Madeleine

I like goats, they seem to have great characters.

We had a mixed weekend - dull on Saturday, with a bit of drizzle and rain, then started very dull yesterday, but got better and was quite warm later in the afternoon. Dull again now and meant to get quite cold.

I think it's Labour Day in the US, and in the UK it's just called the May Bank Holiday, not sure why, but who cares, it's a free day off work!

Ugh gross, I've bought an occasional book from an Oxfam shop near work, and they're always in perfect condition, including a brand new hardback for £4.00! None of the books I bought look like they've even been read.

Me too, even with second hand books I check them first - a bit of foxing on the pages is only to be expected, and perhaps a slight crease to the spine to show it's been read, but anything else is a no go.

Finally got "The Essex Serpent". Also "Miraculous Mysteries", a short story collection.

So sorry to hear about William.

pears

I used to watch Longmire sometimes before it went on to Netflix, and I couldn't stand Vic! Although I never liked her when she was in 24, so that might have something to do with it.

I've really enjoyed the first two Midnight books. Have another go at the Sookie books - the TV series deviated a lot from the books - to the point where it was pretty much unrecognisable as being part of the same series, except for the characters - and the books have a totally different ending, and are, pretty much, completely different to the show (and much better I think, as the show got stupider as it went on , I thought).

I did all that but couldn't find any unread posts, however there's been a new post overnight and now I've read it, it seems to have cleared it. thanks for your help.

It's funny watching the very early eps of Friends though, before they got glamourous with perfect haircuts and nails!

I've tried to adjust my setting about notifications but it hasn't made any difference. I can live with it, it just seems a bit superfluous getting a notification which I can see on the relevant thread. Also, my Reading Challenges "books" are constantly highlighted as if I hadn't read a post, but I've been through every page and it's totally clear, so I'm not sure why that keeps showing as having an "unread post"; this hasn't happened on any of the other threads; as soon as I've read the new posts, the "books" go back to the one colour. Again, it's not that serious, just a bit annoying. Thanks!

Yep the old one was too! I see they've agreed to a second series of the X Files, with 10 episodes this time.

That sounds terrible, but he shouldn't be smoking with all those health problems! Hope he's OK.

It's been a nice short week with the Bank Holiday. I've nothing planned either, have a lovely weekend everyone!

Very cloudy but quite muggy, meant to get colder again.

Is that the original one or the new one? I used to like the old one, haven't seen the newbie though!

Just got: The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley Servant of Death by Sarah Hawkswood I see you by Clare Mackintosh

Can't fight this Feeling any more - REO Speedwagon

Keep Feeling Fascination - Human League

Isn't the Professor by Charlotte - my copy is!

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim - this tells the story of 4 women who decide to spend a month at a beautiful villa in the Italian hills - Lotte Wilkins, whose husband Mellersh, an accountant, lets her have an allowance but that's about it; Rose Arbuthnot, whose husband, Frederick, writes racy biogs of long dead aristos and their scandals, which are very successful, but convince Rose that she is living off immoral earnings, and throws herself into her religion and charity work, whilst her husband spends most of his time in London, sometimes for days on end; the beautiful Lady Caroline, aka Scrap, who is fed up with men pawing and groping her, and just wants to be left alone, and widow Mrs Fisher, who also wants time alone. After the usual squabbles over the best room and favourite spot in the garden, the women start to relax and settle into a routine, and then the menfolk start arriving! They're furious when Lotte invites her hubby, then Frederick turns up, and then the house's owner, Mr Briggs, also arrives to see how they are getting on. It's a comedy of manners, with some gentle teasing and gradually a touching study of how the 4 women start to re-discover themselves and get out of the rut they've all found themselves in. I did find the constant references to Scrap's beauty, wonderful voice etc a bit tiresome after a while, but overall it was a nice read and I enjoyed it, and it was especially satisfying to see Lotte and Rose coming out of their shells. I only hope they kept it up once the holiday was over! 7/10 In a dark dark wood by Ruth Ware - this is a well-written psychological thriller (which I can see becoming a TV drama at some point) in which crime writer Nora is surprised to find an email inviting her to Clare's hen night, because she and Clare haven't spoken for 10 years, in fact both have made sure that their paths haven't crossed. So why is she being invited to the hen night, and not the wedding? Her friend Nina, who's also invited, persuades her to go, and so they arrive at a modern, glass house in the middle of afore-mentioned dark dark wood, and are joined by Clare, her friend Flo, who's organised the whole thing, and Tom, a gay man who is presumably treated as a honorary female! As usual the alcohol flows and the bitching starts, but apart from the fact that Nora discovers that Clare is marrying her ex, James, there's still no obvious reason as to why this group has been brought together. Then an intruder is shot on the last night of the weekend, and Nora and Clare are injured in a car accident, but Nora can't remember much after the shooting, and so the second part of the book is taken up with her recovery, and questioning by the police, as gradually her memory comes back in bits, and we finally find out what happened, and also what led up to the shooting. This is the bit which lets the book down a bit (as often happens in this type of thriller), and the more I think about the ending the more plot holes I can see! But it's a gripping page turner, and I liked Nora's resourceful character, even if her memory loss makes her an unreliable narrator at times, but I was rooting for her to come through, even if the eventual reveal was a bit melodramatic. 8/10

Dull and cold!

Lost in Music - Sister Sledge