Roland Butter

I've just finished William Blacker's Along the Enchanted Way, and it's a book I'd recommend very highly. When his family home has to be sold due to financial problems in the late 1990s, William Blacker decides to leave the UK and ends up in rural northern Romania. Along the Enchanted Way recounts the story of his life among the peasants there, living an existence that has barely changed in hundreds of years. It's a tale of the rhythm of the seasons, of Blacker's friendships with both the kind-hearted Romanian people and the exotic but wild Gypsies, and of a love affair that has unexpected, dangerous consequences. It's a well-written book that evokes the sights, sounds and even smells of a landscape that had remained almost untouched by the modern age until the very end of Blacker's narrative, when "civilisation", with all its dubious benefits, begins to impinge on this tranquil lifestyle. Fed, as we are, on a tabloid media diet that portrays all Romanians as beggars, thieves and scroungers, Blacker's book captures perfectly the generosity and simple nobility of the Romanian people, who welcome this odd stranger into their homes and their lives. I know poppyshake has read this , too, and I certainly think it's one of the best travel books I've read. It really is worth looking out for.

That's always sad to hear. On his day he was an excellent cricket writer, but he was also a very complex and troubled man who didn't take easily to the art of compromise. Ironically, he contributed the foreword to David Frith's book Silence of the Heart, a study of cricketers' suicides. I expect it's long out of print now, but it's well worth a read if you come across a copy.

The Blitz: The Britsih Under Attack is also a very good book, and if you enjoy Wartime Britain you'll certainly like that as well.

There are some interesting-sounding books on that list, Julie, and a few that I'll definitely want to explore.

Salve, rykketid, e benvenuto! Come stai?

Ah, it's character-building, Diane! I was once in a team that lost 13-2 (and I was a fairly reasonable player!). I remember my son's school team got to the last 16 of the Heinz Trophy, which is an England-wide competition, and had visions of winning it ... their delusions of grandeur were shattered by a 9-0 defeat! It's all good experience.

Doesn't sound right to me. If the replacement was a qualified official, I wouldn't have thought it was for either club to decline to continue. I'd check the league handbook for that one, if I were you.

Never mind, there's always next year. The team in question was Liskeard Athletic, Sedge. That was a good few years back, mind! Huntingdonshire is West East Anglia, if that makes sense - next to Cambridgeshire, round Peterborough way, about 70-80 miles north of London (you have heard of London? ). Why do you ask - Cup tie?

I read The Welsh Girl a couple of years ago, Claire. From what I recall, opinions about it on here were somewhat mixed, but I enjoyed it immensely.

Good luck to Glendale today, then. I used to love cup games - they always had a bit of a "buzz" about them, especially if you had a team you didn't know anything about. I remember drawing a team from down in Cornwall once (at home, fortunately ) On which score, good luck also to my local non-league side, Bromley, who have a First Round FA Cup tie at Orient this afternoon.

Both excellent books, those two.

Did you enjoy Nickel and Dimed?

I've got that one on the pile. It was well reviewed when it came out, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

I remember seeing that a few years ago and enjoying it, Kylie. From memory, Bryan Brown, the well-known all-purpose Aussie, did a great turn as the gangster chief.

I couldn't remember which book it was, Kell, when I was at the computer, so I went off to make sure it wasn't Sunset Song. And, er ...

That doesn't bode well, Kell. I bought one of Lewis Grassic Gibbons' books when I was in Scotland, as a kind of memento of my trip. I'm not looking forward to it now!

Yes indeed, and I'd recommend it very strongly. It's the best account of life in wartime Britain that I can remember reading - thorough, well researched but very readable too. If it's a reasonable price, I'd go for it (or put it on your Christmas list ....) David Kynaston's books on post-war Britain, Austerity Britain and Family Britain, are also really excellent if you're interested in that period of history (and I sense you are )

Sisters in Arms is a very good book - I read that about a year ago, and it covers an area of the military that's usually overlooked. I know you'll enjoy it. Keeping Mum isn't a bad read, either, although it won't detain you for too long. I've also got a copy of Up West knocking around somewhere, although I haven't read it yet. I'm a sucker for books about London, especially lowlife London.

Those are lovely books, Kylie, aren't they? I have the Vintage edition of Suite Française, which is also wonderful. You don't get that with a Kindle ...

I enjoyed Mr Whicher a lot - I'm sure you will too.

Thanks, Sue. I've just looked it up - not a "beach" read, for sure, but I'll definitely get hold of a copy very soon. It's a bit of a whopper too, by the look of it.

I read The Death Maze a while ago, Sara, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Not heard of The Emperor of Lies before, but it sounds interesting - I'll look out for it. Have a good break!

Now you're making me feel old. Wait a minute, as I recall, I read it on a stone tablet ... There are copies going for £1.74 a couple of pages in on the Thomas H Cook page, if you persevere.

I read his Places in the Dark (quite!) a few years ago and thought it was very good indeed.

Nickel and Dimed is a truly excellent book, Sofia, and probably even more relevant today than when it first came out a few years back. Another top book, Weave - I won this as part of a set of five Tim Winton books, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it immensely.