~Andrea~

I finished The French Leuitenant's Woman. Wasn't sure what to make of it. A strange book in a way. I enjoyed reading it but I did think there was too much commentary, and found the narrator's voice very intrusive. (It's quite deliberate that the narrator has a strong presence in the book, but I didn't like it much.) I've not long started May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes and I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it or not. A lot of shocking and interesting things have happened so far, so the story is quite engaging, but the narration is quite mundane and every day, so much so that I'm finding it a little dreary.

Hi Gaia, thanks! I've been good actually. Work has been quite busy for much of this year, my reading has been a bit slow but at least it's happening! How are you?

I loved Nomad, by Alan Partridge. AP goes on a hike from Norwich to Dungeness Power station on the South Coast, in 'the footsteps of his father' who once had a job interview there. This had me laughing out loud, and cringeing in equal measure! If like me you love AP you'll love this book. Next read: The French Leuitenant's Woman by John Fowles.

Well I finished Nocturnal Animals by Austin Wright. Susan unexpectedly receives the manuscript of a novel, Nocturnal Animals, from her ex-husband Edward, whom she hasn't seen in years. She reads it over several days while her husband Arnold is away at a conference. There are two novels in one here, the story of Susan, her past with Edward, and her present with Arnold, and the gripping, disturbing story of Tony, the central character of Nocturnal Animals, who is pushed to the limit as he encounters a group of thugs during a drive to Maine with his family. This was utterly compelling, really well written and I loved it. A multi-layered novel: on one level, a very straightforward psychological thriller, and on another, a well observed domestic drama, with more to say on life and art and how one influences the other. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to go back and read it again, with the benefit of hindsight, and I intend to do so soon.

I hope you enjoy it Claire!

The Various Haunts of Men - Susan Hill A woman vanishes in the fog up on the Hill in Lafferton. The police have one lead – a pair of expensive cuff-links found in her flat, with a mysterious note attached to them. This was OK. An interesting enough crime novel but didn't set my world on fire and I don't think I'd bother reading any more in the series. Silence - Shusaku Endo A portugese priest travels to 1640s Japan where the brutal persecution of Christians is taking place, in search of his former mentor Father Ferreira who has reportedly renounced his faith. I loved this, it's a beautifully written/translated and quite haunting tale of a man wrestling with his faith in the face of suffering. Wonderful. I'm currently reading Nomad by Alan Partridge which has had me laughing out loud, and Nocturnal Animals by Austin Wright which is an utterly compelling psychological thriller.

It's an old Penguin Classics version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canterbury-Tales-Classics-Geoffrey-Paperback/dp/B011DAH346/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1489580349&sr=8-5&keywords=canterbury+tales+penguin+classics Though the last time I looked for it I couldn't find it so maybe it went to a charity shop. I probably need to do a stock take.

The Wish List Ambrose, David - Superstition Alexander, Denis - creation or evolution: do we have to choose? Beah, Ishmael - Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Bradbury, Ray - Farenheit 451 Bradbury, Ray - Something Wicked this way comes Barker, Clive - Weaveworld Brother Lawrence - The Practice of the Presence of God Bugan, Carmen - Burying the Typewriter Challis, Sarah - Footprints in the sand Chalmers, David J - Philopsphy of Mind - Contermporary and Classic Readings Chamberlaine, Diane - The Midwife's confession recommended Chesterton, G K - Orthodoxy Conran, Shirley - Savages Coupland, Douglas - Microserfs/JPod Coben, Harlan - Six Years recommended Du Maurier, Daphne - Rebecca Du Maurier, Daphne - The House on the Strand Dunant, Sarah - Transgressions (recommended) Dick, Philip K - A Scanner Darkly Faber, Michael - The Crimson petal and the White recommended Foster, Richard - Celebration of Discipline Gaarder, Jostein - Sophie's World Green, John - Turtles All the Way Down recommended Greene, Grahame - Brighton Rock Greene, Grahame - The Third Man & The Fallen Idol Haugen, Gary (IJM) - Just Courage Highsmith, Patricia - The Talented Mr Ripley Hinton, Susan- Rumble Fish Hodgson, Burnett Frances - The Secret Garden Hodkin, Michelle -The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Humphries, Alistair - Microadventures recommended Jerome, Jerome K - My Life and Times Jefferson Farjeon, J - Mystery in White recommended Kasasian, M.R.C. - The Mangle Street Murders recommended (read by Emma Gregory) Krauss, Nicole - Man walks into a Room recommended Koontz, Dean - The Mask Koontz, Dean - From The Corner Of His Eye Koontz, Dean - False Memory Lennox, John - God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Lennox, John - Seven Days that Divide the World. London, Jack - White Fang Mandel, John - Station Eleven recommended Marion, Issac - Warm Bodies recommended McKinley, Robin - Sunshine Mercer, Jeremy - Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs Mitchell, Margaret - Gone With the Wind Moran, Caitlin - How to be a Woman recommended Moss, Sarah - Night Waking recommended Moyes, Jojo - Me Before You Moyes, Jojo - The Last Letter From Your Lover recommended Neville, Adam - Apartment 16 Semple, Maria - Where'd you go Bernadette - recommended Phillips, Caryl - A Distant Shore (recommended) Pargeter, Edith - The Heaven Tree Penny, Stef - The Tenderness of Wolves recommended Rayner, Jay - The Oyster House Siege Sachar, Louis - There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom - recommended Taylor, Jodie - Just One Damned Thing After Another - recommended Tolkein - LOTR Tremayne, S.K - The Ice Twins recommended Trueman, Terry - Stuck in neutral Trigell, Jonathan - Boy A Wheatley, Dennis - The Haunting of Toby Jugg Winter, Tom - Lost and Found recommended Wyndham, John - The Kraken awakes Watson, S J - Before I go to sleep Ruiz Zafon, Carlos - The Shadow Of The Wind Ruiz Zafon, Carlos - The Angel's Game Ryan, Carrie - The Forest Of Hands & Teeth Wroblewski, David - The story of Edgar Sawtelle Zevin, Gabrielle - The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry recommended

Unread books on the bookshelf: Acquired pre 2011 Minnette Walters - The shape of snakes Logic - A very short introduction Wilkie Collins The Woman in White Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales (modern translation) The French Lieutenant's woman The Essential tales of Chekhov A Winter's tale Othello The Merchant of Venice Julius Caesar Twelfth night Collected works of Tennyson Begin year size: 12 End year size: 11 Acquired 2011 Clean Code - Robert Martin Blodwen Jones a'r aderyn prin - Bethan Gwenas (a novel for welsh learners) Begin year size: 2 End year size: Acquired 2013: The Four Loves - C S Lewis Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan The Trial - Franz Kafka (audio) Begin year size: 3 End year size: Acquired 2014: Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings - Edited by David Chalmers Godric - Frederick Buechner Begin year size: 2 End year size: Books acquired 2015: Ian Rankin - Watchmen Susan Hill - The Various Haunts of Men Charles Dickens - A Tale of Two Cities JoJo Moyes - The Girl You Left Behind The Road Less Traveled Philosophy of Science. A very short introduction. Begin year size: 6 End year size: 4 Books acquired 2016: Nomad - Alan Partridge Nocturnal Animals - Begin year size: 2 End year size: 0 Books acquired 2017: The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold C J Sansom : Dark Fire Joanne Harris - Five quarters of the orange Val McDermid - Beneath the Bleeding Robert Goddard - Take No Farewell Steve Coogan - Easily Distracted Sarah Millican - How to be Champion Ronnie Corbett - High Hopes End year size: 6 Total Begin year size: 21 Max size: Min size: Current Size: End year size:

Previous logs: 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Read: The Various Haunts of Men - Susan Hill Silence - Shusaku Endo Revelation for Everyone - N.T.Wright Nocturnal Animals - Austin Wright Nomad - Alan Partridge The French Leuitenant's Woman - John Fowles A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy of Science 1984 - George Orwell The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson Easily Distracted - Steve Coogan Currently reading: The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold Sarah Millican - How to be Champion

Thanks Sari. Well failry early on in the book I found one of the scenes a bit over the top. I think it was one where they were: However the book was so well written, and this was the only alarm bell, so after reading it I think overall it worked well. I mean, it was a very strange book, but I did enjoy reading it.

Thank you lau_lou. Well I really enjoyed The Handmaid's tale. It was a strange little story but beautifully written, and even though not a great deal happens in it, it was a very engaging read. I've just started The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill. So far so good!

My mojo is definitely picking up! I really enjoyed Spectacles by Sue Perkins. It's a quick easy read and really had me laughing out loud throughout. It was also rather poignant in places. She writes as she speaks and you can just imagine her talking as you're reading. She comes across as a very warm person full of humour and she comes from a humorous family. I loved the cheese story! Definitely recommend this. I'm now reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I'm enjoying so far, with a few reservations which I'll save for later, but we'll see how it pans out.

Interesting. I remember seeing a one off drama last Christmas with that name by Charlie Brooker. It was about the future. It was really good but quite dark. Have they made it into a series now?

Thanks everyone! The mojo is definitely returning And I've just started reading 'Spectacles: a memoir' by Sue Perkins.

Feeling a lot better. I still have little appetite for fiction but I have at least read a few books, all on theology or christian spirituality, which seems to be what I do have an appetite for at the moment! The Pursuit of God - A W Tozer Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster Simply Christian - Tom Wright

Thanks everyone. Hayley it's this one http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/dmc-cross-stitch-kit-peacock-butterfly/606879-1000which I suspect may be a little ambitious for a complete beginner like me Thanks Claire, I think I will try both with and without the hoop and see which I prefer.

Thank you both. I agree reading should be a pleasure. Thanks Frankie, looking forward to some serenity

Any cross stitchers still out there? I've just bought a cross stitch kit, it's 8ins by 8ins and the lady in hobbycraft advised me to get an embroidery hoop a bit smaller thant the design. When I put the (rather stiff) fabric in the hoop however it left a nasty ring indentation so I'm worried about that now. Is it essential to have a hoop or frame or something, or can it be done without?

Thanks all. Hopefully life and my reading will pick up soon Maybe I just need to find the right book!

Well my reading has been rubbish this year. I did finish the Robin Hobb and then started The Beach by Alex Garland (a re-read) but somehow my heart just isn't in it. It's been a bit of a stressy up and down year for me so far, and that hasn't helped my reading, but well, at least life's not boring! Yup just checked - that's two books I've read and we're in July. Awesome

Aw that's a shame. Well I hope you manage to get to it one day. I loved it Congratulations on the new job! That sounds totally awesome, especially the bit about going to Spain!! Happy reading Frankie

Thanks both. My reading is going well so far this year. I think my mojo is back. I'm loving the Robin Hobb, and managing to read some every day.

It may be partly because it took me so long to read it.

I finished The Book Thief a few days ago. I loved this book. The writing is wonderful, the characters wonderful but I did think it went on a little too long at the end