Madeleine

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths - things have moved on quite a lot since we last met Ruth Galloway, it's now 2 years since the previous book and she has moved from her beloved Norfolk to Cambridge, where she is a senior lecturer at a Cambridge college and living with her partner Frank. Just back from a writing retreat, her old life comes crashing back in the form of DI Harry Nelson, when a convicted murdered insists that Ruth excavates a site where he claims to have buried more of his victims. Reluctantly she agrees, and when it's discovered that there is also a connection to the writing retreat which she just attended, she is once more back with Nelson and his team. This was another enjoyable read, although I felt it did sag slightly in the middle, and taking Ruth out of her old familiar environment gave it a slightly disconnected feel. I did wonder occasionally if the series was starting to run out of steam a little, but the ending points to yet more developments. I did think it was a shame that the old team had been broken up - one of the other detectives has also moved on, although he does appear briefly in this story, but hopefully the gang will continue investigating. There is a great chase across the marshes though, which is very atmospheric, albeit slightly predictable as to how it plays out. 7.5/10

I decorated the small tree yesterday lunchtime, as it's metal and a bit gothic looking I thought I'd stick to a theme and have decorated it with blue, white and silver baubles. Work permitting, I will try to get the main tree out today, and maybe start decorating it. You're right about the decs Chrissy, when I was looking for the blue/silver/white baubles I came across some others that I'd forgotten about!

Well I've put up my Advent tree, and also my new miniature tree made from Venetian glass which is gorgeous but I am of course petrified of touching it as it's so fragile! Have also put up a new small metal tree which I will try to decorate, the larger tree will probably have to wait until the weekend.

Yesterday was lovely and sunny, but cold, back to dreich today!

We had some redwings in the garden a few years ago, haven't seen them since but apparently they are regular winer visitors here. Yesterday was very grey and drizzly, today so far is cold but bright and sunny.

My Eyes Adored You - Franki Valli

always look on the bright side of life - Monty Python

"The Undoing" - big reveal tonight!

We had thick frost yesterday - killed off my remaining busy lizzies! But it has been mild lately, and was much milder today,

ice

We finally have the first real frost of the winter, lovely and sunny though.

Thanks Poppy, I usually get them gift cards but that's harder this year not knowing if the shops will be open in Jan or even still trading, sadly, though I know most are on line now anyway - I've had a couple of close shaves in the past when HMV were in trouble! But yes I think you're right, saying that after this year we should go back to just buying each other something sounds a good idea.

Take Me Home - Sophie Ellis Bextor

candle

I've left off reading long books for a bit, normally I'd have a shorter book on the go as well so maybe that would help if you needed a break from Clash of Kings (which does get better as it goes on, and the 3rd book is a real page turner!) and wanted something a bit lighter (literally as well as psychologically).

It's getting near that time of year again, I have a question which I suppose could be described as a Christmas Etiquette dilemma. It is this - for many years now I've been buying xmas presents (usually in the form of gift vouchers/cards) for an old school friend's 3 children, however as they live quite a long way away and the eldest has now left uni and the youngest has just started, I feel the time might be right to stop buying the children presents, and go back to just buying for my friend, or maybe no presents at all. My question is - how do I put this to my friend without sounding mean/tactless etc?

tent

A sign of how mild it's been - I just noticed that there were some daisies growing again, in the grass!

Exactly the same here, frosty at first, now grey and drizzly.

The Beauty of Broken Things" by Victoria Connelly - Orla lives alone, except for her dog and an occasional visit from her mother, in a castle on the Suffolk coast - following a traumatic incident a few years previously, she has retreated from the world, buying and paying for everything online, even communicating with her gardener using handwritten notes. Luke lives in London, works as a builder and is devastated when his wife Helen is killed in a train crash. When he can bring himself to check her phone, he finds she's been communicating online with a fellow photography fan, Beautifully Broken, to the extent that Helen had promised to send her friend a present. Luke finds the package and decides to deliver it himself. And so begins an unlikely friendship, and a tale of healing, and confronting the past and your problems. It was a nice read, with a lovely setting and two appealing characters, although I'm not quite sure how Orla kept managing to find the money for her castle! It does enter cliché territory a little when her fearsome mother inevitably turns up and throws their friendship into turmoil, but the ending was satisfying without going completely the familiar "Hollywood" route. 7/10

Lethal White - Robert Galbraith

Same here, been quite mild though colder today.

Absolutely, thanks so much for all your hard work Hayley!

M R James is fabulously creepy in an atmospheric way, all quiet villages, spooky churchyards etc! Best thing is to get a short story collection, I think the cheap classics do them.

Quite a haul! Enjoy your books.