~Andrea~

My reading (like most other things) has been absolutely rubbish in 2020! I think this is largely because I've got into the bad habit of doing sudokus before bed instead of reading, a habit I'm determined to break in the new year!!

I'm going to try a different browser just in case. Edit: Hmm no seems equally slow in Edge as it does in Chrome. The image issue is the same in both browsers too.

It seems I missed all the forum issues this Autumn! But it goes without saying thank you Hayley for keeping things up and running. I'm not as regular here as I could be but I love that this place is here when I need it. Sorry to bring up something negative, but is anybody else finding the forum quite slow? I've also been having issues adding images to posts (via 'insert other media' and then 'insert image from URL'). The box to allow you to insert the URL just seems to never finish loading, and keeps spinning, no matter how long I wait.

Thanks Gaia. I've read Rachel's Holiday which I think was even better than This Charming Man. I also have another loaded up on my e-reader ready for next year (although I can't remember which).

It was.

A Tiny Bit Marvellous - Dawn French Mo Battle, mum to teenagers Dora and Peter (aka Oscar) is about to turn 50. As a brilliant child psychologist you would think managing her own teenagers would be a piece of cake, however, relationships closer to home are not going well. Peter will only answer to Oscar, after his hero and alter ego Oscar Wilde, while she and Dora are barely speaking, and when they do it only turns into a row. Feeling taken for granted she is tempted into a reckless course of action which could turn the whole family upside-down. I wasn't sure what to expect from this as I'm always a little suspicious of celebrity authors, although since I think Dawn is a brilliant comic writer and performer I did have high hopes. I'm happy to report I really enjoyed it. The writing is very good, and even though some of the characters were a little exaggerated, it still worked. It's written in the first person by the three main characters, my favourite of which was the precocious and melodramatic Oscar, who probably had me laughing out loud the most. The story moves along nicely and I looked forward to getting stuck into it every night and kept turning the pages. It's a nice light humorous read and I would definitely recommend it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Actually I have read one more book since then so I will have another review to squeeze in

I'm still in single figures

This Charming Man - Marian Keyes Charming politician Paddy de Courcy is getting married, and the women who have previously loved him can't believe it, especially Lola, with whom he has just broken up. Devastated, she retreats to a relative's cottage in a small farming town to recover. We also follow the stories of the other heart-broken women he leaves in his wake, and discover that Paddy de Courcy is not quite the charmer he first appears to be. I'm becoming a real fan of Marian Keyes. This is only the second of her books that I've read, but again I found it sharp, witty, laugh out loud funny, touching and in parts quite serious. She deals with difficult subjects with humour and realism. This is not a fuzzy rom com but a book about real life and real women with real flaws and problems. My favourite character was Lola, and I loved seeing how she adapted to small town life and made friends with the locals. I thought her sections were the funniest. Her parts are written in diary-speak which I know a lot of people didn't like, but I didn't really mind it once you got used to it. The book is a comedy but also manages to deal with issues of abuse and addiction with sensitivity. Top marks. I loved it.

That's interesting Willoyd. I've not tried anything else by him but would definitely like to.

Ditto. I like to like.

Slade House - David Mitchell In Slade Alley there is an inconspicuous Iron door which leads to a beautiful garden and mansion house which seem almost impossibly large for the space available. Many visitors find their way through the door, and are drawn into the strange events that occur within - but how many are able to return from Slade House? I really enjoyed this. It’s a quick little read that trips along nicely, and the story is engaging if slightly surreal at times. It’s an unusual story, part horror/fantasy, part crime/thriller/mystery but it’s very readable and I found it to be quite the page turner. I’d heard that his novel Cloud Atlas (which I haven’t read) is quite heavy going. Well this story certainly isn’t. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone.

Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz From Amazon: Jimmy Tock comes into the world on the very night his grandfather leaves it. As a violent storm rages outside the hospital, Rudy Tock spends long hours walking the corridors between the expectant fathers' waiting room and his dying father's bedside. It's a strange vigil made all the stranger when, at the very height of the storm's fury, Josef Tock suddenly sits up in bed and speaks coherently for the first and last time since his stroke. What he says before he dies is that there will be five dark days in the life of his grandson – five dates whose terrible events Jimmy will have to prepare himself to face. It’s been a long time since I read a Dean Koontz. I know I enjoy them but can’t always remember that much about them which I suppose means they are pretty escapist pulp-fiction. This one was typical Koontz fair, a dark and violent theme delivered with a touch of humanity and humour. It’s not going to win any prizes but is something to get lost in. Enjoyable and easy to read but not mind-blowing, which is all you need sometimes.

Magpie by Sophie Draper From Amazon: Claire lives with her family in a beautiful house overlooking the water. But she feels as if she’s married to a stranger – one who is leading a double life. As soon as she can get their son Joe away from him, she’s determined to leave Duncan. This psychological suspense thriller started out quite well but became a little lacklustre as it went on. It lacked pace but was quite well-written and at times atmospheric. I was mostly interested in the characters and their domestic drama but I did see the twist coming a mile off and found the ending somewhat - hmm, sloppily written? Overall it was an ok read even if it didn’t hit the mark on every level.

You can self publish through Kobo as well as Amazon (and they are less strict about being exclusive publishers). I haven't done it myself though.

Thanks everyone I definitely recommend Slade House Hayley. I've finished it now and will try and do a proper review soon.

Well it's been a while since I've been on here! I can't believe I'm so late in setting up my reading log. What a year it's been! Aside from the pandemic and lockdown, I was made redundant in January, from a job I'd been in for 19 years! Fortunately I managed to find another job pretty quickly and started in my new place about six weeks later in February. It's been a strange start though; after only about a month of starting we all began working from home. But that's actually been fine and we have plenty of video meetings - at least two a day, so it doesn't feel too remote. I haven't done a great deal of reading though. And because I haven't set this thread up until just now I haven't been making a note of what I've been reading so far, so I'm not entirely sure what I've read. I've just noted down what I can remember. I'm currently reading Slade House by David Mitchell, which I am thoroughly enjoying. I will try and get round to some reviews of my 2020 reading at some point! Happy reading in 2020 everyone!! Thread open!!

Previous logs: 2019 (18) 2018 (14) 2017 (10) 2016 (9) 2015 (10) 2014 (19) 2013 (21) 2012 (19) 2011 (17) 2010 (19) 2009 (23) 2008 (26) 2007 (21) Completed: Magpie - Sophie Draper Introducing Political Philosophy, A graphic guide Introducing Economics, A graphic guide Life Expectancy - Dean Koontz Slade House - David Mitchell This Charming Man - Marian Keyes A Tiny Bit Marvellous - Dawn French Various short stories by Edgar Allen Poe and Guy de Maupassant Currently reading: A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens Abandoned Dark Fire - C J Sansom I am Pilgrim - Terry Hayes

I will - eventually. I've only just seen the first two series so I'm a bit behind. Love it though!

I'm sure I have a Susan Hill on my bookshelves somewhere - I've never read anything by her before, although I've seen The Woman in Black on stage and screen. I'm intrigued to see how cliched it is now, though the readability factor is encouraging.

Don't forget there's an election coming up.They need a big budget for all the silly graphics they show before the votes start coming in.

Oh good. I hope you enjoy it Hayley. Yes it would have been a good holiday read actually. Not a book that stays with you but a decent bit of escapist fiction.

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier From Amazon: To escape the shallowness of court life, Dona retreats to Navron, her husband's remote Cornish estate. There, she seeks peace in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. But she finds instead a daring pirate, hunted by all Cornwall, a Frenchman who, like Dona, would gamble his life for a moment's joy. Together, they embark upon a quest rife with danger and glory, one which bestows upon Dona the ultimate choice: sacrifice her lover to certain death or risk her own life to save him. This was an enjoyable romantic adventure, with fine prose as one would expect from du Maurier, but quite a light read compared to some of her other work. The story moves along at a good pace and I read it quite quickly (for me). I liked the central characters (in spite of some dubious moral choices). Essentially it's a story to escape into rather than one which makes you think too deeply.

I knew a lot of people don't like the Tom Cruise one, but I think it's really good. I can't really remember the family stuff at the end. I thought the little girl playing the daughter in it was very good. I agree about George standing around with his mouth open in the BBC version I haven't read the book either

I didn't mind it. It didn't blow me away but I quite enjoyed it. I'll watch it next week. Not as good as the Tom Cruise version though.