Kell

READ IN 2006 RC = Reading Circle PC = Posh Club OC = Olympic Challenge CBUK = Reviewed for Children's Books UK A = reviewed at request of author P = reviewed at request of publisher Red = Unfinished Green = 10/10 So far this year I've read (with marks out of 10): Ongoing: The Case of El Chupacabra by K Armstrong (online novella - being posted on her official site in instalments throughout the year) - 7 December (8) (ave. 7.75) 124. The Eagle's Prophecy ~ S Scarrow - 9 123. Buried Fire ~ J Stroud - 7 122. Hearts of Stone ~ K Ernst - 7 (P) 121. Never Let Me Go ~ K Ishiguro (OC) - 8 120. Gentlemen and Players ~ J Harris - 8 119. The Nanny Diaries ~ N Kraus & McLaughlin - 7 118. The Mistress of Spices ~ C B Divakaruni (OC) - 7 117. About the Author ~ J Colapinto - 9 November (10) (ave. 7.3) 116. Single White Vampire ~ L Sands - 7 115. The Snow Spider ~ J Nimmo - 8 114. Autobiography of a Geisha ~ S Masuda (OC) - 7 113. Notes on a Scandal ~ Z Heller (PC) - 5 112. Oracle ~ I Watson - 8 111. Bitten and Smitten ~ M Rowan - 7 110. Bimbos of the Death Sun ~ S McCrumb - 7 109. Undead & Unemployed ~ M Davidson - 7 108. The Secret Purposes ~ David Baddiel (RC) - 8 107. Dying Light ~ S Macbride - 9 October (10) (ave. 7.6) 106. The Angel Stone ~ L Michael (CBUK) - 7 105. The Abortionist's Daughter ~ E Hyde (PC) - 7 104. The Black Tattoo ~ S Enthoven (CBUK) - 7 103. Frankenstein ~ M Shelley - 7 102. Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony ~ E Colfer (CBUK) - 8 101. Clash of the Sky Galleons ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8 100. Vampire Beach: Initiation ~ A Duval - 8 99. The Kite Runner ~ K Hosseini - 9 98. The School for Husbands ~ W Holden - 7 97. A Tale Etched in Blood & Hard Black Pencil ~ C Brookmyre - 8 September (14) (ave. 7.6) 96. Wintersmith ~ T Pratchett - 7 95. Girl With a One-Track Mind ~ A Lee - 8 In the Frame ~ various (CBUK) Redwall ~ B Jacques (CBUK) 94. The Medici Seal ~ T Breslin (CBUK) - 8 93. Freeglader ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7 92. Vox ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7 91. The Last of the Sky Pirates ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8 90. Midnight Over Sanctaphrax ~P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7 89. Stormchaser ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8 88. Beyond the Deepwoods ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 7 87. The Winter Knights ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 8 86. The Curse of the Gloamglozer ~ P Stewart & C Riddell (CBUK) - 9 85. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief ~ R Riorden (CBUK) - 8 Eragon ~ C Paolini (RC) The Queen of Tambourine ~ J Gardam (RC) 84. The Tale of the Miller's Daughter ~ J Vauderhooft (A) - 8 83. Ithaka ~ A Geras (CBUK) - 7 August (13) (ave. 7.5) 82. Captives ~ T Pow (CBUK) - 6 81. Vampire Mountain ~ D Shan - 8 80. The Big Over Easy ~ J Fforde - 8 79. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning ~ L Snicket - 6 78. Cold Granite ~ S McBride (PC) – 9 77. Hitler’s Canary ~ S Toksvig (CBUK/OC) – 8 76. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters ~ R Riorden (CBUK) – 7 75. The Mob ~ C Martini (CBUK) – 7 74. The Cleopatra Curse ~ K Roberts (CBUK) – 7 73. Vampire Beach: Bloodlust ~ A Duval (CBUK) – 7 72. Empress Orchid ~ A Min (RC/OC) – 8 71. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists ~ G Defore – 9 70. Vernon God Little ~ DBC Pierre (OC) – 7 July (6) (ave. 6) 69. The Case of the General’s Thumb ~ A Kurkov (OC) – 4 68. Bad Kitty ~ M Jaffe (CBUK) – 8 67. We Need to Talk About Kevin ~ L Shriver (PC) – 3 66. The Rainbow Bridge ~ A Flegg (CBUK/OC) – 7 65. Emma ~ J Austen (RC/OC) – 6 64. Lolita ~ V Nabokov (OC) – 8 June (11) (ave. 7.7) 63. Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation ~ L Truss – 7 62. How to Kill Your Husband (and Other Handy Household Hints) ~ K Lette – 8 61. The Wicker Man ~ R Hardy & A Shaffer – 7 60. Undead and Unwed ~ M Davison – 7 59. Broken ~ K Armstrong (OC) – 8 If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things ~ J McGregor 58. The Five People You Meet in Heaven ~ M Albom (PC/OC) – 7 57. The Historian ~ E Kostova (RC) – 7 56. Orphan of the Sun ~ G Harvey (CBUK) – 8 55. Geisha of Gion ~ M Iwasaki (OC) – 9 54. Set in Stone ~ L Newbury (CBUK) – 9 53. I, Lucifer ~ G Duncan – 8 May (17) (ave. 7.2) 52. Sickened ~ J Gregory – 6 51. Tunnels of Blood ~ D Shan– 8 50. The Vampire’s Assistant ~ D Shan– 8 49. Cirque du Freak ~ D Shan – 8 48. The Constant Princess ~ P Gregory (OC) – 8 47. Confessions of a Bad Mother ~ S Coleman – 7 46. A Long Way Down ~ N Hornby – 7 45. Her Rightful Inheritance ~ B Brown – 7 44. A Man Named Dave ~ D Pelzer – 7 43. The Lost Boy ~ D Pelzer – 7 42. 44 Scotland Street ~ A McCall Smith (OC) – 6 41. The Doomspell ~ CMcNish – 6 40. Red Wulf’s Curse ~ C Priestley (CBUK) – 8 39. The White Rider ~ C Priestley (CBUK) – 8 38. Death and the Arrow ~ C Priestley (CBUK) – 9 37. Endymion Spring ~ M Skelton (CBUK) – 7 36. The Wise Woman ~ P Gregory – 6 April (9) (ave. 7) 35. Things We Knew Were True ~ N Gerard – 4 34. The Undomestic Goddess ~ S Kinsella – 8 33. Q&A ~ V Swarup (PC/OC) – 8 32. Life of Pi ~ Y Martel (OC) – 8 31. Wolf Girl ~ T Tomlinson (CBUK) – 9 30. Who Was Boudicca?: Warrior Queen ~ S Busby (CBUK) – 6 29. The Virgin’s Lover ~ P Gregory – 7 28. Plague Sorcerer ~ C Russell (CBUK) – 7 Jerome's Quest ~ D Hill (A) 27. A Ghost Among Us ~ D Hill (A) – 6 March (7) (ave. 7.4) 26. Chocolat ~ J Harris – 9 25. Not Quite a Mermaid: Mermaid Friends ~ L Chapman (CBUK) – 7 24. Blindsighted ~ K Slaughter (RC) – 6 23. The Queen’s Fool ~ P Gregory – 7 22. 24 Hours ~ G Iles – 9 21. The Land of the Wand ~ D Hill & S Brandenberg (A) – 7 20. Dying Voices ~ L Wilson – 7 February (9) (ave. 7.6) 19. Tambourlaine Must Die ~ L Welsh – 6 18. The Other Boleyn Girl ~ P Gregory – 8 17. Troll Fell ~ K Langrish - 7 16. How I Live Now ~ M Rosoff – 6 15. My Sister’s Keeper ~ J Piccoult (RC/PC) – 9 14. The Eagle’s Prey (Book 5) ~ S Scarrow – 10 13. Cross Stitch ~ D Gabaldon (PC) – 9 12. Otherworld Tales 2005 (e-collection) ~ K Armstrong – 6 11. American Gods ~ N Gaiman – 7 January (10) (ave. 7.3) Letters From America ~ A Cooke (PC) 10. Beginnings (e-novella) ~ K Armstrong – 8 9. Ascension (e-novella) ~ K Armstrong – 8 8. Savage (e-novella) ~ K Armstrong – 7 7. The Devil in Gray ~ G Masterton (RC) – 6 6. The Jane Austen Book Club ~ K J Fowler – 7 5. Morality Play ~ B Unsworth – 8 4. The Eagle and the Wolves (Book 4) ~ S Scarrow – 9 Trace ~ P Cornwell (RC) 3. The Dark Behind the Curtain ~ G Cross – 5 2. The Bad Mother’s Handbook ~ K Long – 7 1. Labyrinth ~ K Moss – 8

Please don't post spoilers of the books I'm currently reading or have yet to read! Books read in 2006 Books read in 2007 Books read in 2008 Books read in 2009 Books read in 2010 Books read in 2011 Books read in 2012 Books read in 2013 Books read in 2014 Books read in 2015 Books read in 2016 Books read in 2017 Reading America Challenge Carole Matthews Challenge: (All books for this challenge will be borrowed from the library) Chocolate Lovers’ Club series The Chocolate Lovers’ Club (2007) The Chocolate Lovers’ Diet (2007) The Chocolate Lovers’ Christmas (2015) The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding (2016) Other novels: Let’s Meet on Platform 8 (1997) A Whiff of Scandal (1998) aka The Scent of Scandal More to Life Than This (1999) For Better, for Worse (2000) A Minor Indiscretion (2001) A Compromising Position (2002) aka Bare Necessity The Sweetest Taboo (2003) With or Without You (2004) You Drive Me Crazy (2005) Welcome to the Real World (2006) It’s a Kind of Magic (2008) All You Need Is Love (2008) That Loving Feeling (2009) The Difference a Day Makes (2009) It’s Now or Never (2010) The Only Way is Up (2010) A Christmas Fling (2011) Could This Be Love? (2011) Wrapped Up In You (2011) Summer Daydreams (2012) With Love at Christmas (2012) A Cottage by the Sea (2013) Calling Mrs Christmas (2013) A Place to Call Home (2014) The Christmas Party (2014) The Cake Shop in the Garden (2015) Books on Mount TBR: Christopher Brookmyre – Flesh Wounds (Jasmine Sharp #3) Christopher Brookmyre - Dead Girl Walking (Jack Parlabane #6) Christopher Brookmyre - Black Widow (Jack Parlabane #7) Richard Castle - Deadly Heat (Nikki Heat #5) Richard Castle - Raging Heat (Nikki Heat #6) Richard Castle - Driving Heat (Nikki Heat #7) Richard Castle – A Brewing Storm (Derrick Storm #1) Richard Castle – A Raging Storm (Derrick Storm #2) Richard Castle – A Bloody Storm (Derrick Storm #3) Richard Castle – Storm Front (Derrick Storm #4) Richard Castle - Wild Storm (Derick Storm #5) Ben Elton - Time and Again Philippa Gregory - Three Sisters, Three Queens Stuart MacBride - Dark Blood (Logan McRae #6) Stuart MacBride - Shatter the Bones (Logan McRae #7) Stuart MacBride – Close to the Bone (Logan McRae #8) Stuart MacBride - The Missing and the Dead (Logan McRae #9) Terry Pratchett - Raising Steam (Discworld #40) Terry Pratchett - The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching #5) Terry Pratchett - The Compleat Discworld Atlas Jody Revenson - Harry Potter Character Vault Jody Revenson - Harry Potter Creature Vault Jody Revenson - Harry Potter Artifacts Vault Simon Scarrow – The Blood Crows (Romans #12) Simon Scarrow - Brothers In Blood (Romans #13) Simon Scarrow - Britannia (Romans #14) Simon Scarrow - Invictus (Romans #15) Simon Scarrow - The Fields of Death (Wellington & Napoleon #4) Martin Cruz Smith - Gorky Park (W) Wish List: Kelley Armstrong - Wild Justice (Nadia Stafford #3) Kelley Armstrong - The Masked Truth Christopher Brookmyre - Want You Gone (Parlabane #8) Christopher Brookmyre - The Last Day of Christmas (Parlabane #5.1) Christopher Brookmyre - Places In the Darkness Gail Carriger - Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) Gail Carriger - Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) Gail Carriger - Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3) Gail Carriger - Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4) Gail Carriger - Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5) Richard Castle/Peter David - A Calm Before Storm Graphic Novel (Derick Storm Graphic Novel #3) Richard Castle/Cullen Bunn - Unholy Storm Graphic Novel (Derick Storm Graphic Novel #4) Richard Castle - High Heat (Nikki Heat #8) Richard Castle - Heat Storm (Nikki Heat #9) Philippa Gregory - The Last Tudor Stuart MacBride - In the Cold Dark Ground (Logan McRae #10) (2016) Stuart MacBride - Partners In Crime (Logan & Steel #1) Stuart MacBride - Twelve Days of Winter omnibus (Crime at Christmas Omnibus) Stuart MacBride - A Dark So Deadly

My favourite by Koontz isn't really a horror - Lightning is pretty awesome and is actually one of my all time favourite books by ANY author - so well thought out and well written.

Sounds interesting - I loved her books growing up and also loved the TV show. I was always aware that they were idealised stories of her childhood, but I always loved the idea of the pioneer lifestyle, difficult as it must have been at times.

Dean Koontz!

I didn't like the new theme music, but the intro visuals were quite good, and apparently based on a fan-made intro sequence, which is a nice bit of fan lore. I agree about the waste of the T-Rex - I would love a good dino story quite separate from this poor little effort. As for the garden at the end, I think it was supposed to be hinting at this "promised land" - she said it was heaven, however, I don't think that woman is all she seems - I think she's a potential for a new great threat to the Doctor. Also, note that she also has a Scottish accent - I don't know how significant that is, as I know the actress, Michelle Gomez, is a Scot herself (she was marvelous in The Green Wing!), but the whole Scottish thing seemed to be getting a big push throughout the episode, so I'm thinking it's intentional and will come into play later on.

I wasn't impressed at all. I don't like Clara at all, and I know the Doctor is always a bit ditsy and odd when he first regenerates, but I wasn't keen on Capaldi's portrayal of that, nor was I thrilled with the constant pushing of the Scottishness - OK, you're Scottish and using your own accent in the role, we get it, so you can stop going on about it all the time, OK? I also didn't like that it harked back to what was one of my favourite DT episodes, The Girl in the Fireplace (I LOVED that episode SO much!), it felt like they were cr*pping all over my favourite episode from a great height. Like Chesil, I did have about two chuckles, but they were directly related to me thinking about TGITFP and nothing to do with this first Capaldi episode. We let Xan stay up to watch it (even though it finished after 9pm!) and he seemed to enjoy it. And there's the promise of Daleks in the next episode, so I'll give it a couple of weeks to settle into what it's going to be before I make my final judgement. After all, it took me a few episodes to get used to Tennant in the role, and I ended up loving him as The Doctor (I adored Eccleston, so it was difficult saying goodbye to him!). That said, I hated Matt Smith in the role, so I wonder if my expectations were a little high, as I respect Capaldi as an actor and thought he would be better. Much as I hated Smith in the role, and detested Amy Pond on sight, I much preferred Smith's first episode as The Doctor to the trite shambles we were given last night. So, disappointed in the first showing, but willing to give it a few weeks to see if it gets better.

I'm not wildly excited as I was when Dr Who was relaunched with Chris Eccleston in the role, but I will be watching. I've studiously avoided the show while Matt Smith was in the role because I really couldn't stand him or the lass who was playing Amy Pond, so the pair of them together effectively ruined the show for me. I'm intrigued as to how Capaldi will do in the role though, so we'll be watching and letting Xa stay up to watch it too.

Timebomb would be my first stop - I love stories where people are flung out of their own time.

10) Given James' mistreatment and experiences, how did you feel about his final confrontation with Pye? Pye was a despicable person and I reckon that if James hadn't done for him, someone else would have soon anyway. As it was, sooner or later, Pye would have done for James if he hadn't got in first, so it's probably just as well he did. I felt that Pye got what he deserved, even if it did have a long-term detrimental effect on James. 11) Discuss the role of household staff in the novel. How do the roles differ between town and country? I think in the country, there were more menial jobs for the staff of a household, as there would be gardens and livestock to tend, eggs to collect, etc, whereas in town, there wouldn't be the need for staff to do those things. However, in town, a house of high means would do a lot more entertaining of impressive guests, so more visible household staff would be required in the form of butler, under butler, footmen, extra cooks; assistants and scullery maids, as well as ladies' maids and valets (a really large household in the country would need those things too, but I don't think they'd do quite as much entertaining as their town counterparts). in a household like that of the Bennet's, the staff seem to take on multiple roles, for example, James acts as a butler but also a carriage driver and footman, stable hand, and groundsman/gamekeeper - a more prestigious household would have had different men in each of those roles. 12) How do the characters (or our understanding of them) change throughout the novel? In whom do you see the greatest change? Is that change for the better or for worse? In what way? I think the greatest changes come in Sarah and Polly - Sarah as she realises that people aren't always as they seem and that exotic doesn't always trump steady; and Polly as she matures and becomes a teacher with a steady temperament when she reclaims her name.

I totally voted for it - it's been on my TBR pile for a while and I nominated it. I was well chuffed when it won the poll. I'll answer a few more of the questions just now and see if it entices anyone else to join in: 6) Did you read Pride and Prejudice prior to reading Longbourn? How do you think your prior knowledge (or lack thereof) affected your enjoyment and understanding of the events in Longbourn? I have read P&P a couple of times and I think that it did help to have a little prior knowledge of the original novel, but at the same time, because each chapter started with a little hint at what was going on in the original novel at that particular time, and because P&P is a particularly well known story, it was made very easy to follow, even for people who came to this "virgin", as it were. I don't think it affected my enjoyment though - I liked it as a separate entity, AND as a companion piece. 7) What do you think of having specific days for specific household chores (e.g. laundry on a Monday, etc)? How well do you think that would contribute to efficient running of the household? And in a modern household? I LOVE the idea of specific days for specific chores. In fact, I found a website (called FlyLady) that helps people get their housework organised so they can do it quickly and efficiently, and advocates concentrating on one area of the home per week, which is kind of similar. Personally, I long for a simpler lifestyle and I think I wold feel completely at home in a world without so many modern conveniences (I think I mentioned the same when we read The Little House in the Big Woods a while back). Hubby often comments I was born out of my time - LOL! Even in a modern household, I think many of us can benefit from an old fashioned set routine. 8) How do you feel about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, given what we learn about Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Hill (the cook)? Does this change how you felt about Mr. Bennet prior to reading Longbourn? It made me feel a little sorry for a man who is obviously disappointed in his marriage and would perhaps have married someone else given half a chance. I also felt terribly sad for him that he couldn't know his son while he was growing up, especially given the importance of sons in that time when it came to entailed inheritances. 9) How do you feel about Sarah's changing affections? What do you think attracted her to Ptolomy? Why do you think her affections are so easily rerouted to James? I think many young women are attracted to exotic people, and in a time and place where every day is the same and you only ever see the same few people over and over again, seeing someone so different, both in appearance and attitude, has to be a bit exciting, especially when he shows some interest in her. I think Sarah realises, however, that her affection for Ptolomy is more like a passing crush than something that would be enduring, and once she has a better understanding of James, she sees him as someone worthwhile, with whom she could have a real, solid future, with mutual affection. I'll leave it there just now and come back to the last few questions another day, in the hopes that by then a few more people will have finished reading and joined in.

I give the basic information of title, author, ISBN, publisher and release date (because I'm often sent new books to review), and a picture of the book cover. Then I give a brief synopsis of the book (usually from the back cover or Amazon or somewhere similar), then my thoughts on the book - the writing, the characters, the themes and setting, and whether or not I enjoyed it and why. Then I give it a rating out of 5. 1/5 = Dire – don’t waste your time 2/5 = OK, but nothing to write home about 3/5 = Very good – worth a read 4/5 = Excellent 5/5 = Superb – read it immediately! I only give full reviews to the books I'm sent for review by publishers and authors. If it's just a book I'm reading for myself, I give the basic info and just a few lines on how I felt about the book/whether I enjoyed it, and the rating out of 5, and I do all the books I read during the month all together in one blog post.

Has anyone else read it? Or is anyone reading it just now? Please do join in - I'm feeling a bit lonely in here all by myself!

Seeing people dog-ear books makes my gut clench in horror! Same with seeing books laid face down and open to keep a page. I will use any little piece of paper to hand in a pinch, but I have an array of bookmarks - leather, card, metal, plain, decorative, and loads of promotional ones that I received with books I've been sent to review (I like to keep those as little mementos). I also have a little tin of page darts, which are great for people who find their bookmarks slip out, as they slide directly onto the page and point to where you left off! They are the most awesome invention and I wouldn't be without them. They're also great for marking multiple pages in reference books, although I tend to use post-its for that as I can also annotate directly where on the page I need to put the info and I can colour code everything (I'm anal that way). I rarely lend my books to others, but if I do, it is NEVER to someone who dog-ears!

I'll kick off by answering a few questions to begin with, then I'll let some others jump in for a bit to see if any discussions start... 1) Who was your favourite character and why? I liked Mrs Hill best. She was so compassionate and understanding, yet unafraid to stand up for what she thinks is right. 2) Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest? I hated when Wickham was coming on strong with young Polly. It wasn't that I disliked that part of the story or anything, it was more his actions made me squirm. I wanted to punch him square in the face! 3) Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? This was the first book I've read by this author, but not the first spin-off, nor the first spin-off of Pride and Prejudice. I've read a few that are connected with P&P (as well as mash-ups). 4) Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? Not really. I found it a very easy and enjoyable read overall. 5) Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Yes - I would certainly pick up other books by this author, whether or not they had anything to do with P&P.

The thread is now open. Has anyone read the book? Anyone still reading it? Anyone want to leave their thoughts?

I've just checked and Wolf Hall was the reading circle book for April 2013 - HERE.

Have you read Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series? The series starts with Bitten and there are thirteen books in all. The main characters in the first two books are werewolves, after which other "otherworldly" characters are introduced, including witches, vampires, sorcerers, demi-demons, and all manner of other supernaturals. The werewolves continue to feature heavily throughout the series and they're all great reads. They are all actually in my permanent collection - I usually give away my books when I've read them, but I have kept all of these ones. Jackson Pearce – Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings 1) is a YA novel with elements of both Red Riding Hood and Snow White ans Rose Red. Well worth a read. The Southern Vampires series by Charlaine Harris, although mainly about the human and vampire characters, does also feature a lot of werewolves and shapeshifters. The earlier books are better than the last few though. Still, worth a look as they're an entertaining read and differ quite widely from the series they spawned (True Blood). Midnight by Dean Koontz is another were-novel with a bit of a twist. I love Koontz, and this one is a pretty decent premise. Hope that's of some help.

Tough call - I had to toss a coin to decide between I, Claudius and Abraham Lincoln. In the end, Claudius won it, but I would have been happy either way (especially as I've read them both and loved them!). I also have Wolf Hall on Mount TBR, but I fear with it being such a thick book, and us due to start renovating our new home some time in September, I may not have time to read it in time if it wins!

Continuing my run of excellent news, I managed to secure a last-minute transfer in my job after all! I go back to work in my local branch of WH next Friday, which is one week after my maternity leave finishes, which is great, because I just took a week of holiday pay because I though I was leaving the company! The timing couldn't have been better if I'd planned it myself! This now means we'll have a bit more money to spare once we've moved, so we're about to feel like we're minted - LOL!

I ADORE A Midsummer Night's Dream - I always wanted to play Puck.

Yesterday we had our offer on a house accepted. Today we got our mortgage application approved - we are buying our forever home! It's a total fixer-upper, but we'll be able to make it entirely our own and it's literally 5 minutes walk to Xan's school. Today is a good day.

IT IS ASSUMED YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK BEFORE READING THIS THREAD, THEREFORE SPOILER TAGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED IN ORDER TO FASCILITATE EASIER AND MORE OPEN DISCUSSION IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK AND INTEND TO, PLEASE READ NO FURTHER! Longbourn by Jo Baker SYNOPSIS: A brilliantly imagined, irresistible below-stairs answer to Pride and Prejudice: a story of the romance, intrigue, and drama among the servants of the Bennet household, a triumphant tale of defying society's expectations, and an illuminating glimpse of working-class lives in Regency England. The servants at Longbourn estate--only glancingly mentioned in Jane Austen's classic--take center stage in Jo Baker's lively, cunning new novel. Here are the Bennets as we have never known them: seen through the eyes of those scrubbing the floors, cooking the meals, emptying the chamber pots. Our heroine is Sarah, an orphaned housemaid beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When the militia marches into town, a new footman arrives under mysterious circumstances, and Sarah finds herself the object of the attentions of an ambitious young former slave working at neighboring Netherfield Hall, the carefully choreographed world downstairs at Longbourn threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, up-ended. From the stern but soft-hearted housekeeper to the starry-eyed kitchen maid, these new characters come vividly to life in this already beloved world. Jo Baker shows us what Jane Austen wouldn't in a captivating, wonderfully evocative, moving work of fiction. Some basic questions to consider: 1) Who was your favourite character and why? 2) Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest? 3) Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? 4) Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? 5) Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Some further questions to consider: 6) Did you read Pride and Prejudice prior to reading Longbourn? How do you think your prior knowledge (or lack thereof) affected your enjoyment and understanding of the events in Longbourn? 7) What do you think of having specific days for specific household chores (e.g. laundry on a Monday, etc)? How well do you think that would contribute to efficient running of the household? And in a modern household? 8) How do you feel about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, given what we learn about Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Hill (the cook)? Does this change how you felt about Mr. Bennet prior to reading Longbourn? 9) How do you feel about Sarah's changing affections? What do you think attracted her to Ptolomy? Why do you think her affections are so easily rerouted to James? 10) Given James' mistreatment and experiences, how did you feel about his final confrontation with Pye? 11) Discuss the role of household staff in the novel. How do the roles differ between town and country? 12) How do the characters (or our understanding of them) change throughout the novel? In whom do you see the greatest change? Is that change for the better or for worse? In what way? 13) How does seeing the story from the point of view of the servants affect your liking or disliking of the original characters? Do you feel more or less sympathy for some of them? Who, and why? 14) In what way (if any) does seeing how the original Pride and Prejudice characters treat their servants change how you felt/feel about them? 15) "They clipped past the orchard, in profile and oblivious to the housemaids: Sarah felt herself fade. She could see the leaves and branches through her hand; the sun shone straight through her skin." - How invisible do you think the servants are to the upper classes? How do you think that might affect their self esteem? DO you think the upper classes ever consider how it might make their servants feel?

I second Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and I, Claudius.

I have very small, pixie-ish ears. I can never get ear buds to stay in, not can I get the ones that have over-the-ear-hooky-bits to stay on. I have to use traditional over-the-head earphones. I always go for the small ones we used to get with walkman stereos, because the big heavy ones are way too big for my ears (and my head!) and really hurt to wear. I have a real problem with earphones.