chesilbeach

Now reading the second St Clare book, The O'Sullivan Twins.

I think you'd be surprised muggle not, I just did a quick search on the forum and found at least a dozen other members who have or are reading the series. I think there was a lot more posting about them when they first came out, which may be why they don't appear some much in recent reading blogs. I've read the first one, and have the second on by TBR.

I finished Artful by Ali Smith today. A mixture of fiction and essay, but riveting as always.

I've given top marks to three books so far: The Curate's Wife by E. H. Young Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid Walking Home by Clare Balding and although I've given up on a couple, the one I've least enjoyed was: Perfect by Rachel Joyce

Might be a tiny bit spoilery if you haven't read the books (yet). JK Rowling reveals why the Dursleys dislike Harry Potter so much

I can't believe I haven't read it before now. I finished The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman last night, and it had the best ending to a book I've read in a long time! Bloomin' brilliant. And I don't even like haikus (or even poetry) normally. Started Artful by Ali Smith today and it's another corker. I adore her writing … and another book with poetry!

I finished Catherine Certitude yesterday morning (the illustrations by Sempé are just so charming!), and then couldn't make up my mind what to do, whether to go back to my last pick from the book jar or not, so in the end decided to start the St Clare series that Kay lent me. Read the first one and I actually think I like it better than Malory Towers! I've been dipping in and out of Winnie-The-Pooh for the English Counties Challenge too, so decided I might as well finish that off … how have I not read this before??? It's fantastic! Onto today, and I decided to read The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault. Didn't realise it's only just over 100 pages long, so will probably finish it off this evening.

Back to work again today, and not too bad a day in the end. Quite a few things to catch up on, so it whizzed by quite quickly, and here I am, already home again and catching up here. Not much planned for the week, other than work, and trying to reduce my TBR as it seems to be piling up again.

I've had trouble getting hold of them too. I wanted to get them on Kindle, and when I first started, they were all available, then after I'd read a few, a lot of the books in the middle of the series disappeared from Amazon. It looks like they are re-issuing them - I thought it was to tie in with the television series, but they seem to be taken a long time to do it, so I'm slowly finding them available again. The library copies were hit and miss as to which ones of the series they had, which is really frustrating. Surely, as a library, if you're going to buy books in a series, you have to buy and maintain the whole series? I know the don't have limitless funds, but it's just so frustrating!!!!

It's just the last chapter really. The main body of the story is perfectly fine, and the resolution of the crimes is good, just a little niggle about that last chapter that took it a tad too far for me. Chrissy also read it (her review made me buy it in the first place ) and enjoyed it.

I watched Cuban Fury on Saturday night. It wasn't the best film I've ever seen ... not nearly enough laughs for a start, but it's a British romcom with salsa dancing … it'd have to be pretty awful for me not to like it!

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer’s identity. “Rippermania” grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery… Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave? Review: This YA was a lot more grisly than I would normally read, but it was an intriguing story nonetheless. I was halfway through it on holiday, and had just finished reading the end of a particularly creepy chapter where the heroine is in jeopardy, and I went to start again later in the day and my Kindle had broken! I'd normally never end at a point like that on my own, but fortunately managed to replace the broken Kindle by the evening, so was able to read another chapter to leave it in a bit better place before I went to sleep that night! It was quite a good read, although, at the very end there is an incident that happens which I just felt took the story too far. I can't say too much, but it's obviously an ending that was needed in order to set up a series of books, and although I realise it's a supernatural story and therefore all rather unbelievable, this last action made it that bit too unrealistic for me. The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): On a cold night, Stephen Dene went to the Eton boathouse to perform a desperate act. But someone stopped him along the way, sending his life in a new and decidedly strange direction--leading him to London, to two new friends, and to a world of shadows and mystery. Review: This short story is kind of a prequel to The Name of the Star, telling us more about who Steven Dene is and how he came to be in the story of the first book. Quite enjoyable reading after finished the book.

The Beautifull Cassandra by Jane Austen Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): A selection of Austen's dark and hilarious early writings - featuring murder, drunkenness, perjury, theft, poisoning, women breaking out of prison, men forging wills and babies biting off their mothers' fingers... Review: These were interesting to read. The naivety of the story telling, with all the spelling mistakes left in, a unique look at the emergence of one of the greats of English literature.

Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Summer has arrived in the Cornish town of Mount Polbearne and Polly Waterford couldn't be happier. Because Polly is in love: she's in love with the beautiful seaside town she calls home, she's in love with running the bakery on Beach Street, and she's in love with her boyfriend. And yet there's something unsettling about the gentle summer breeze that's floating through town. Selina, recently widowed, hopes that moving to Mount Polbearne will ease her grief, but Polly has a secret that could destroy her friend's fragile recovery. Responsibilities that her boyfriend thought he'd left behind are back and Polly finds it hard to cope with his increasingly long periods of absence. Polly sifts flour, kneads dough and bakes bread, but nothing can calm the storm she knows is coming: is Polly about to lose everything she loves? Review: This is the follow up to The Little Beach Street Bakery, and I have to say, it was just as good as the first … perhaps even better. I love Jenny Colgan's romcoms. Her eceptively simple and easy style makes it a joy to read, and although romanticised, it's still got its feet in reality, with a heartwarming story that makes you feel good.

I'm more than happy not to be able to read them all - imagine the rubbish you'd have to read if you read everything.

I thought of you when I read it, especially when it says they insist on installing the books themselves, and making sure they're organised and catalogued properly. Perhaps you could contact him and see if he can set up you in an Australian branch office!

Italian author Elena Ferrante stays in shadows despite prize nomination I thought this article was really interesting. Although I don't think she's been mentioned on the forum, I know other people who love her books, and there was also a piece on Open Book about her books not that long ago. It seems almost unbelievable that an author could stay anonymous in these times, so you can tell how important it must be to her, and her writing process. It also says a lot about her books, as with such a vast amount of books to choose from, the books must really sell themselves based on their on merits.

Grey skies and cooler than the last few days … a bit of a relief, really.

Catherine Certitude had been on the chair next to me since I bought it, and as I finished another book yesterday afternoon, I had five minutes spare and picked it up to have a look and seem to have started reading it. When we were given the book, someone told me something in it that will hit a nerve with me and I won't be able to read it.

The man who builds up private libraries - book by rare book

The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): When Sarah McClure and her husband, Matt, move to the small town of Waterford, Pennsylvania, to get a fresh start, Sarah struggles to find a fulfilling job. Disheartened by failed interviews, she reluctantly accepts a temporary position at Elm Creek Manor helping seventy-five-year-old Sylvia Compson prepare her family estate for sale after the recent death of Sylvia's estranged sister. As part of her compensation, Sarah is taught how to quilt by this reclusive, cantankerous master quilter. During their lessons, Mrs. Compson slowly opens up to Sarah, sharing powerful, devastating stories of her life as a young woman on the World War II home front. Hearing tales of how Mrs. Compson's family was torn apart by tragedy, jealousy, and betrayal, Sarah is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about her own family -- truths that she has denied for far too long. As the friendship between the two women deepens, Mrs. Compson confides that although she would love to remain at her beloved family estate, Elm Creek Manor exists as a constant, unbearable reminder of her role in her family's misfortune. For Sarah, there can be no greater reward than teaching Mrs. Compson to forgive herself for her past mistakes, restoring life and joy to her cherished home. Review: This was recommended to me by Diane, who thought I would enjoy it as I've started quilting myself. It's a gentle story, but I enjoyed reading the story of someone also starting out in quilting, learning the techniques and terms, and making friends with other quilters. I'm definitely going to read more of the series, perfect gentle reading for relaxing breaks.

The Bloody Tower and The Black Ship by Carola Dunn Synopsis for The Bloody Tower: Daisy discovers fresh blood in a tower infamous through history for dark deeds… Daisy continues her journalistic career by writing a piece for a new magazine on the Tower of London. On her visit she's not only given a tour of the Crown Jewels, she's also introduced to the Raven Master and the Yeoman Warders - and most importantly, she's been invited to attend the Ceremony of the Keys ritual, which involves spending the night in the haunted Bloody Tower. Having survived the night, Daisy can't wait to get away the next morning and in her eagerness to leave, trips over the body of a yeoman warder. Daisy instantly realises that this is murder most foul on account of the halberd sticking out of his back. And with Alec assigned to investigate the case, Daisy one again finds herself enmeshed in a case of an unexplained murder at the Tower… Synopsis for The Black Ship: Set in a small circle of houses with a communal garden, it seems like the idyllic setting – that is, until a murder victim turns up under the bushes of the communal garden. Now rumours of bootleggers, American gangsters and an international liquor smuggling operation via black ships turn everything upside down. Alec, in his role as Scotland Yard detective, has been assigned to ferret out the truth behind the murder – but it is up to Daisy to find out who the dead man is, what his relationship with her new neighbours was, why he was murdered – and who it was who did him in! Review: Every series must have its ups and downs, and for me The Bloody Tower was one of the downs. Set in the Tower of London, I found the location confusing (despite being provided with a site map), and it was such an insular environment, I found the quite large roster of characters a bit confusing, and if I'm honest, it was just a bit dull. The Black Ship, however, was a step back in the right direction. I love how Daisy's personal story has moved on, I liked the new location and the new cast of characters, and the mystery was interesting and I got more involved than the previous book.

Well, book six was full of controversy! It's not looking promising for a happy future for Lydgate and Rosamund … not because of their lack of funds, but their lack of communication. Lydgate seemed to handle it reasonably to me, but Rosamund seemed almost determined to let it drive a wedge between them. And she's not my favourite person either, I was so annoyed when she told Ladislaw about the codicil in Casaubon's will. Poor Will, he's not having a good time of it, is he? Even when Bulstrode opens up to him about the source of his wealth, he still doesn't get the whole truth, and is insulted by the bribe he is offered. Once scene that did stand out to me was the auction scene … it seemed so modern in its tone and banter! I could have been watching an episode of Flog It! It actually made me chuckle, the first time in the book I've felt some humour coming through, and it was a nice bit of relief from the drama. I'm actually a week late posting this (I got my dates mixed up), so at the moment, the end of book seven should be 5th July, if everyone is okay with that?

Just finished The Bride That Time Forgot by Paul Magrs. Forgot to say the other day, got my latest book group book for next month, and it's The Shock of the Fall. Not sure I'm going to be able to read it.

Went to see Spy this morning - utter tosh … I loved it! One of those ridiculously unrealistic comic action films … I had to look away at a couple of the violent bits, but apart from that, it was fab. Had the whole cinema to myself too.