Raven

Looks like a reading desk, to me! *get's coat...

Well? Don't make us guess!

It's a grim, gloomy day indeed. Had the lights on all day, so far.

Enjoy! (I didn't see that ending coming!)

Last week's Dead Ringers was pretty good as well.

I missed this previously! Wyndham is a master of this kind of story and this is one of his best (up there with The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos). It has dated, but I like the period setting, and although it peters out a bit towards the end, there are some very good sci-fi concepts in this book, which as you say have influenced others. Slippery. Slope. You'll be buying a wand, next...

Interesting. This keeps coming up in Kindle offers and from all the praise it has garnered I've been tempted to give it a go. I'm not sure of this puts me off or makes me want to read it more as I quite like contemporary books with flawed characters! I know a bit about Trafalgar; I live near Portsmouth and have been around Victory and the Royal Naval Museum many times (both for leisure and professionally). I actually have a copy of this book in a pile by my bed, but it is another in a long list that I've not yet got around to reading!

The only book I can immediately think of with tales from someone's childhood is Unreliable Memoirs, by Clive James, but that starts in 1939...

Well, whilst 2020 has been a year that I am sure most of us will be glad to see the back of, books have still been read and as the evenings start drawing out again (it's true; started last Tuesday!) it's time once again to summarise your reading year! Like the Oscars we'll start with the technical stuff before building up to the headline awards in a list designed to make your fellow forum members gasp or groan! (I'm sure someone's still reading Twilight!) So - Members of the Forum - tell us, please: Gosh! Doesn't that look pretty! It's your favourite book cover of 2020! They bring me words I like to read! It's your favourite publisher of 2020! Your favourite book that somebody read to you! It's your audiobook recommendation of 2020! I've read all their works, darling! It's your most read author of 2020! I've heard it all before! Your recommended re-read of 2020! I'd rather rub broken glass into my eyes! It's your book that wasn't worth bothering with in 2020! I was expecting so much more! It's your biggest literary let-down of 2020! Gosh! Doesn't that look prettier! It's your favourite illustrated book of 2020! Growing up is so over-rated! It's your children's book recommendation of 2020! I like people to think I'm deep! It's your recommended classic of 2020! I have a very short attent... What were we talking about? It's your favourite short story (or collection of short stories) of 2020! They make Holmes look like a stuffy Victorian! It's your favourite literary character of 2020! I like people to think I'm really deep! It's your poetry collection recommendation of 2020! I split my sides and wet myself!* It's the funniest book you read in 2020! I live my life vicariously through the exploits of others! It's your favourite biography of 2020! The real world is so much better, you know? (not in 2020 it isn't!) It's your non-fiction recommendation of 2020! I'm now stalking them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! It's your author of the year, 2020! I'd crawl over hot coals to convince others how good this is! It's your book of the year, 2020! Don't just make this a list, explain your choices! Tell us what you really think about the books you have read! If there is a section you don't have a reply for, just skip it! Books don't have to have been published in 2020 to make it onto your list, you just have to have read them this year! * With tears, obviously tears - what were you thinking? Disclaimer: Books once read can never be unread. You are responsible for your own reading choices. The author of this thread may have just finished work for two whole weeks and be drinking take out beer. There may be more exclamation marks in this post than in the rest of the forum combined...

Have you heard of the Percy Jackson books, I'm told they are quite good!

Alright, alright! (I actually knew what it was, I've seen parts of the films - the ones Chris Columbus made after he was replaced on the Harry Potter films!)

Is it anything like Asterix at the Olympic Games?

Beer

Cyanide

Pff, speak for yourself. Personally I never open a book without applying some rouge first...

Read this section this evening. Spaghetti carbonara isn't far off, either, I know that is just after Plymouth. I think the funniest part of the book is in Padstow, when Mark starts stuttering when asking for directions from someone else who stutters.

She did, but not for long. I think you have things turned around a bit there. The book Wallington is carrying around with him is Food for Free, by Richard Mabey, and he has a very poor meal off the back of it (nettles and limpets - yum!) He also tries to cook spaghetti carbonara at one point, only to find his matches have been peed on by a dog - not Boogie - but Boogie does end up with the bacon!

I've just seen that John le Carré has died: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55297558 A brilliant writer; I'm only a few books into his works, but I have enjoyed them all. George Smiley is one of my favourite literary characters.

And this is the music I'm hearing in my head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EC-339GuUg

That looks like it should rotate... I'm doing a dry run for Christmas Day, and currently cooking a roast (yeah, I know, a bit late in the day of that, but the Grand Prix followed by His Dark Materials have conspired for late eating). It's quite warm in the flat right now!

It's very good, I hope you enjoy it! (I'll have to look up the Laurie Lee book!)

I like Destination Lapland, and actually prefer it to Boogie up the River, which will good seems to run out of steam towards the end (and the sub-plot with his girlfriend is a bit of a distraction). If you haven't read it, The Uke of Wallington is pretty good.

They show the order of the books and the graphic novels at the back of each graphic novel, if that helps!

Now has a cover!

Good to hear you are enjoying the series. A minor warning, I would suggest reading the books in publication order as I suspect there are some spoilers for the later books in Tales from the Folly!