chesilbeach

I think you're probably right …

The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): One night, George Duncan - decent man, a good man - is woken by a noise in his garden. Impossibly, a great white crane has tumbled to earth, shot through its wing by an arrow. Unexpectedly moved, George helps the bird, and from the moment he watches it fly off, his life is transformed. The next day, a kind but enigmatic woman walks into George's shop. Suddenly a new world opens up for George, and one night she starts to tell him the most extraordinary story. Wise, romantic, magical and funny, The Crane Wife is a hymn to the creative imagination and a celebration of the disruptive and redemptive power of love. Review: It's been a great month for novels for me, starting with The Crane Wife. I'm finding it difficult to find anything better to say than the last paragraph of the synopsis above. I loved every page. I adored the characters. The story was beautifully told. It moved me. What more can I say?

Circle Line by Steffan Meyric Hughes Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): In 1969, man flew to the moon and sailed around the world solo. In 2009, sailor and Londoner Steffan Meyric Hughes thought he’d try something a little closer to home, becoming the first to sail and row around London in a small boat. Along the way, he discovers the truth behind boats, the sea and rivers, the history of the great city’s future and great secrets of the mysterious Thames: wrecks, bombs and intrigue. Circle Line is the story of a unique journey on the forgotten waterways of one of the world's greatest capitals; an investigation into the way we live today; and a humorous, sometimes moving trip down memory lane. Review: I read this only last month, but I have to be honest and say it's not really stayed with me, and I'm wracking my brains to remember much detail! I was really looking forward to this book as I like travel memoirs, especially those with a specific purpose, and those in England, so this should have been a perfect fit for me. I'm sure I enjoyed it more than I recall, but in hindsight, it's very vague in my memory, and I'm usually pretty good at remembering books, so that must say a lot. I know I enjoyed the opening couple of chapters, with the author recounting how his love of boats and sailing came about, and also the description of the boat he would be using, and I remember there was a unpromising start with a tube journey back home. After that it all becomes a bit vague … I know there were far too many stories of peeing … a couple of meetings with friends and relatives … and some history of the places in London, but again, I have to be honest, the rest I've forgotten.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): We are the Liars. We are beautiful, privileged and live a life of carefree luxury. We are cracked and broken. A story of love and romance. A tale of tragedy. Which are lies? Which is truth? Review: Hmmm. This book was highly recommended, and I'd seen lots of good reviews in the media for it. The synopsis is very sparse, and that's a good thing, as you need to know as little about the story as possible before you start reading. This next part of my review is put in as a spoiler, and although it doesn't contain any plot points, it does tell you something about my experience of reading the book that might spoil it for you if you plan to read it. The writing is good, although I didn't really engage with these wealthy, privileged people, but I suspect it was spoiled for me by reading too many reviews and comments about it before I actually read the book. I'm sure there are many people who will enjoy the book, and find it a gripping read, but it just wasn't for me.

The Girl Who Walked On Air by Emma Carroll Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Louie, who was abandoned at Chipchase's Travelling Circus as a baby, dreams of becoming a 'Showstopper', but Mr Chipchase keeps her hidden, tucked away in the ticket booth. No Death-Defying Stunts for her. But Louie has been secretly practising her act; the tightrope and dreams of being the Girl Who Walked on Air - she just needs to be given the chance to shine. And the circus needs her too - Wellbeloved's rival show is stealing their crowds. They need a Showstopper. Desperate, Mr Chipchase reluctantly lets Louie perform. She is a sensation, and gets an offer from the sinister Mr Wellbeloved himself to perform ... over Niagara Falls. But nothing is quite as it seems and soon Louie's bravery is tested not just on the highwire but in confronting her past and the shady characters in the world of the circus ... Review: I loved Emma Carroll's debut book, Frost Hollow Hall, so I couldn't wait to read this when it came out. Aimed at the middle grade group (9-12 years), this is pure old fashioned storytelling. Louie is a child who has had to become self sufficient to an extent after being abandoned as a baby at the circus, which means with no parental influence, she is able to be an independent, strong, single minded person. The owner has kept her hidden in menial jobs, but Louie has the dream to walk the tightrope, a place she feels at her best. I love that Carroll shows children that when they find they have a gift for something, they can strive to follow their dream to be the best. There's also a mystery story to follow through the book, with a mysterious and rather sinister rival circus owner and the mother who left Louie with Mr Chipchase in the first place. The story builds so that not only does Louie grow as a performer, but we also she how she finds out who she is and where she comes from. Brilliant story telling, and a timeless style that could have been written when I was a child, and I believe will stand the test of time. I absolutely can not wait for Carroll's next book!

Velvet by Mary Hooper Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry's work is back-breaking and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet's very life is in danger ... Review: I read this immediately after Poppy and it felt like I was going back to the Mary Hooper I know. Much more focus on story, with an exciting and thrilling plot, looking at the world of the medium in Victorian society. Mediums were big business back then, and I've read in other books about how some famous people at the time, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, were believers in the spiritual world, and Velvet looks at the cut throat tactics employed by those who credited themselves as being able to talk to the dead. It's a real page turner of a story, and I raced through it and the plot has a few twists and turns along the way to keep you gripped by what will happen to Velvet, even if some of them you can see coming. Although, maybe that's because I'm older and have more experience as a reader, which the teen audience who it's written for may not. Anyway, another great historical YA story from Mary Hooper, and despite my view of her latest, Poppy, I'll definitely be going back to read more of her books.

We visited Westonbirt Aboretum this morning, and had a lovely walk around the Silk Wood. I actually walked along Palmers Drive which is not my usual route, but thought I'd have a change of scenery. It was a beautiful morning, and walking through the trees in the peace and quiet was smashing. Went back to the café at the end of the walk for a cuppa and a read too, so it was a wonderful morning. Back home by lunchtime to do a few bits and pieces, and I've been put in charge of cooking dinner tonight (my OH is a brave, brave man ), so I'll be making vegetarian spaghetti bolognese.

This morning I read last weeks Nicholas Nickleby chapters, as well as a few more chapters of A La Mod. I've also downloaded How To Be Both by Ali Smith

I'm certain you'll love Russian Roulette, Alexi, if you're an Alex Rider fan. And, thank you. I've just broken my own "no new books" rule as I want to read the Ali Smith book before I go to the book event for it, so I had to download it today. Hoping to finish my current book this afternoon, and then I've got a couple of days to read it. I'll then buy the hardback on the night and get it signed!

I think if we'd gone away somewhere, I would definitely have indulged, but because we're staying at home, it feels like I should stick to my guns and attack the TBR, especially as it's going so well, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've still got a while at home yet, so maybe if I make good progress, I can reward myself with a couple of holiday books later on.

Decided to pop out for a morning coffee, taking my Kindle with me, so I managed to resist the urge to download anything new, and have started A la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France by Ian Moore. I normally try to avoid reading two non-fiction book in a row, and particularly not two which are so similar (I've just finished Toute Allure: Falling in Love in Rural France by Karen Wheeler), but they are just the sort of holiday reading I enjoy, and they're both on my TBR, so I couldn't resist!

Hi Eleonora! Nice to see you again. I finished Toute Allure: Falling in Love in Rural France by Karen Wheeler this morning - brilliant and has one of the most enchanting dogs I've read about it ages! ​Being good and sticking to the TBR and have now started A la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France by Ian Moore … I think I see a theme emerging …

I'm on holiday at the moment, and normally, this would have been a time for a book spending spree to load up my Kindle with holiday reads, but we're staying at home this time so no need for the splurge. I have planned all along to keep reading off my TBR so that I can once again reduce it to zero, but over the past few months, I do seem to have taken two steps forward and one step back, so instead of keeping to that plan, a visit to a bookshop or a browse through my wish list, has resulted in the TBR being added to occasionally. It's not too bad … it's usually a case of I've read maybe four or five books and then bought one or two, so it never gets into silly numbers, but it means that it has got smaller, just more slowly than it should have. The intention had been to be down to zero before the holiday but because of my lack of willpower, I still have a TBR, so now, I've got the dilemma of wanting to read my normal holiday books - romcoms, travel/memoirs, basically, lighthearted fare - but I desperately want to keep going with my TBR books. I think that if I keep going with reading my TBR books, I will be able to reduce it to single figures by the end of my holiday - maybe even reduce it to zero, but I'm finding it a real struggle not to "treat" myself to something on my holiday wish list and indulge in that instead. I've just finished a TBR book this morning, and with time on my hands and a computer at my fingertips, the Kindle wish list is beckoning!

I read Moon Bear by Gill Lewis yesterday. Although a children's book, it explains how and why moon bears are "farmed". It's an engrossing read, and heartbreaking to know how these poor animals are treated and the appalling conditions they live in. This morning I started Toute Allure: Falling in Love in Rural France by Karen Wheeler, which is her second book about her life in France after having moved from London.

Poppy by Mary Hooper Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): Poppy is young, beautiful and clever – and working as a parlourmaid in the de Vere family’s country house. Society, it seems, has already carved out her destiny. But Poppy’s life is about to be thrown dramatically off course. The first reason is love – with someone forbidden, who could never, ever marry a girl like her. The second reason is war. As the lists of the dead and wounded grow longer, Poppy must do whatever she can to help the injured soldiers, knowing all the while that her own soldier may never return home ... Review: This is the third of Mary Hooper's historical YA books I've read, but I think this was my least favourite so far, and I'm not quite sure why. Poppy's story shows what it was like during the war from a young womans point of view, with the affect it has on her life, moving from a job in service to joining the Voluntary Aid Detachment as a nurse. The level of detail is fantastic, and the author does paint a picture of the period very well, as with all her books. I think the problem for me was that it felt like evoking the period and describing the life of Poppy during the war too precedence, and I didn't quite feel like the story matched up to that, almost taking a back seat. I have to say, this review is written a month after I actually read the book, so perhaps time has taken its toll on my thoughts, but I genuinely remember more about the details of the hospital wards and the patients than I do about Poppy's personal story, and that's not been the case with any of the other books I've read by Hooper, where the heroines character and voice are the strengths of the books, and the world around them is beautifully described and developed but never overpowers the story. This sounds really harsh and that I didn't enjoy it, but that's not the case at all. It was a good read, and I did find it fascinating to see another perspective on the war, especially the VAD, which I'd never heard of before. I would definitely recommend it as a good read, but I would perhaps recommend it after Newes from the Dead, which I thought was excellent.

Little Sacrifices by Jamie Scott Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): How much would you risk to stand up for your beliefs? When the Powell family moves to Savannah Georgia in 1947, they hope against hope that they'll be welcomed. But they're Northerners and worse, they're white civil rights advocates almost a decade too early. The American South is deeply segregated. At first their daughter, May, can pretend they're the same as everyone else. It means keeping quiet when she knows she should speak up, but it's worth the sacrifice to win friends. Keeping secrets has been the norm for her new home's residents for forty years anyway, and the old lady who lived in the house before them left more than her furniture when she died. May finds her diaries and letters, unravelling a tale of love and loss that reaches across the generations with devastating consequences. Review: I have to be honest, and while I've read To Kill A Mockingbird and The Help (although that was only because it was for my book group), this is probably not the sort of book I'd read. The reason I picked it up was because the author is Michele Gorman writing under a pen name, and she's been a contributor to the forum in the past, and I've read all her romcoms, so I wanted to see what her historical fiction was like. I really enjoyed reading the story. I loved that from the very start, there's a tension simmering just under the surface, and as the story develops, more of the past is revealed, while more of the present is exposed, building to a dramatic conclusion. It's both the coming of age for May and the mystery of the diaries, in the time of segregation in the deep South. I liked this approach, as it you see both the personal, small stories of a teenager, but also the view of the wider, historically important stories of the period, which is just how real life is - you could be living in times that will eventually become incredibly significant events in world history, but as an individual, you'll still remember your first kiss, the last day of school, and other personal milestones in your life. I loved how the characters grow and develop throughout the book, so that as the reader, if feels like real life where you get a first impression of them, but each one builds throughout the story, and you don't just see one side of them, but the positives and negatives in each one. Just to note - I've taken the synopsis from Amazon, but I've removed the last paragraph, which gives away something that doesn't happen until, if I remember rightly, until almost the very end of the book, probably well into the last quarter, maybe even the last eighth of it.

Thanks, Kay! (… I'll *try* )

Russian Roulette by Anthony Horowitz Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): A gripping insight into the teenage life of Yassen Gregorovich, set against a backdrop of violence and corruption. From Yassen's training to become a deadly assassin, to meeting a teenage spy called Alex Rider, this thrilling adventure will be the deadliest yet... Review: If you've been a fan of the Alex Rider series from Anthony Horowitz, you'll be familiar with the villainous Yassen Gregorovich, and in this standalone book, Horowitz tells the story of how the ruthless assassin became the man he is. I absolutely loved this book! It's a perfect way to see the Alex Rider world from a whole new perspective and make you understand how circumstances can set a person on a path that leads to becoming a mercenary, but still aim the story at a YA audience. Definitely recommended to Alex Rider fans, but you can read this without having to have read the other series of books too. An exciting and thrilling story that gives a voice to a type of character that often ends up as one-dimensional or a caricature.

I finished The Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet by Alec le Sueur last night. Think I'll start Moon Bear by Gill Lewis today.

The library sounds brilliant. How fantastic to have somewhere like that on your doorstep. I love exploring places just by walking around. It doesn't matter if you get a bit lost as you've only walked there, so you can't be too far away from somewhere you know, and you find all sorts of gems of streets, architectures, shops, places to sit and read, and who knows what else?! As we're staying at home while I'm on holiday this year, I've been doing a bit more exploring around my own town too. Now, admittedly, it's a pretty small town compared to a big city, and I have lived here since I was seven (albeit with a couple of years away when I first left home), so I know most of it, but there are some areas I rarely go to. It's all residential, so I'm not going to stumble on any surprise bookshops or libraries, but it's mostly a Victorian town, so it's nice to look at styles or architecture around.

Hello Marina, welcome to BCF! It's the perfect place to discuss books, so we're pleased you've found us too.

Thanks, Devi

I'm about halfway through The Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet by Alec le Sueur now. Finally found a book I wanted to buy at the new local bookshop - The Madness by Alison Rattle. Had a bit of a chat with the owners too, and hopefully I'll be visiting at least weekly, so I'll get to know them a bit better.

I'm on holiday at the moment and just taking the odd day trip out in between periods of doing nothing jobs around the house. Went to Cardiff for a few hours this morning. I love it as we take the train, which although it's a bit pricey, at least I get a good hour (at least) of reading on the journey each way. We had a good look around lots of kitchen-y shops, eyeing up some baking goods and chocolate making utensils, plus a wander around Waterstone's. Didn't actually buy anything (OH splashed out on two pastry brushes!) but had a nice time just going out together. Fortunately, I didn't spot any Christmas stuff out in any of the shops yet, and as it was 24ºC outside, I was thankful for that small mercy! The weather is lovely at the moment and as I live in a coastal town, I've been down to the seafront - obviously had to test the new café there. Had a lovely pot of peppermint tea, although the glass "cup" they gave me to go with it was a bit odd. It was like a hollowed out crystal ball with the top cut off - weird!

I finished Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop sat in a café on a day out today and thought it was lovely. I've now started The Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet by Alec le Sueur - two and a half chapters in, and I already love it; my type of travel/memoir book.