Janet

You're both welcome. That's two on the list recently that I've snapped up for 99p!

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers is a 99p Deal of the Day book on Kindle today. It's one of our English County Challenge books.

I was just kidding about being scared to post - I hope I didn't offend anyone. I agree with the order thing, Claire. It's such a shame. Kay - is there something potentially wrong with Aliona? I hope she's okay. I totally agree about Karen - she really gets under my skin. It was lovely to see Joanne last night. Shame it's only a temporary thing. Karen comes across as far too smug.

Don't worry, it doesn't matter a bit. I only finished the first section of our read this morning due to a late start, but so far, so good. I agree with Claire that this part was setting the scene. I'm really looking forward to completing the next installment.

That's a Puffin children's book, isn't it? I guess that's probably more my level with Rushdie! Phew - I'm glad it's not just me!

Goodness - I can't possibly compete with you guys and your analysis - I'm almost too scared to post! I love Strictly, but I don't really know anything about the technicality of the dances. For a start I adore the Charleston, which I know is a no-no among most fans. I also love Halloween week. I watch purely to be entertained so I don't care if they have props or if they dance to something non-traditional as long as I'm entertained. Surely Jeremy can't stay in much longer. Although I'm not hating him half as much as I expected to, and at least he's trying. There aren't many men left. I thought Peter was a dead cert for the finals, but I think the last man standing will be Jay. I'd be happy for him to win - or Helen. Before I go, I will just say that I'm beyond happy that the Mr-I-can't-dance-without-pulling-idiotic-faces-like-a-gurning-idiot has gone - hurrah! *runs*

Well, I didn't hate it, so that's good! Initial thoughts are that I would give it about 3/5, but that's subject to change when I put my thoughts on paper (oh goodness - that's going to be a challenge!!). It was just too waffly for me. I love novels set in India (not that I've read hundreds, but...) but it wasn't a patch on Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. Overall I'm glad I finished it, but I won't be seeking any more Rushdie books.

I have finally finished Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie! It took me just over a month to read it!

I've never tried reading mine on landscape (although I knew it was possible). My husband doesn't have a Kindle but he reads his tablet on landscape and I always thought that was rather odd - I use mine on portrait.

I haven't! Yet!

I watched the first 20 or so minutes of it on You Tube yesterday, Kay, and thought what I saw was very good, even if it did (for obvious reasons) cut a lot of the story out. I might invest in a copy. I love, love, loved Uncle Matthew in the book! I loved all the characters in one way or another - even those that weren't likeable were so well written. I know you like audio books - did you listen to this, or read it?

He's called Mark Meadows. I don't know him as an actor but he also narrated The Radleys.

We didn't have an alternative for South Yorkshire (A Kestrel for a Knave) but I just wondered if anyone knows of any other books set there? I read 'Kes' a few years ago, so I'd like to read something different if possible.

Hi Kay - it feels like I haven't 'seen' you for ages. I've skipped over your review of The Humans as I have it on audio book. I loved The Radleys though (I listened to that one too).

This might have been on offer for ages (it wasn't the last time I looked though), but South Riding by Winifred Holtby is currently 99p on Kindle*. It's in our English Counties challenge for anyone doing this and who has a Kindle. * At the time of posting - please double check before downloading.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford The ‘blurb’ Oh, the tedium of waiting to grow up! Longing for love, obsessed with weddings and sex, Linda and her sisters and cousin Fanny are on the lookout for the perfect lover. But finding Mr Right is much harder than any of the sisters had thought. Linda must suffer marriage first to a stuffy Tory MP and then to a handsome and humourless communist, before finding real love in war-torn Paris… Another English Counties challenge book - this time for Oxfordshire. You can read my thoughts on it here. It was amazing - I loved it!

I have had Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford on my wish list for some time. It features Fanny, the narrator of this book, but stands alone from this title. The BBC dramatised both The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate on TV in 2001 (Christmas, I think) under the title of the latter, but I must have been doing something else at the same time (probably surfing the internet!) as I have no recollection of it at all! I really should have paid more attention, although then again maybe not, as TV productions, with a few notable exceptions, are seldom as good as the book. Anyway, I digress… Fanny, who - as Linda wistfully and with a touch of jealousy likes to point out - has such “wicked parents”, lives with her Aunt Emily in the Cotswolds, but spends most of her time at Alconleigh in Oxfordshire, the large country home of her irascible but loveable Uncle Matthew, Aunt Sadie and various cousins – the Hons – who spend much of their time ensconced in the airing cupboard making plans against various perceived enemies - unworthy Counter-Hons - and dreaming of love. The novel follows the children of the family – Fanny and her Radlett cousins, and particularly Linda – in their pursuit of love… This novel was a complete surprise to me. I didn’t expect it to be… well, such fun! It’s a brilliant satirical novel full of extraordinary characters. It’s totally un-PC by today’s standards and it’s just so funny – such a brilliant, irresistible tale of an eccentric English upper-class family. It is not often I laugh out loud when reading a book, but I laughed more times than I can count whilst listening to this (and got some funny looks as a result!) – it made me want to go out walking just so I could listen to some more of it! Emilia Fox does such a brilliant job of narrating it. I also cried. I won’t tell you when or why. If you’ve read the book already then you’ll know, and if you haven’t then I don’t want to spoil a thing. I’m a little disappointed to find that Patricia Hodge narrates Fanny in Love in a Cold Climate , although Emilia Fox is back narrating Don’t Tell Alfred, so that’s good. Hopefully Patricia Hodge will do an equally good job and I am definitely going to either read or listen to them! If you like social history fiction with more than a touch of satire then I urge you to try this book. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. I am sad that it has ended – I want more! Now, if anyone wants me you’ll find me in the Hons’ Cupboard, waiting for Fanny and her cousins, Aunts Sadie and Emily, dear Davey and especially Uncle Matthew! 5/5 (I absolutely loved it!)

That's a good point - I guess some of it was indoctrinated (I think that's the word I mean!), but I just wasn't expecting it. They were very good - helped enormously by Stephen Fry's narration.

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie The ‘blurb’ Into the valley of death... Ahead, between the towering red cliffs of Petra, Sarah saw a cluster of tents and above them caves, hollowed out of the red rocks. She stared up at one of these which held a sitting figure. An idol? A gigantic squatting image? Her heart gave a sudden lurch of recognition... Gone, now, was the feeling of peace - of escape. Looming above her like an arch priestess of some forgotten cult, like a monstrous swollen female Buddha, was the figure of Mrs Boynton... I listened to this audio book – another Poirot investigation narrated by Hugh Fraser - with Peter on a recent trip to London. “You do see, don’t you, that she’s got to be killed…?” On a trip to the Middle East, Poirot overhears two young people say these words outside his bedroom window. The detective ponders whether one day they may be part of a play or a book, or whether they might have a more sinister meaning… The story moves to a discussion between a young doctor called Sarah and a French psychologist, Dr Gerrard, who are discussing a fellow guest - a domineering American matriarch called Mrs Boynton who rules over her dismal family with a rod of iron. They debate whether the woman’s cruel and sadistic nature has come about as a result of her former career as a prison guard or whether her nature led to that choice of career. The Boynton family arrive and the two medics watch the family – it appears that they are all terrified of ‘mother’ and are afraid to do anything at all without her permission. Sarah and Dr Gerrard are therefore somewhat surprised when, on a trip to Petra, the old woman insists that her family go off exploring without her. Whilst they are away from the camp a murder takes place, and it is up to Poirot to identify the killer and solve the crime. This Poirot is much darker with a far more sinister tone than previous books I’ve read or listened to that feature the Belgium detective – certainly in the build up to the crime the atmosphere is gripping and the character of the despicable Mrs Boynton is so well drawn that it is impossible to like or have any sympathy for the character. As ever, Christie weaves the story with lots of clues and a few red herrings until its dénouement, and as with Poirot’s previous escapades I haven’t guessed the perpetrator, even though the clues are there! Another very enjoyable book by Agatha Christie, and I enjoyed the different tone of the book. The paperback edition is 304 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. It was first published in 1938. The ISBN is 9780007119356. I listened to an unabridged audio book. 4/5 (I enjoyed it) (Finished 3 October 2015)

Have you listened to them/read them? I know how much you love Dorian Gray (and the plays?). What did you think if so?

Oh. I assumed it was something to do with SCD.

The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde The ‘blurb’ Immerse yourself in a world where the wonderful Stephen Fry reads some of the more memorable Children's short stories written by one of our most successful playwrights of all time - Irish poet, playwright and short story writer Oscar Wilde. A brilliant combination of reader and writer come together in these seven short stories. Stephen's voice takes you into a different kind of listening experience, enabling you to imagine narrative, settings, animals and people with vivid colour and meaning. I downloaded a PDF version of The Happy Prince some years ago but I never got round to reading it. The lovely Kay bought me this audio CD for Christmas last year, which contains this, plus other stories, sublimely narrated by the Stephen Fry. I’ve read a few of Oscar Wilde’s plays before and also The Picture of Dorian Gray but I didn’t know any of these short stories before. The collection contains six short stories, each with a moral. The titles are: The Devoted Friend – a gardener becomes friends with a rich miller. Although a friendship should be based on give and take, the miller takes from the gardener but doesn’t seem to give anything back. However, the gardener remains a faithful and true friend. When disaster strikes, will the miller do the right thing to save his friend, or is he ever to remain selfish and ungiving? The Happy Prince – the statue of the Happy Prince is a thing of joy and great pride to the dignitaries in a town. His shiny gold and precious jewels make him a thing of beauty. But as he stands day by day on his podium he sees great poverty and sadness in the town. With the help of a Swallow who is on his way to warmer climes for the winter, he uses his riches to bring happiness to people, but at what cost? The Nightingale and the Rose – a nightingale helps a young man who is in love with a woman who will only agree to dance with him if he provides her with a red rose. But the nightingale’s help comes at a great price. Will paying this price make the young man happy? The Remarkable Rocket – an arrogant rocket lords it over all the other fireworks who treat him as a figure of amusement and think him unfeeling. He takes action to prove that he does have feelings, but this show of emotion could change things for him forever. The Selfish Giant – a Giant owns a beautiful garden. He’s been away for some time and the town’s children make use of this garden, playing in it on their way home from school. The giant returns from visiting a friend and is angry to see his garden being used and so shoos the children away, but still he isn’t happy and he doesn’t understand why. Will he discover what is missing from his life before it’s too late? The Young King – this story doesn’t appear in all book versions of The Happy Prince and Other Stories. It was originally published with a collection of other fairy tales under the title of The House of Pomegranates (I would like to read this collection!). A young shepherd boy is the only heir to the King - his mother, the King’s daughter, had an affair and the resulting child was brought up by peasants as a commoner. On the King’s death, the boy discovers his true identity and is soon living in riches in the palace and awaiting his coronation. But a series of dreams shows him that riches aren’t everything and despite resistance from other quarters he struggles to do the right thing. ~ I was surprised at the references to Christianity in them. I had - wrongly it seems - assumed that Wilde would eschew religion and all it stands for in view of the way he was treated by society after his infamous trial! Despite the references to God in some of the stories they do not come across as trying to preach to, or convert, the reader, so please do not let this element put you off reading them – they’re great. Although their publication is usually aimed at children, these stories can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. Wilde’s famous wit is here in spades and Stephen Fry is just the perfect narrator. I have left the CD in my glove box and feel sure I shall listen to it again and again. Thanks, Kay, for the perfect present. The paperback edition is around 112 pages long and is published by various publishers including Wordsworth Editions. It was first published in 1888. The ISBN is 9780007316380. 5/5 (I loved it!) (Finished 23 September 2015)

I've skipped past your review of South Riding, Alex, as I'm going to read it myself some time - but I love your review of Elizabeth is Missing. I also found it difficult to read about Maud's degeneration into Alzheimer's, having witnessed my Aunt going downhill with this horrible disease so I totally get where you're coming from.

Why do you think Shirley wants to burn James Patterson?

I learned a new lesson today... always read to the end of a post before clicking a link! Clowns! I'm a wuss so I haven't read any Stephen King or anything like that.