Janet

I haven't posted for many years, but I just wanted to say a belated congratulations. That's wonderful news.

Great news - thanks, @Hayley

I'm very behind on reviews (of course. It was ever thus!), but this is a snapshot of what I have read so far this year: FICTION / CLASSICS (#006600) / CHILDREN'S/YOUNG ADULT / NON-FICTION (#0000cc) / SHORT STORY (#ff3399) / PLAYS / POETRY 1. Father Christmas and Me (2017) by Matt Haig - 01.01.18 - 3/5 2. The Keeper of Lost Things (2017) by Ruth Hogan - ( K ) - 02.01.18 - 3/5 3. Village Christmas: And Other Notes on the English Year (2015) by Laurie Lee - 07.01.18 - 4/5 4. A Redbird Christmas (2004) by Fannie Flagg - 13.1.17 - 4/5 5. England, England (1998) by Julian Barnes - 23.01.18 - 3/5 6. Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864) by Jules Verne - 29.01.18 - 5/5 7. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (2017) by Gail Honeyman - 02.02.18 - 4/5 8. The Bette Davis Club (2015) by Jane Lotter - ( K ) - 14.02.18 - 3/5 9. Caravel (2017) by Stephanie Garber - ( BC ) - 22.02.18 - 4/5 10. A Vicarage Family (1963) by Noel Streatfeild - 23.02.18 - 4/5 11. Career of Evil (2015) by Robert Galbraith - ( K ) - 27.02.18 - 4/5 12. The Word is Murder (2017) by Anthony Horowitz - ( K ) - 03.03.17 - 4/5 13. Wives and Daughters (1866) by Elizabeth Gaskell - ( K ) - 16.03.17 - 5/5 14. Aberystwyth Mon Amour (2001) by Malcolm Pryce - ( BC ) - 20.03.18 - 4/5 15. The New Mrs Clifton (2016) by Elizabeth Buchan - ( K ) - 26.03.18 - 4/5 16. Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) by Jean Rhys - 28.03.18 - 4/5 17. Parliament of Rooks: Haunting Brontë Country (2017) by Karen Perkins ( K ) - 30.03.18 - 3/5 18. Sky Chasers (2017) by Emma Carroll - 31.03.18 - 4/5 19. Our Man in Havana (1958) by Graham Greene - 04.04.18 - 4/5 20. A Time to Change (2017) by Callie Langridge ( K ) - 07.04.18 - 4/5 21. The Pickwick Papers (1837) by Charles Dickens - 17.04.18 - 3/5 22. The Couple Next Door (2016) by Shari Lapena - 20.04.18 - 3/5 23. The Silent Companions (2017) by Laura Purcell - 28.04.18 - 4/5 24. How to Stop Time (2017) by Matt Haig - ( BC ) - 07.05.18 - 4/5 25. Reservoir 13 (2017) by Jon McGregor - 16.05.18 - 4/5 26. My Family and Other Animals (1956) by Gerald Durrell - 31.05.18 - 5/5 27. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1963) by John le Carré - ( A ) - 03.06.18 - 4/5 28. Birds, Beasts and Relatives (1969) by Gerald Durrell - 06.06.18 - 4/5  29. The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018) by Helen Morris - ( K ) - 11.06.18 - 4/5 30. The Walworth Beauty (2018) by Roberts, Michèle – 21.06.18 – 4/5 31. Less (2017) by Sean Andrew Greer - (K) - 06.07.18 - 3/5 33. Knots and Crosses (Rebus #1) (1987) by Ian Rankin - ( A ) - 11.07.18 - 4/5 34. The New Woman (2015) by Charity Norman - ( K ) - 11.07.18 - 3/5 35. A Lesson in Dying (Inspector Ramsay #1) (1990) by Ann Cleeves - ( A ) - 15.07.18 - 3/5 36. Alice (Alice Chronicles#1) (2015) by Christina Henry - ( K ) - 22.07.18 - 4/5 37. The Stormkeeper's Island ( 2018 ) by Catherine Doyle - 26.07.18 - 4/5 38. Hide and Seek (Rebus #2) (1991) by Ian Rankin ( A ) - 29.07.18 - 4/5 39. Tooth and Nail (Rebus #3) (1992) by Ian Rankin ( A ) - 07.08.18 - 4/5 40. Heartburn (1983) by Nora Ephron ( BC ) - 08.08.18 - 3/5 41. The Grand Babylon Hotel (1902) by Arnold Bennett ( K / C ) - 16.08.18 - 3/4 42. Secrets of a Sun King (2018) by Emma Carroll - 18.08.18 - 4/5  5/5 - I loved it 4/5 - I really liked it 3/5 - I liked it 2/5 - It was okay 1/5 - I hated it

Ah, thanks. I will give it a try.

I don't know how to do that!

I have tried searching, but to no avail. I have also tried copying/pasting to save my blogs, but that turned out to be too much like hard work as of course it copies everything - so I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't be saving anything.

I think that's so lovely. I have met some lovely people from here. I'm so lucky to regularly meet up with @poppyshake and @chesilbeach and I meet @Michelle every few years when I go up to Kent. I've also met @Chrissy and @Nici(but I don't think she's on here any more), albeit a long time ago. Such fond memories. (I think that's it, but sincere apologies if I've forgotten anybody.). I also exchange Christmas cards with a few members. Behind the scenes, the Admins/Staff used to do a Secret Santa, which was always fun.

Cool! Thanks 🙂

Will you be doing this on the Facebook group, Gaia? I keep forgetting to look on here but I might be better on the FB page!

And so you should be proud 😍

I haven't used LT for years - I have joined the group but I'm not sure how easy it will be to add all the books that I've got missing...!

Waterstones are changing the way their loyalty scheme works. At the moment they give 1 point for every £3 spent - plus, if you spend £10 you get a stamp on a paper card. Once the card is full (10 stamps, so £100 total spend) you were able to get £10 off a book purchase. However, the 'new' card replaces the paper one and now when you spend 10 x £10 (€12 in the ROI/European stores) you will get £10 off, but no more 1 point for £3. If you spend between £5 and £9.99 on eligible items, they will earn half a stamp as a single item purchase 'Single Book Bonus'. I have asked what will happen to the points I've been saving on my plastic card but so far have had no reply. I hope they don't reduce in value - I will have to spend them quickly if they will! Paper cards can be swapped for electronic points. I hope all that makes sense! I will be very sad to say goodbye to my card which is one from when Bath was one of five stores participating in the trial! Terms & Conditions here

Hi Sarah. We read Fried Green Tomatoes... for our book club last year (or maybe the year before). It was my choice and everyone liked it. I haven't seen the film! I ought to try to watch it. I have Song of Solomon on my Wish List, so I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm having a change of pace and reading a YA novel called The Stormkeeper's Secret by Catherine Doyle. It's very engaging!

I saw that one in Harrogate in December - it was heavily advertised there. I'm currently reading Alice by Christina Henry. It's a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll. It's much darker than I was expecting but I'm enjoying it.

I'm planning to read this at some stage. Will you read the sequels?