Janet

The Road by Cormac McCarthy The ‘blurb’ A father and his young son walk alone through burned America, heading slowly for the coast. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. They have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves against the men who stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food – and each other. A novel about trying to survive against the odds… Teetering on the brink of starvation and the ever-present threat from other travellers a nameless father and son travel across America heading for the coast. America is blackened and fires smoulder after an unknown catastrophe. Survival means keeping on the move, finding food and shelter where they can. The pair must keep their wits about them and trust nobody as they keep travelling – but the whole time one gets a sense that their journey is completely futile… I won this book in a competition on here back in February 2009 and fully intended to read it straight away, but for some reason it got put to the bottom of the pile and I’ve only just got round to it! Firstly I must say that the writing technique won’t suit everybody. The dialogue is sparse and at first I felt it might grate on me but I soon got into the style and I actually felt it added to the bleak feel of the story. If I can avoid it, I don’t read Amazon reviews until I’ve finished a book. Whilst I don’t agree with the following 1 star review, it did make me chuckle!! (Cut for length - might be considered a little spoilery?) The reviewer is correct about the punctuation. For some reason McCarthy used an apostrophe in words like I’m and that’s, but not in dont or cant and the review at least gives a taste of what the writing is like. I'm not sure enjoyed is the right word... and yet I did enjoy it, very much! I found it compulsive reading and couldn't put it down! I read it really quickly. Scary stuff! I don't think I've read any post-apocalyptic books before (I must see if there is a list of such books somewhere) - this was great, although I've since looked at reviews and a lot of people disliked it. It really seems to divide opinions.

I added a couple to my Amazon Wish List when I finished it, and I particularly liked the sound of The Harpole Report (I don't mind dated!). Thanks for the info about the biography. There are two versions for Kindle (one cheaper than the other, although they seem identical!) so I've downloaded a sample chapter.

Silver medal in the Women's Road Race! Go, Team GB!

I would be more inclined to do that since starting my 'world' challenge. I did read Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge whilst staying in Dorchester - that's nearly the same!

This is the 'blurb'. Nyree and Cia live on a remote farm in the east of what was Rhodesia in the late 1970s. Beneath the dripping vines of the Vumba rainforest, and under the tutelage of their heretical grandfather, theirs is a seductive childhood laced with African paganism, mangled Catholicism and the lore of the Brothers Grimm. Their world extends as far as the big fence, erected to keep out the 'Terrs' whom their father is off fighting. The two girls know little beyond that until the arrival from the outside world of 'the bastard', their orphaned cousin Ronin, who is to poison their idyll for ever.

If you can get hold of them, I've read and really enjoyed The Screaming of the Innocent by Unity Dow (Botswana) and The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam by Lauren Lindenberg (Zimbabwe) for my world challenge, and enjoyed them both.

The women are on Box Hill - I'm looking for June! ETA: Lots of people - you should have held a BCF banner, June!

It probably was him then. Although it is possible I just randomly came across it whilst on Amazon - I tend to look at the 'customers who bought this also bought...' and add the ones I like the sound of. Either way, it was great and has definitely whetted my appetite for more. I didn't know there was a film until I Googled the book after reading it (it has Colin Firth in it - how could I have missed it?!!) but it seems to be very expensive second hand (I think the cheapest I've found it is £32!) or only available in Spanish!! I will add it to my alert list on TVguide.co.uk in case it pops up on the TV. ETA: It's not on there!

A Month in the Country by J L Carr The ‘blurb’ In the summer of 1920 two men, both war survivors meet in the quiet English countryside. One is living in the church, intent upon uncovering and restoring an historical wall painting while the other camps in the next field in search of a lost grave. Out of their meeting comes a deeper communion and a catching up of the old primeval rhythms of life so cruelly disorientated by the Great War. I’m not sure what made me pick this book up in the library* but I’m glad I did. It tells the story of a young man called Tom Birkin, a man scarred by the First World War and cuckolded by his wife, whose work involves restoring old church artwork. He is employed by the dour Rector of Oxgodby church, the Reverend J G Keach, to uncover a possible medieval painting following a bequest in the will of a former parishioner, Miss Hebron. At the same time, a man called Charles Moon is digging outside the church, looking for a grave belonging to Piers Hebron - an ancestor of the same woman - who was thought to have been excommunicated. He and Birkin become friends as they work at their separate endeavours and Birkin also forms a tentative friendship with Alice Keach, the Rector’s wife. Although an agnostic, Birkin finds himself spending more and more time with the stationmaster and his family and other members of the chapel. He starts to feel very at home in Oxgodby. Spoilers if unread Simple but with a highly entertaining storyline, this book examines the relationships that Birkin has with the people he encounters in Yorkshire. It has a poetical feel about it and the author manages to capture exactly the feel of 1920s rural Yorkshire. I really enjoyed it and I keep thinking about it – a sure sign of a great book. I can see myself reading this one again sometime and I certainly intend to read some more of Carr’s works. *I was recently tidying up my Amazon Wish List and found I’d added this book in January 2009 - although I have no recollection of doing so or why, but I suspect someone on here must have recommended it. As I said, when I picked it up I felt I was doing so on a whim!

I'm pleased to hear so many positive reviews - I'm definitely in for a treat. It's great news about the Peter Grant books - I imagine there will come a time when they become too 'samey' but all the while they have good story lines I will read them. I agree about Bean - and that that particular section of the Opening Ceremony was one of the best/funniest!

Most of the performers were NHS staff. Our doctors and nurses do a fab job (nurses particularly are underpaid for the work they do, imho). We're pretty proud of our NHS, even though it isn't perfect. I watched until 11.30am but I had to be up at 5am for work. I saw the cauldron (wow!) on iPlayer this morning and am now catching up on the bits I missed. I loved it - I was worried it might be embarrassing but it wasn't at all. Well done Danny Boyle. A knighthood must be on the cards now, surely?!

I finished Brick Lane by Monica Ali earlier - I really enjoyed it. I don't know what I fancy next...

I've never seen it either, Bree. I hadn't heard of it before this thread appeared!

#38 - Bangladesh - Brick Lane by Monica Ali - 16.31%

I've never read any, but some surely must be helpful? Unless one becomes too self-reliant on them, of course.

I thought I'd voted in this poll years ago, but it appears I haven't. I would have voted for 'one' at the time - however, since having my Kindle I quite often have two on the go - a Kindle one for out and about and a tree one for reading in the bath!

I think my Mum has my copy. I've no idea when I'll get round to it though! Yes, I'm soooo pleased!! I have never seen it but I can see what you mean!

Oooh, a post on Ben's blog...

I thought I'd read it was only going to be a trilogy - I'm glad that's not the case. In fact, I've just looked on Wikipedia, and listed under the Rivers of London section it says: Rivers of London Rivers of London (known as Midnight Riot in the US) (2011)[8] Moon Over Soho (2011) Whispers Under Ground (2012) Broken Homes (2013) Now of course, I realise that anyone can edit Wikipedia and I can't see anything on Ben's site, but I really hope it's true! (Although there is no London connection in the title that I can work out - feel free to point it out if anyone can see a pun or something that I'm missing!).

I'm pleased to hear it's good news. Julie.

Good grief - what a stupid thing to say. The fact that someone could be considered a 'poof' (I hate people who use homophobic language and think it's acceptable, but that's another story) because of their choice of reading material saddens me. As for the original question, I have read 'those books' and I wouldn't have bought them in book form - not because I was ashamed of reading them, but because when I bought them was just before the went really viral and it was much cheaper to buy them on Kindle rather than in paper form (we didn't stock them in our branch of Tesco when I downloaded the first book). The writing is crap but I quite enjoyed the background story. I can't really think of anything I'd buy on Kindle because I was too embarrassed to read it in public, but like Noll, I don't read things that would make me feel ashamed. ETA: For the record, I think it's great that you read and enjoy Austen - many men could take a leaf out of your book, Ian!

Awww bless! I could keep putting your post count back for you if you like!

Awww, the way you're reading them it won't be long.

Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch The ‘blurb’ Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And its just as well - he's already had run ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn't even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there's his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn't his fault, but still. Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met's Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka 'The Folly'. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard. I took the ‘blurb’ from Amazon and would query the last sentence (it’s the same on the Book Depositary and Waterstone’s websites) because I think it should say ‘Wizard’s apprentice’? This is the third part of the fantastic Rivers of London trilogy (so far) which sees Peter Grant, apprenticed to the Wizard, Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, investigating a murder on the London Underground. The story also sees a welcome return of Lesley who was notably absent in the last instalment following her injuries in book one and more of the wonderful Thames sisters (although I’d have liked more of them!). Peter, Lesley and Nightingale – together with various members of the Metropolitan and Belgravia Police and Sergeant Jaget Kumar from the British Transport police investigate the death of a US senator’s son found on the tracks of the London Underground. The murder weapon appears to be a segment of pottery which exhibits traces of vestigia – a magical property meaning the supernatural is involved. The investigation takes them underground, not only into the tube system but also into the sewers beneath the city where they discover more than just a killer… I have loved all three books of this series and this instalment doesn’t fail to deliver. Aaronovitch is a born story-teller and this has a fantastic mix of drama and humour. I think I said this about book 1, but when reading this it was like I could see a BBC Sunday night production playing out in my head. I can’t believe this is going to be the final instalment of the Rivers of London series – it’s crying out for more. Please.

I'm so pleased for you, frankie - congratulations!