Onion Budgie

I just finished Eleanor Oliphant. Eleanor herself was an interesting character, but overall I found the story too predictable, the minor characters too broad. I didn't find the ending inspired. Never mind. 3/5. I hope you're still liking it, @chesilbeach Now on to Gently By the Shore by Alan Hunter, which I picked up because it's set in my neck of the woods - Norfolk! I'm looking forward to catching all the local references and descriptions.

I'm reading Eleanor Oliphant at the moment too -- I'm about two-thirds of the way through it. (Btw, Eleanor would slap you silly for calling her Elinor Elephant! ) I'm rather enjoying it; it's unlike anything else I've ever read. Let us know how you like it!

Went out to vote this morning. Only a couple other voters in the polling station besides me; you'd think the place would be bustling. I wonder what the overall turnout % will be?

Overcast, cool and windy. No rain yet.

Tonight it's egg salad, with tofu and black beans, and some spicy baked potato wedges.

Hmm, I'm not familiar with any of their recommendations either. For the first, I'd recommend James Baldwin. Another Country is one of his best known works, and my personal favourite, chronicling racial and emotional tensions between a group of friends in 1950s New York. For the second, poetry is my blind spot, although I've read and enjoyed some Allen Ginsberg, which is modern-ish? You might like Howl -- which is short, at least! And for the third, I can suggest a couple: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, which hops back and forth to give the point of view of the killers as they prepare for their crime, to the crime's aftermath and the narrator's interviewing of the townsfolk. That's not a big time jump, though, so might not be what you're looking for. Then there's Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, which tells the tale of three generations of one family, each in their own time period. It's not far off 500 pages, however!

Here are my own Top 5 Stinkers: 1. Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner. An LGBT Christmas romance, terribly written and cheesily executed. A seasonal atrocity that went straight in the bin. 2. Hard Times by Charles Dickens. Grim, gruff, and grisly. Dank, dark, and depressing. 3. Under the Net by Iris Murdoch. Cardboard characters, and a plot as stagnant as the darkest swamp water. 4. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. I'd heard that this was a great comic novel and foolishly believed the hype. I so badly wanted to strangle every character in this book. 5. Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie. See (4) above. Plus, in this one, THERE'S NO PLOT. They're desperate for whisky. They find some whisky. That's it. I'd have sent this guy a case on Page 1 and saved him the trouble of writing the rest.

You're welcome! It just took a little Googling. You gave good info.

Is it Harold and Bella, Jammy and Me by Robert Leeson?

!!! Holy moly. Steady sunshine here for most of the day. Lovely.

On the subject of plant milk, I just made the switch from soya to Alpro's unsweetened almond milk, and wahooooo, it's taking some getting used to. My morning All Bran is tasting decidedly funky, let me tell you. But the almond stuff is better for you, so I'm sticking with it. I'll get used to it -- I hope! Nothing fancy tonight, just using up some of the leftover veg. Shredded sprouts & carrots, stir fried with chickpeas, sunflower & pumpkin seeds, paprika & garlic, and a shaking of nooch, with kale & pak choi, a corn cob, and a sliced avocado. What a hodgepodge!

Hi Dave, and welcome! This topic will no doubt be moved to our Reading Recommendations section. I haven't read anything by Jeffrey Archer -- but I've heard that Sidney Sheldon and Ken Follett have very similar writing styles, so you might consider starting there.

Today it's a homemade nut roast with mashed potatoes, steamed veg, and gravy. One of my favourite Sunday dinners.

This is an interesting topic, and one that I've also been ruminating on of late. The price of books, especially new release hardbacks, can be high. The possibility of shaving ~£10 from the cover price by opting for a third party seller would be tempting for most of us, I'd wager. I'm guilty of that. If I didn't purchase a new book this way occasionally, I might not buy the book at all, so nobody wins, and it's one less person offering positive feedback on a book. I'm in the situation where most of the authors I enjoy are already dead, so it's less of an issue!

Finished Holding. Loved it, 4/5. Now on to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, which I'm excited to read; it's had a lot of positive reviews. On a separate note, I've already planned ahead for my Christmas reading. It's still May. I may or may not be a little demented.

I can't think of very many -- at least not in that time period. Arthur Conan Doyle published The Lost World in 1912. Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote some sci-fi, including Under the Moons of Mars. (I just Googled, and there's a wikipedia list here that you might find interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_science_fiction#1900s )

I've almost finished Holding by Graham Norton, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting, sympathetic characters, and a plot that's not exactly twisty, but intriguing enough that you can't wait to learn whodunnit. After I've found out whodunnit (probably by the weekend), I think I might start Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I like oddball characters, and Eleanor sounds like a fascinating one. This is a new release, anyone else heard of it and/or thinking of reading it?

It's a scorcher here on the east coast. 24C inside, and I'd have the windows open wider, but they can only be ajar because I have two lil budgie birds flying around like Boeing 747s! T-shirt weather at last!

Yes, I still eat eggs.

There are a lot of different labels, I agree, and it can get confusing. I'm an ovo-veggie (no meat, no fish, no dairy). It took me becoming one to learn what it meant!

That's not vegetarian! Yes, I am pedantic.

Veggie chilli, with wild & white rice, steamed broccoli and pak choi, and a sliced avocado on top.

I read Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes when I was in my teens, and I loved The Fabulous Hoplite -- as one of the flamboyant minor characters was so nicknamed. I found him hilarious, and was so disappointed when the film version came out and the character barely made an appearance. (Related to the latter, I can think of a few minor characters that appeal to me largely because of their film or TV characterisations, and not necessarily as how they were originally written.) Some minor characters are fascinating because of how little is revealed about them. Langdale Pike, for example, from the Sherlock Holmes stories. He is mentioned, I think, precisely once, in a single paragraph, and doesn't have a scrap of dialogue! And yet, he intrigues so many Holmesians. Similarly, the character of Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother, who only appears a handful of times throughout the canon.

We had to read The Pearl in class at secondary school. I found it horribly depressing. I wonder if I might like it better now, 30 years on. I've read other Steinbecks which I enjoyed far more, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, etc. He was always a favourite author of my mother's, and I would borrow her copies.

Today is the first day of National Vegetarian Week! It also marks my one year veggieversary. One of my better decisions for sure. Have a great week, everyone.