chesilbeach

Got in late from work and couldn't be bothered, so I've just had a couple of pieces of toast with lemon curd.

Not sure if it helps, but book one is twelve chapters. I'll have a look at the paperback later on and put some real page numbers to the chapters for you, so it might help try and figure out how you're getting on.

Although if it's a gateway book into reading more for some people, that can only be good, can't it?

I'm about a third of the way through Citadel now … looking forward to the weekend so I can have a proper reading session with it!

Of course, although I doubt most people would be interested! Misty Falls by Joss Stirling, is the fourth in her series about the Benedict brothers; All Fall Down which is the first in a new series by Ally Carter, who wrote the Gallagher Girls and Heist series that I really enjoyed; The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead which is the sixth and final book in her Bloodlines series. My favourite local cafe is usually pretty quiet, but if not, I'm quite happy to put my earbuds in and listen to something like a classical, soundtrack or jazz album, hopefully that sort of matches the book I'm reading! At the moment I'm listening to the Amelie soundtrack while reading Citadel which is set in the south of France, so it fits beautifully! Otherwise, it'd probably be Mozart, Beethoven or Chopin, or the soundtrack of the film, The Hours or something from my jazz collection, which is quite extensive, so I can usually find something suitable!

Ice cold skimmed milk

One for the statistics fans among us Harry Potter helps Britain top book producer ranking

Just realised I've got a batch of YA books I'd pre-ordered that are coming up for publication soon, so I should have a nice little batch to indulge in when I have some time off work. It'll be very tempting to start them as soon as they arrive on my Kindle, but I do like having a YA session when I've got some spare time, so will try and save them for some days off work, so that I can find a corner in a café with a pot of tea and a slice of cake to enjoy them with.

As I'm reading a book set in France, I've been listening to the Amelie soundtrack while reading today

She sees the bodies first. On the outskirts of the village, a pair of man's books and a woman's bare feet, the toes pointing down to the ground like a dancer. Citadel by Kate Mosse

I've just remembered that Gail Carriger has the first of a new steampunk series published this year called Prudence. It's based on the character from her earlier series The Parasol Protectorate. I've just pre-ordered Prudence but it's not out until March, so I'll just have to wait patiently.

Here's an odd one for you … The book that judges you by your cover

I bet Matt Haig would be really interesting to see at a festival … hope you get the chance to go, Marie I've read some more of Citadel today, and I'm really enjoying it. No other bookish activity for me today though … wish there were more hours in the day. (although obviously, I could spend the time I've spent on the forum reading my book instead, but that would just be wrong )

I think I'm going to be in the minority who have read To Kill A Mockingbird but have absolutely no interest in reading this one. Knowing what the role of editors were back in those days, I can't help feeling they knew what they were doing and got the best book out of the material, and that this might not work.

Honestly, I don't want to risk spoiling my nostalgic love of Enid's Malory Towers so I've been avoiding these, and from what Hayley has said, it doesn't look like I'm missing anything.

Another alright day at work, but kept getting interrupted during my lunch break, so didn't read as much as I wanted to. Will have to rectify that this evening with an extra reading session. Still, over the hump day now, and on the downhill slope to the weekend!

I read The Shadow of the Wind with my book group, and considering how many people on the forum who've enjoyed it, it got a bit of a mixed response there. I was certainly in the minority who raved about it, and others liked it but weren't as enthusiastic as me, and some others just couldn't get into it. Glad to see you enjoyed it, and have travelled to Spain vicariously through it

I guess I'm on my own then! Read some more of Citadel today, and I really like it. It's set mostly during the war in 1944, with some short occasional chapters set in the fourth century.

Ooh, we could have a proper tea party … not that I'm calling any of us Mad Hatters, but what could be better than a real tea party? Sorry, didn't quite manage to meet up with Martin, but I do know where the best chip shop in the village is No, it was elderflower pressé, and absolutely delish on a hot summer day.

Yes … in fact it was so hot, our second drink was a soft drink

I have to say, I've definitely changed to a coffee drinker while I'm out since the advent of Starbucks and the like. However, I've also found that if I find a local independent café, that nowadays they try much harder with providing decent tea in order to compete, so I can easily get the teas I like there, and will more often than not go for tea rather than coffee there. My local does a lovely choice, including English Breakfast (which let's face it is really just ordinary tea), Assam and Ceylon, or I can also get a good green tea or peppermint tea, which I prefer on really hot days (not that we get many of those over here ) Edit: Oh, and if you're going to Port Isaac, count me in! I love it there … well almost anywhere in Cornwall is good for me

Dry but chilly. Was surprised that this morning it was only 1ºC when I left for work, but car was clear with no frost or ice on it. I hate getting outside and realising I have to scrape the ice off the car.

I think they must be fairly heavily abridged - the full version of Queen Lucia is 8 hours 35 mins, while the abridged is 3 hrs 53 mins (and £2 more expensive).

The February Kindle Monthly Deals are up on the site today. Actually a few in there I'm quite interested in, so I've wish listed them for the moment, and might indulge later in the month.

I've just remembered, I downloaded the Miss Mapp audiobook yesterday. I quite liked Nadia May's narration of Queen Lucia so happy to buy the next one as well. Unfortunately, I can't find the rest of the books in the series unabridged on audiobooks The whole series has been narrated by Miriam Margolyes (who I imagine would be a brilliant narrator), but they're abridged versions, which seem a waste of money to me … I want to listen to the whole book.