chesilbeach

After loving the first two books in Robin Stevens Wells and Wong Mysteries, I can't wait for the third book, First Class Murder which is out at the end of July. (She's also announcing the title of book four tomorrow lunchtime … I wish I'd had the internet and twitter when I was growing up, kids authors are so much fun and great at engaging with their readers).

I can't believe the online sellers won't guarantee a specific cover for a book - you offer a book, you show us the cover, we click on it, you send it - how hard can it be? Hope you get the nice covers, Kylie. I bought the second of the MRC Kasasian's The Mangle Street Murders series on the Kindle Daily Deal, but haven't got the first yet, but I've heard so many good things about it, 99p was too good a deal to miss. I know Kay was going to give me the first book, but I'm not sure when that'll be and now I've got the second book waiting … well, let's just say patience isn't a virtue I succeed at often.

The Three Musketeers was my first reading circle book on the forum - http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/4212-the-three-musketeers-by-alexander-dumas/?hl=musketeers- blimey, that's six years ago now! I've just read back through what I said about it at the time, and I realise that I still haven't read either of the sequels or The Count of Monte Cristo but they're still on my (ever expanding) wish list, so I might bump them up now.

I did enjoy it, but I realise how much of the book I've forgotten now … think I may have to consider a re-read (and perhaps invest in the ebook this time to save my poor aching wrist! ), Watched with my OH and he wasn't so keen, but from a technical point of view. He complained that no-one puts a camera on a tripod any more and some other such nonsense that I kind of tuned out as soon as he started Won't stop me making him watch it again next week.

Blimey, I wasn't expecting such a positive reaction to this! Fingers crossed they do it justice.

Good luck! Oh, and don't worry, "darling little book" doesn't sound at all condescending, and I think it's actually an incredibly good description of a book … it evokes a specific kind of book in my head, and I think it's rather charming.

It's fun to have a nostalgic read every now and again, isn't it? I really enjoyed revisiting the Malory Towers books earlier in the year, and I've got a couple of other books I haven't read for years and found on the bookshelf recently that I might reread over the summer.

James Dawson (the author) tweeted this last night: The reaction was FAR more positive to Electro Velvet this time round. Get behind them UK! #Eurovision2015

I finished Going to Sea in a Sieve last night, and it was very, very enjoyable, although I know my book group would hate it, as they don't like swearing, and there is quite a bit in there! Need to catch up with Middlemarch next, and then I've got a couple of the Elm Creek Quilt books from the library for the next couple of weeks, so will probably try those afterwards.

Hello again

Finished The Reluctant Fundamentalist last night, and have picked up Going to Sea in a Sieve again today. Have just pre-ordered Resistance is Futile by Jenny T. Colgan because how could I resist this: "Take the square root of a love story, multiply by an awkward mathematician, add on extra-terrestrial life forms and cringe-worthy close encounters, and what you'll get is Resistance is Futile - a whirlwind adventure by Sunday Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan."

https://twitter.com/OrkneyLibrary/status/592702033267978240

https://twitter.com/Waterstones/status/595152244242305024

Who wants to redecorate their room? https://twitter.com/booksaremybag/status/596995075827245056

Just needs a cushion and a decent lamp, and it could be a perfect hiding place! https://twitter.com/simonwhitfield/status/599076595660300288

More details here … http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32777516

Had to put aside Going to Sea in a Sieve today as I need to finish my reading group book this week, so thought I'd better get on with it … The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Fortunately, it's less than 200 pages, and I'm already 138 pages in, so hopefully will be able to finish it tonight and I can get back to Danny Baker tomorrow!

I was too tired to watch it last night, so I'll hopefully be watching tonight. Good to see positive feedback so far!

I completely understand your feelings in this review. Here's a link to my review from a few years back: http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/9589-claires-book-list-2012/?p=303335. I think the key thing I remind myself when reading an Ali Smith novel is that she is not just telling you a story, she playing with language and structure, and challenging the traditional concepts of what a novel should be. I've seen her talk more recently on her latest novel, How To Be Both, and one of the things she talked about is that art, whether it is a novel or a painting or whatever form it takes, requires more than one viewing or reading, and that she hopes that people read books more than once and peel away the layers and find new things in each reading, just as you would if you watched a film for a second or third viewing. If I think about it, that makes sense. Each time you read something, you will be in a different mood, in a different place in your life, in a different setting, and each time you make find something different in a book. Perhaps after another reading at a different time, you might feel differently … who knows?

I'm really enjoying Danny Baker's Going to Sea in a Sieve, although I've definitely heard some of the stories before on his radio show, but it doesn't matter one little bit. Have genuinely laughed out loud a few time, and chuckled to myself too, and even read some bits out loud to other people … must be a good 'un.

Something came up on Thursday which meant a very late (and mostly sleepless) night, and then had to change Friday afternoon plans, so ended up falling asleep late yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours, and then barely made it through the evening awake. Have had a lie in this morning though, and feel a bit better, but have to work tomorrow, so need to make the most of today, but can't summon much enthusiasm at the moment. As I was typing this, got an email to say my two library reservations have come in, so I guess I'm off to the library to pick up my books, and as I *have* to pass the coffee shop on the way there and back … well, it just writes itself, doesn't it?

The sun is out!

Pressing the snooze button on the alarm

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/bbc-adapt-1992-mantel-novel

It definitely throws up some books I'd never pick, but I have to be honest and say I don't always read the choices if it's something I know I won't like (I didn't read the book last month as it was a Tudor royal historical fiction based on real people which I *knew* would not be my cup of tea and it was over 400 pages of teeny tiny print ). I might have picked up The Reluctant Fundamentalist but probably not MaddAddam (not that I read that either in the end ). I had a look back at the 102(!) books I've read with the group up to now, and these are how my ratings worked out: 1/5 = 13 2/5 = 22 3/5 = 40 4/5 = 22 5/5 = 5 (Admittedly, three of these were books I'd suggested ) For me, a 3/5 book is an enjoyable book, so almost two thirds of the books we've been given, I've enjoyed reading, and I've *loved* arguing about why the thirteen 1/5 books were bad at the meetings!