Janet

I think you'll enjoy it, @vodkafan Are you still writing your book? Thanks, @Athena We're having coffee and cake

We're off to Bristol to meet Kay, Claire and Alan this morning. Woooo!

Copied from my blog... The Old Wives' Tale centres around Mr and Mrs Baines and their daughters, Constance and Sophia who live over the family draper's shop in Bursley (based on Burslem in Staffordshire). Mr Baines is an invalid who doesn't leave his bedroom. Mrs Baines works in the shop, aided by her daughters and a salesman called Mr Povey. Whilst Constant is reasonably happy with her lot, the headstrong Sophia longs for more. She wants to be a schoolteacher, but is prevented by her mother. When she falls in love with a travelling salesman, she is forced to see him in secret and eventually elopes with him but things aren't straightforward for her and she finds herself alone in Paris. Meanwhile, back in Bursley life continues to plod along for Constance, who marries Mr Povey and remains working in the shop. Years pass before the sisters are eventually reunited… This is the second book I've read by Arnold Bennett set in the Five Towns – this one is much more meaty a tale than Anna of the Five Towns. I really enjoyed this one which I 'whispersynched' – as in I part-read, part-listened to it. The audio version was brilliantly narrated by David Haig. A particularly enjoyed Bennett's portrayal of Sophia as a strong character in a world when women were often not in control of their own destinies. Despite the book being around 700 pages long, it didn't feel like a long book – I felt it was definitely quality over quantity. In terms of the English Counties Challenge, whilst Staffordshire is not an area I'm familiar with (my paternal great-grandfather was born in this county so I'd like to visit at some stage) I think it probably does give a real feel for the country. Stop stuff.

The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett The ‘blurb’ First published in 1908, The Old Wives' Tale affirms the integrity of ordinary lives as it tells the story of the Baines sisters--shy, retiring Constance and defiant, romantic Sophia--over the course of nearly half a century. Bennett traces the sisters' lives from childhood in their father's drapery shop in provincial Bursley, England, during the mid-Victorian era, through their married lives, to the modern industrial age, when they are reunited as old women. The setting moves from the Five Towns of Staffordshire to exotic and cosmopolitan Paris, while the action moves from the subdued domestic routine of the Baines household to the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. The Old Wives' Tale centres around Mr and Mrs Baines and their daughters, Constance and Sophia who live over the family draper's shop in Bursley (based on Burslem in Staffordshire). Mr Baines is an invalid who doesn't leave his bedroom. Mrs Baines works in the shop, aided by her daughters and a salesman called Mr Povey. Whilst Constant is reasonably happy with her lot, the headstrong Sophia longs for more. She wants to be a schoolteacher, but is prevented by her mother. When she falls in love with a travelling salesman, she is forced to see him in secret and eventually elopes with him but things aren't straightforward for her and she finds herself alone in Paris. Meanwhile, back in Bursley life continues to plod along for Constance, who marries Mr Povey and remains working in the shop. Years pass before the sisters are eventually reunited… This is the second book I've read by Arnold Bennett set in the Five Towns – this one is much more meaty a tale than Anna of the Five Towns. I really enjoyed this one which I 'whispersynched' – as in I part-read, part-listened to it. The audio version was brilliantly narrated by David Haig. A particularly enjoyed Bennett's portrayal of Sophia as a strong character in a world when women were often not in control of their own destinies. Despite the book being around 700 pages long, it didn't feel like a long book – I felt it was definitely quality over quantity. In terms of the English Counties Challenge, whilst Staffordshire is not an area I'm familiar with (my paternal great-grandfather was born in this county so I'd like to visit at some stage) I think it probably does give a real feel for the country. Stop stuff. The paperback edition is 624 pages long and is published by Penguin. It was first published in 1908. The ISBN is 9780141442112. I read it on Kindle. 4/5 (I really liked it) (Finished 5 March 2017)

If you're asking whether they're worth anything then you'd be better off looking for an antique book dealer. There are quite a few for sale on Alibris UK and Ebay - they don't seem to be going for a great deal there. Rather than throwing them out you could donate them to a charity shop.

I had this same thought myself, @Alexi. Definitely one of the joys (and sometimes chores) of book club is reading out of one's comfort zone!

I hope you enjoy it if you do, @Lau_Lou. I downloaded another of his on the strength of this one.

I loved it! I read it on Kindle, but for £2.99 delivered I might just buy the book too! Edit - thanks, @chaliepud

Thanks, @chesilbeach I am looking forward to it.

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout The ‘blurb’ Lucy is recovering from an operation in a New York hospital when she wakes to find her estranged mother sitting by her bed. They have not seen one another in years. As they talk Lucy finds herself recalling her troubled rural childhood and how it was she eventually arrived in the big city, got married and had children. But this unexpected visit leaves her doubting the life she's made: wondering what is lost and what has yet to be found. I had picked this book up a couple of times for purely aesthetic reasons before it was chosen as a Book Club book – I bought the hardback (the paperback wasn't out when it was chosen) and it's beautiful too look at, and the quality of the cover and pages is excellent! Lucy Barton reflects on her past in this short novel. The book opens with Lucy recalling a spell in hospital, in a room that overlooks the Chrysler Building in New York. There she is recovering from an operation when her mother, whom she hasn't seen for many years, turns up. Lucy begins to reflect on her past and her strange upbringing and takes the reader through her life via marriage, children and later, divorce. Although I don't generally mind books that are character driven rather than plot driven I found this book to be lacking something and it didn't really engage me. Although other members of Book Club did enjoy it, our discussion of it was over quite quickly. I didn't hate it, but I'm not sure I'll be reading any more by this author! The paperback edition is 208 pages long and is published by Viking. It was first published in 2016. The ISBN is 9780241248782. 3/5 (It was okay) (Finished 25 February 2017)

I bought another version of A Christmas Carol on Saturday! I think that takes my collection up to eleven! I'm not sure if this photograph will work or not it might be enormous! I also bought Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene.

In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll The ‘blurb’ 'You're telling me there are fairies in this wood?' When Alice's brother gets a longed-for chance for a heart transplant, Alice is suddenly bundled off to her estranged grandmother's house. There's nothing good about staying with Nell, except for the beautiful Darkling Wood at the end of her garden - but Nell wants to have it cut down. Alice feels at home there, at peace, and even finds a friend, Flo. But Flo doesn't seem to go to the local school and no one in town has heard of a girl with that name. When Flo shows Alice the surprising secrets of Darkling Wood, Alice starts to wonder, what is real? And can she find out in time to save the wood from destruction? Do you believe in fairies? I do, I do… Ahem, sorry – wrong story! When her little brother Theo is taken into hospital for a heart transplant, Alice has no option but to agree to go and stay with her Grandmother. Nell is Alice's Dad's mother but she has been estranged from her family for some time. The house on the edge of Darkling Wood is very remote and Nell wants the woods to be removed as she thinks they might be hazardous to her house. With the locals in opposition, Alice's time at her new school is not very happy, especially when she clashes with one of the local traveller families. She finds an unlikely ally in a girl called Flo whom she meets in the woods and together they try to prevent the destruction of the woods, but in order to do so, Alice must put her faith in the unexpected… I know I'm not the target audience, but I really like Emma Carroll's books. For me, this marks a welcome return to form after The Girl Who Walked on Air (a good story, but one which I felt lacked spark). I loved the characters in this book, especially our protagonist Alice. I have Strange Star on my 'to read' pile, and am looking forward to the forthcoming Letters from the Lighthouse - a copy of which I'm going to buy for a family member whose father was a lighthouse keeper! The paperback edition is 320 pages long and is published by Faber & Faber. It was first published in 2015. The ISBN is 9780571317578. 4/5 (I liked it!) (Finished 23 February 2017)

D'oh - yes of course it is! Emily only had one novel published!

I'm reading The Professor by Charlotte Brontë. I'm not very far in, but so far, so good.

I'm so behind with my reviews (again!) Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë The ‘blurb’ Agnes Grey is a trenchant exposé of the frequently isolated, intellectually stagnant and emotionally starved conditions under which many governesses worked in the mid-nineteenth century. This is a deeply personal novel written from the author’s own experience and as such Agnes Grey has a power and poignancy which mark it out as a landmark work of literature dealing with the social and moral evolution of English society during the last century. When Agnes Grey's father, a minister, loses money when the merchant ship carrying his investment is lost at sea, his younger daughter Agnes vows to do her bit for the family by taking on a position as a governess in order to help financially. Agnes' parents and older sister are initially reluctant to give permission, but eventually Agnes obtains a situation and is allowed to head off into the big wide world. Initially she joins the Bloomfield family but the three children there, the eldest of whom is seven, are rowdy and the parents unwilling to back Agnes up when she tries to discipline them and eventually Agnes returns home. She resolves to try again and her second position is with the Murray family. The Murray sons are sent to boarding school a year or so after Anne's arrival and the girls are selfish and rather thoughtless and Anne is rather lonely as she has very few friends there apart from the curate Mr Edward Weston, but soon her father's failing health forces Agnes to one again return to the family home and she seems destined not to see her dear friend Edward again. Said to be based on Anne's own experiences as a governess, this isn't as powerful as The Tenant of Wildfeld Hall, and Anne is a little too moral and preachy in places, but it's a good story and is, as you would expect, beautifully written. We're going on holiday to Bradford (yes, really!) in July and I'm really looking forward to visiting the home of the brilliant Brontës whilst we're there! The paperback edition is 192 pages long and is published by Wordsworth. It was first published in 1847. The ISBN is 9781853262166. 4½/5 (I really liked it!) (Finished 22 February 2017)

I finished Hilary Mantel's Beyond Black last night. Hurrah! I have found two positives... 1. I think the contents (I'm loathe to use the word story) will make for a good discussion at Book Club! 2. I will never have to read it again.

I just Googled "novel with a character named Hayley" and resolved to check only the first 10 pages of results (I was watching a film so was multitasking! ) - the one you've ordered was on P5 - the other on P7.

Thanks, @willoyd. I enjoyed Cold Comfort Farm more the second time round too. I am on the homeward stretch of Beyond Black, thank goodness! About 20 pages to go. Phew!

Ah-ha, it has. Thanks.

I'm saving Mansfield Park, I think.

I found two yesterday, but I thought @chaliepud might think I was a bit of a loser if I posted them! I came up with The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson and Drowning Anna (also published as 'Blue') by Sue Mayfield (a YA book)

Thanks, @Michelle I'm sure it will be okay, @Little Pixie - I know Amazon have good customer service, and I've saved a screenshot just in case.

Well, that was odd. I just clicked on your link and got a 'thank you for your order, Janet' page - but when I click on my orders there is nothing showing up. I hope I haven't paid for whatever it is! Edit - hmm - it says it's a 'pre order' and that I'll be charged on 27th June. I hope I don't end up paying for it!

The Descent of Man by Grayson Perry is one of the 99p deals today.

Yes, that was me, @Onion Budgie - I'm very much in the minority though, so I do hope you enjoy it.