~Andrea~

Thanks Karen :-)

I tried reading White Teeth some time ago, but gave up part way through. I can't remember my objection exactly, but I think I felt a disconnect with the characters, possibly for the reasons you describe. I remember thinking that the writing was very good, but it just didn't hook me in somehow. Well done for sticking it out

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes Rachel Walsh is a girl about town living it up in New York City, and she sure likes to party, so much so that after a mishap on a night out (all a terrible misunderstanding) she ends up in rehab. She only agrees to go for the saunas and health spas (which is surely what rehab is all about) and to get her family off her back. Her little holiday however turns out to be somewhat different to what she was expecting. This is the first Marian Keyes novel I've read and I absolutely loved it! We follow Rachel's time at rehab, and also (through recollection) along the path that got her there. It's funny, warm, insightful, a bit naughty and very easy to read. It's not fluffy chick-lit by any stretch. Even though it's written with a good deal of humour it covers serious topics in a sensitive yet entertaining way. The main character Rachel, even though deeply flawed, still manages to be likeable and I enjoyed spending time with her and following her on her journey of self-discovery. This book made me laugh out loud on many occasion, and it made me cry too. Fabulous stuff.

My lovely Sherlock Holmes book arrived last week that I won in the monthly prize draw (thanks again @Hayley ). I meant to post pics sooner but I've been ill all week. Anyway - it really is a beautiful book, a real treat considering my usual books are beaten up old paperbacks from charity shops! Excuse my blurry camera work for the shot of the cover!!

Thank you both I've also been pottering about doing chores today.

Oh dear that is bad timing. It's so annoying when appliances let us down. I've been off work sick all week (well working from home today and yesterday) and I'm going stir crazy! I haven't had a proper conversation for nearly a week! Anyway the sun is shining so I'm going to go for a little stroll. Yay - getting out of the house!

I guess Shakespeare plays are usually classified very generally into comedy, tragedy or history, but as the following article says he often blurred the lines. https://www.thoughtco.com/tragedy-comedy-history-plays-2985253

Hi Polly and welcome

Oh that's good to know. This Charming Man is the other book I have on my shelf! Thanks Gaia.

Hey great to see you Nollaig! I hope your mojo picks up soon.

I love the sound of both of those Hayley, especially the Jack Vance one. I'll have to add them to my TBR

I picked up a couple of second hand Marian Keyes' books last year. I'd never read anything by her before and always assumed it would be a bit light and fluffy, romantic and possibly twee which is not my cuppa so never bothered with her. However I heard her on radio 4 and she said her book covers annoy her because they give exactly the impression I described above, and that's not what she writes at all. That's why I picked up a couple of her books. I started one (Rachel's Holiday) a couple of days ago and it's great! Full of cheeky humour and not twee at all. I'm not far in yet but I'm really enjoying it. It's been a while since I read anything funny and I this has really grabbed my attention. I'm looking forward to going to my reading time in a way I haven't done for ages. And hopefully I've discovered a new author to enjoy!! Yay!

I've not read any of his short stories but I I enjoyed the TV series. I loved Do androids dream of electric sheep as well.

Thanks both

Hello Ian. Welcome to the forum. I enjoy all those genres too.

Well, I'm thrilled to have logged In today only to discover that I've won the Sherlock Holmes January giveaway! I love Sherlock Holmes!! Thank you @Hayley

You'd be better off asking that a technical forum. This is a very general readers forum :-)

Hi Busy_Bee. I didn't know Sandi Toksvig had written novels. This sounds just right up my street actually. Great review!

Wow, The Passage trilogy sounds very intriguing Chrissy! Great review!

Thanks Chrissy. I've never read any by them before so had nothing to compare it to. I thought the writing was great in it though, and I believe it was their first novel. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

Hello Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy!

The Memory Game by Nicci French When preparations for a new summer house in the Martello family's estate unearth the skeletal remains of the family's youngest daughter who disappeared twenty-five years ago, her childhood best friend, recently divorced from the deceased's brother, becomes obsessed with digging up the past and trying to solve the mystery of who killed her. I enjoyed this. It had a slowish pace and certainly wasn't a page-turning thriller but I quite liked that about it. I enjoyed getting to know the characters as the story unfolded. There was a lot of psychology in the book as the main character goes through therapy to get over her divorce and talk about the discovery of her childhood friend's body and I enjoyed that aspect of it.

Secrets in the Dark by Frederick Buechner This is a wonderful little book that I've been dipping in and out of for the past year or so. It's a book of sermons, which sounds tedious, but these are quite wonderful, beautifully written, warm, gentle, inclusive and non-preachy little gems of spiritual hope and light. I've loved dippng into this book by this Pulitzer prize nominated author whose writing in this book is an absolute delight.

That's interesting. I've always avoided The Wasp Factory because I'd heard it was unpleasant and dark but I'm actually tempted to give it a go now.

Happy reading and writing in 2019 Angury! (Do you know I've always read your name as Augury and only just now realized it's Angury!!)