Madeleine

Got let out of work early so did some last minute shopping, and today it was still light at 1600! Very mild as well.

Thanks Will for all your hard work on this, and thank you for posting links to everyone's lists - makes it much easier!

Thanks Pixie, I've been looking for this one so will try to find out, it's somewhere in the TBR piles....

Me too, I'm also wearing long-sleeved T-shirts with a cardie over them, although it is very hot and stuffy in our office, but it's pretty mild out too, although still grey and drizzly, so need an anorak and scarf. Just had an email from my cousin in Australia and it's been in the 40s there!

Hound Dog - Elvis Presley

Just some wrapping to do, and of course some shopping, my mum is dragging me to Sainsbury's tomorrow! Have a great time everyone - home PC won't let me do emojis, so will do them now.

Thanks Chalie - I thought the Twilight series went off after the first 2 books, so will be interested to see what this one's like, thank you! And thank you Will for your challenge too.

Another horrible murky day with drizzle and no real daylight - 3rd day in a row now it's been like this - still it is the shortest day.

Challenges to me 1. by Willoyd - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 2. by Chesilbeach - How to Stop time by Matt Haig 3. by Karen.d - The Lake House by Kate Morton 4. by Alexi - Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 5. by Chaliepud - The Host by Stephenie Meyer 6. by Little Pixie - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourne 7. by Frankie - Bleak House by Charles Dickens 8. More Reading Time Required - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 9. Ben - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Challenges by me 1. Willoyd - Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis 2. Chesilbeach - Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart 3. Karen.d - Labyrinth by Kate Mosse 4. Alexi - Heresy by S J Parris 5. Chaliepud - The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge 6. Little Pixie - The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths 7. Frankie - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 8. More Reading Time Required - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 9. Ben - Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Yep that's right, anything without a tag hasn't been read.

All the best in your new home Virginia, glad you're in for the holidays!

My list is all on Library Thing, if you want to see my books you'll need to register with them (I think it's free), sorry but I just don't have time to list all my tbr books!

the Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler

Favourite read? Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner Favourite author? Jodi Taylor Most read author? Jodi Taylor/Elly Griffiths (2 each) Favourite book cover? The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick Book you abandoned (if there was more than one, the one you read least of)? - The Book Thief by Marcus Zuzak Book that most disappointed you?
- The Book Thief Funniest book?
 A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor Favourite literary character? Ruth Galloway 
Favourite children's book?
- N/A Favourite classic?
 N/A Favourite non-fiction book?
 Nigel - My Family and other Dogs by Monty Don Favourite biography?
- N/A Favourite collection of short stories? Murder on Christmas Eve 
Favourite poetry collection?
N/A Favourite illustrated book?
N/A Favourite publisher?
N/A Favourite audiobook? N/A Favourite re-read? N/A

The Mistletoe Murder by P D James - 6 short stories by the acclaimed and much-missed author, including two featuring her best-known detective, Adam Dalgleish. 7/10 Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith - this year's Christmas offering from the British Library Crime Classics series is a whydunit rather than a whodunit. Every Christmas, Adrian Gray gathers his 6 children at his lonely house for the festive season, which is anything but jolly as they all resent him for one reason or another, and this year (1931) he's found dead in his study, having been clobbered over the head with a heavy object. The killer's identity is soon revealed to the reader, but not the family and initially the wrong person is hauled off on suspicion of being the culprit. But gradually the background story is filled in, and hopefully justice will be served to the correct person. An enjoyable story, with lots of fascinating family dynamics (albeit with a now disturbing under current of anti-Semetism) 7/10 A Christmas Secret by Karen Shaw - Alex Hyde is an executive life coach, who sorts out the top people's business problems, and when she gets a call a few weeks before Christmas to try to deal with the mercurial head of a whisky distillery on the Scottish isle of Islay, she sets off, hoping to be home before Christmas. The man in question, Lochlan, doesn't want to be helped and most of their meetings end with him physically removing Alex from his office. But gradually (and of course not surprisingly) she starts to break through his carapace, and finds family secrets and people with their own agendas. A crystal ball isn't needed to predict how it will all turn out, but the setting was lovely and it was a nice escapist read, even if some of the characters were a bit clichéd. 7/10

Black Velvet - Alannah Myles

The Secret of Crickley Hall - James Herbert

We had a lovely sunset last night too, but so much for a red sky meaning a nice morning the following day - it's murky and drizzly and vile!

clock

It's happened to me more times than I can remember, Talisman, and you don't always notice the damage if you don't happen to be looking at that part of the car, especially now it's dark early. So annoying. One of our managers came back to her car a while ago and found someone had left a note on the windscreen with their number as they'd backed into her car, and she was really surprised when I told her that she was lucky they admitted it, as I've never had anyone confess, except one time when someone backed into my mum's car and someone saw it happen, and fetched her as they knew she worked in one of the local shops. The two separate claims issue sounds like the insurance company pushing things up themselves. I agree the doors are probably more important though, that's what bumpers are for after all as long as the damage isn't too bad.

That's gorgeous.

Horrible weekend, rained most of the time, especially yesterday when it hardly stopped, and heavy too. Nice and bright today so far.

He's cute! Finished decorating my tree, wrote the rest of the cards, went to do some wrapping and realised I hardly had any paper left - enough for small things like jewellery, CDs, but not for larger so had to go and get another roll.

49, should hit 50.

Kiss is on my List - Hall and Oates