Madeleine

It's out in paperback now.

Glad you liked it - well they say that the quiet ones are often the most surprising... or maybe that scene is her fantasy I really enjoyed the second book too, they go back to Elizabethan London and meet Elizabeth I herself, and there's also a dodo hunt which is very funny, although there are some serious moments too.

Just got "A Pitying of Doves" by Steve Burrows, and "How to find love in a Bookshop" by Veronica Henry.

We're dog-sitting for the next 2 weeks, give or take a day or so and I have a few days off to do some dog-bonding and hopefully it will be a bit cooler so we can go out for some nice walks, not that she likes going out anyway, she much prefers lolling around on the bed or the couch all day! She's getting on a bit now and sadly has cataracts so can't see very much and is deaf as well, but is quite lively otherwise, especially when there's (human) food around. She's a roan cocker spaniel, really pretty.

Very hot here yesterday and looks like being even hotter today. Fingers crossed the air con doesn't conk out! I had the back door open whilst I was eating my breakfast this morning which was nice.

Yes it would have been interesting to see what Orwell had to say about today's society full of cameras and people's every move being mentioned on social media, and having read The Picture of Dorian Gray last year I'd love to have seen what Oscar Wilde would make of today's celebrity culture and yes, social media, I think he would have loved it (and probably loathed it too).

Sounds lovely Noll, and as you say something nice to look forward to.

I love the British Library books, I have all of John Bude's on my tbr pile, glad you can recommend this one!

Oh yes having a sleep during the day is an absolute killer for me, I tried it on a walking weekend when we came back around 4.00, didn't sleep well and woke up with a splitting headache and feeling sick, and I've noticed that happen before when I've tried it. My friends manage to have a nap during the day if they want one, but it makes me feel even worse. 4-5 hours is the most I get as well, that's a good night's sleep for me

Thanks Athena - yes I've heard that routine helps, and also not having any gadgets in the bedroom, which I don't have, I used to listen to the radio for a while but now I just read for about 20-30 minutes. Trouble is I live on a main road so it can get a bit noisy sometimes, plus the traffic starts fairly early. I don't know maybe some people just have erratic sleeping patterns!

Hi Kimberley and welcome, do you have any favourite books or authors?

I'm all over the place with them, I first came across them round about book 12 or so, read the next few, then left them for a bit, and I still haven't read any of the ones before Falling in Love and after Through a Glass Darkly, although I did read the very first one last year. But a character from the first book features strongly in Falling in Love, which was why I wanted to read it now, whilst the memory of the character was still fairly fresh in my mind.

The dog's lovely too.

Insomnia's horrible, I can sympathise. I found sleeping tablets were useless, both the prescribed and "natural" ones (Nytol). Has anyone got any tips or advice? Being really humid at night hasn't helped either.

Tissues

Yes we all thought Val (or Candice) would have gone this week. There are some promising bakers so far, so I think it will be quite close.

Thought I'd also log my purchases here. On Saturday I got "Death wears a Mask", the second in a cosy crime series by Ashley Weaver; I enjoyed the first book and have been after this one for a while.

Sounds lovely, I agree about the seaweed, it's horrible when it gets wrapped round your legs! I'd be looking out of the window all day if I worked where you are, much nicer than tall buildings and traffic fumes so we can't even have the windows open sometimes.

You've certainly been up and down the country! Hope the journeys weren't too bad.

Rained nearly all day yesterday, but nice and sunny today.

We've all been there re the washing, I think small things can get wrapped up in the larger items, so shake that stuff out before you put it in the machine!

Hope you enjoy the spa Talisman, sounds like you need it! Sounds lovely though.

Cowboys and Angels by George Michael

The film version of Before I go to Sleep is on TV next week, think it's on Film 4. I've been waiting for it for ages, read the book but thought the ending let it down a bit, standard woman in peril stuff.

I've read the first book and quite enjoyed it - I admit it's a fairly straightforward police procedural, but it looks like being a promising series and I have the next ones in the series. I like the setting as well, as I've been to Cambridge a few times.