbooks etc) .. it does get busy though .. sometimes Al and I have been lucky to get a seat. I'm not much of a fan of Cafe Nero as they almost killed me once with the strength of their coffee (I'm a bit of a coffee wimp though it has to be said ) but you couldn't beat the old Waterstone's Costa cafe .. it had cosy corners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 I'm glad you had a good birthday. And you're very welcome. I shall look forward to the pics! I'm attaching one now .. I'd better list my books .. as my pic is not of the best quality. I'd OD'd on cake and so everything was a bit .. hazy There's one preserving book (as in cooking) amongst them which I won't list but the others are .. Wake Up Sir by Jonathan Ames At Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth by Katherine Woodfine Weathering by Lucy Wood The Versions Of Us by Laura Barnett The Bees by Lalline Paull The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Nightbird by Alice Hoffman The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin Through the Woods by Emily Carroll A Notable Woman by Jean Lucey Pratt I asked Alan to get me the dreaded Turkish Gambit with the wrong cover .. I do believe that's the third time this edition has been in the house but I've given up trying to find the right cover now (and Alan tried extensively too .. getting in arguments with book sellers along the way ) .. I need to get on with the story so will just have to bite the bullet It's a second hand copy (a hardback too .. which once I would have called a double insult .. but I'm getting fond of them in my old age ) so eventually, I'll hopefully find the right edition, and this one can go to the second hand bookshop for them to vex future readers with So that's 16 books to add to my TBR :cows: The reading challenge hasn't gone too badly .. I have one day to go and one book .. except for .. I saved the largest until last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Glad you had a lovely birthday, Kay. Excellent book presents ... birthdays are the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted February 28, 2016 Author Share Posted February 28, 2016 Glad you had a lovely birthday, Kay. Excellent book presents ... birthdays are the best! Aren't they? I'm determined to have more of them xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 What a lovely lot of books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Glad you enjoyed your birthday and congrats on the awesome haul - haven't heard of most of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Happy belated Birthday ! I just downloaded that Menna van Pragg book ; it does look good. I`ve had At Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept in my ` buy at some point ` list, looking forward to your review. Er, no pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 It's on my wish list too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Great haul of books P! I love 'Eleanor & Park', it's a lovely story, definitely one of my favourites. I have 'The Versions Of Us' and 'The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth' on my wishlist (I've still to read 'The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow'), I have 'The Bees' on my kindle (still to read it). I look forward to your review of 'Through the Woods', that's on my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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