chesilbeach

I think it's more that they know I have read so many, they don't want to buy me something I already have or have already read. When they ask me for some suggestions, most people are happy buy me books.

https://twitter.com/booksaremybag/status/545239214745726977

Thank you all. It's actually taken me another week to actually feel up to proper reading, and even posting here! I know it's only a cold, but it really did get me down, and after working all day, I didn't have any inclination to do much. I haven't quite got my voice back yet, and the cough is still hanging around, but nowhere near as bad as it was, and at least I can sleep at night again now (I actually spent a few nights sleeping in the arm chair as I couldn't lie down without coughing ). I did read a romcom last week, but it wasn't exactly challenging, but it did keep me ticking over for a couple of days, but I couldn't face picking up a book or my kindle for most of the time. However, today was a trip to Cardiff, and the train journey was over an hour each way, and a stop for a cup of coffee during the morning has got me right back into Nicholas Nickleby, and feeling much more in a reading mood at last!!

I did like the first couple of chapters, finding out more about Madeline, and Noggs being in the right place at the right time to overhear the dastardly plans of Ralph and Gride. (I use that word specifically, as in my head, I picture Ralph as Dick Dastardly and keep thinking he should have a Mutley by his side ). One thing that struck me was the huge amount of money Bray is in debt with - how would either ever expect to get their money back? Like you, Janet, I wasn't sure why Nicholas met up with the Crummles again. It seemed like a filler chapter without moving the story along. It does look to me as though Frank will be the one to win Kate's heart, and this is purely speculation on my part, but I wonder if he and Nicholas will eventually take over the Cheeryble business as brothers-in-law? Gride (and I'm assuming it's pronounced "greed") doesn't seem to have a single redeeming feature, does he? Not only does he want to marry Madeline, but then intends to make her work to earn money for him afterwards, and will penny pinch with the food budget and not even give her a comfortable life by the sound of it. Urgh. Please Nicholas, you MUST save her! I've read both of these instalments today, and I'm carry on with this weeks as well, before I'll take a break. I think that means there is one more normal instalment, then a double instalment for the final one. I'm planning to read chapters 52-54 today, then 55-58 at the weekend, then the final chapters 59–65 before the end of the year. I know both of you have mentioned finishing before the end of the year, but unless we all say we're ahead of schedule, I'll stick to the dates we originally planned before posting about the chapters.

After two weeks of not feeling up to reading, and getting by on some easy reads on the couple of times I've actually felt up to anything, I'm finally back in the swing of things. I've caught up with my Nicholas Nickleby reading today, and have started this weeks chapters too. I think I'm going to try and finish it next week too, Janet, as it would be a nice end to the reading year to add it to my book list. I've bought myself another easy read to fit in between Nicholas Nickleby sessions, and it's a Christmas one too, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements. I read one of her other books earlier in the year and enjoyed it, so thought I'd try another one.

Oh dear, this thread is woefully neglected I've had a cold for the last week, and only managed just some reading today, my first since last Wednesday. All the more annoying that the cough I've got won't let me lie down, so my sleeping has been disrupted, but still haven't felt up to reading. But, I did manage to pick up my Kindle during my lunch break today and started something easy, The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan, just to get me back in the swing before I catch up with Nicholas Nickleby again. My cold hasn't gone yet, but my head is a bit clearer now, so hoping I can get back up to speed sooner rather than later.

I was actually thinking it would be nice to finish it by the end of the year too, but was worried with Christmas, you both might be busy and not have time for the extra reading.

Jacket potato with beans, mushrooms and cheese

Definitely dropped a few degrees today … we've just lit the wood burner for the evening, and it's just getting toasty.

I can't even make it to three yet! I'm up to two and a half so far but I've read two novellas and I'm half way through a novel, but based on that, it would be… A Christmas Carol Nicholas Nickleby (half finished but love it!) The Chimes

Fantastic film! Katherine Hepburn is my all time favourite actress. I rewatched While You Were Sleeping yesterday while I was chopping onions and slicing mushrooms for a mega batch of veggie bolognase sauce for tea and to freeze for later on.

Well done Kylie - that's a very significant reduction in book buying! I'm happy(ish) with my book buying this year, as I've read more than I've bought, so TBR will definitely be lower at the end of the year than it was at the start, and even then, it wasn't too high.

Back to work today, and the weather is a little bit colder, although not much, but as usual, the office was flipping cold! Extra layers and a thicker jumper needed tomorrow.

Read some more of A Mourning Wedding today, although I've now just realised I haven't read last weeks chapters of Nicholas Nickleby so that will be my lunchtime reading tomorrow!

Pretty much the same as this year - read more on my challenge lists, especially want to work on the English Counties Challenge - I hope I'll be able to encourage someone to join me again in another group read, as I've loved reading Nicholas Nickleby that way. No definitely plans though, as I just end up reading what I feel like, so no point in too much planning!

Lady Eva Devenish capped her gold fountain pen and leant back with a sigh, flexing her beringed fingers. A Mourning Wedding by Carola Dunn

I'm glad you enjoyed it too, Anna! I've bought it for one of my friends for Christmas, I loved it that much, I want to share it around.

I still had some money left on a gift certificate so decided to download the next Daisy Dalrymple book in the series, as I already have the two after that from a time they were on sale, and so I'm now reading A Mourning Wedding and really enjoying it!

I can understand why commerce sees it as a good idea to encourage people to spend money in their shops, but for nothing other than commercial reasons, the UK retail industry has decided to adopt the US idea of Black Friday. As someone who likes to shop when no-one else is around, going into Bath yesterday morning was awful. I had no idea that Black Friday was happening (I rarely go shopping in areas with lots of high street shops, and even when I do, I'm fairly oblivious to lots of these things, as I'm a head down, get on with it, sort of shopper. Bath was packed with people, and with the Christmas Market (the reason I'd gone back again to try and get in early and actually browse in the market rather than just try and avoid other people's elbow and feet) it was one of the worst shopping experiences I can imagine! I ended up staying just for an hour, but did manage to get to the few stalls I wanted to revisit, so I think most of my shopping is now done. In a way, I guess I'm lucky I don't have many people to give presents to. I feel for parents of young families who must feel enormous pressure to give their children all the things they see on television. I don't have a problem with the concept of Black Friday in the US, as it ties into the holiday weekend and signals the start of Christmas, but we have no reason for it here at all. Sorry for the moan, but I'm getting old and feel nostalgic for my childhood festive season. I think it's one of the reasons I want to bake and make more homemade gifts this year, make it a bit more personal.

It's totally understandable to feel like that, but try to look at it this way … when the chips are down, she's called on you as the person she most trusts to step in and help her through what should be one of the best days of her life. Not second best at all, but the right person to make it better. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fantastic.

I'm whizzing through Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop. Jenny Colgan writes in such an easy way, but brings characters to life, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it at the moment, although there is a dreadful accident near the beginning, that has already made me emotional, and then another characters has been introduced who is going through something similar to me, which is also making me well up at times. So much for a lighthearted romcom! Lovely to be back in Lipton catching up with Rosie, Stephen, Lilian and all the others that I grew fond of in the first book.

A terrible, terrible accident. When I saw that he'd been injured a couple of days ago, it sounded incredibly serious, but still a shock to wake up to the news this morning. My sympathies go out to his family, friends and team mates.

You should definitely read Down and Out in Paris and London. I'm not a fan of his novels, but I really enjoy his non-fiction, and I've read Homage to Catalonia and thought it was good, but think DAOIPAL was even better. I read it over 20 years ago, and I still rate it as one of my great all time reads.

Here's the full list of his books from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/matt-haig/ Series Shadow Forest 1. Shadow Forest (2007) 2. Samuel Blink and the Runaway Troll (2008) Novels The Last Family in England (2004) aka The Labrador Pact The Dead Father's Club (2006) Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest (2007) The Possession of Mr Cave (2008) The Runaway Troll (2008) The Radleys (2010) To Be A Cat (2012) The Humans (2013) Exquisite Corpse (2013) (with Naomi Alderman, Stella Duffy, Joe Dunthorne, Stuart Evers, Vanessa Gebbie, Alex Preston, Kamila Shamsie, Marcel Theroux and G Willow Wilson) Echo Boy (2014) Collections Haunted (2011) (with Susan Cooper, Joseph Delaney, Berlie Doherty, Jamila Gavin, Robin Jarvis, Derek Landy, Sam Llewellyn, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve and Eleanor Updale) Non fiction Humans: An A-Z (2014) Reasons to Stay Alive (2015)

I've noticed that the horror channel on Sky (not sure if it's on free view) is also showing classic episodes. Today it's Colin Baker's The Two Doctors.