chesilbeach

If I had to pick a novel, then I'd probably pick one of the books that includes descriptions of baking and recipes, such as Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan, and if it's non-fiction, I guess almost any of my baking books could be in this category, but what I'm actually going to pick for today is Sea and Shore Cornwall by Lisa Woollett, which is a fabulous photographic and anecdotal book about the beaches of Cornwall. It's beautiful and useful, so therefore, practical. An absolute gem of a book, it's one of my favourite finds of the last year, and one I frequently pick up to browse, and take with us on holiday.

I saw a picture of that on twitter earlier, Diane - it's brilliant, isn't it?!

We tend to stick to full length novels with the odd non-fiction mixed in, as the only time we tried a collection of short stories, it didn't go down well, as lots of people didn't read the book because they "don't like short stories". And also, because we only meet once a month, and for some people, they only read the chosen book, unfortunately, I don't think they'd go for this one, even if it was included in an anthology or collection of short stories. It's an interesting category, as I think it's quite difficult to pick selections for book groups. Books have to have enough depth to have something to discuss, but not be too long or too short, and you have to take into account the vagaries of the group, such as with the one I go to, where short stories are not popular. You also almost don't want something that is universally enjoyed either, as if everyone just praises a book, the discussion is over very quickly. Lots of books I read and enjoy, I know wouldn't work for our group for whatever reason, so it's quite tricky to find something to get the discussion going and get our teeth into!

I'm usually so exhausted by the day that I think if I put an audiobook on, I'd probably fall asleep almost immediately! I got mine before the paperwhite came out, and while it's still working, I can't really justify spending the money on changing it at the moment. I might try and put some hints out there and see if Father Christmas brings one this year (actually, that never works - OH always insists that presents should be surprises, so if I even remotely hint about something I'd like, I can guarantee I won't get it!)

I think I prefer ebooks, but only on an e-ink device. I find that, particularly on holiday, when I search out indie bookshops, I feel the need to support them and buy one … or two ... or a few books, and then I end up with a full shelf, so I go through a stage of trying to clear these down, and I get back into the habit of reading from a book. As soon as I go back to an ebook, I find it much more comfortable to read, and I like that I can change the text size, which is useful in different light levels, or when my eyes are tired. I can only follow an audiobook if I've already read the book and know what's going on, otherwise, my mind tends to wander and I realise I've missed a few paragraphs or pages, and it's much more difficult to go back and listen again compared to going back to the top of the page when reading! So for me, it has to be the ebook, and at the moment, my device is the Kindle keyboard, although I think I'd like to upgrade to a paperwhite at some point.

Today, I chose The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness for the ideal for a book group category. I'd been trying to find a YA book that would have enough copies in the library for us to be able to reserve them, and after I read this one, I knew it would be a good one to chose. It's unusual depiction of thoughts, the society without females, and the various themes of morality that occur, all added up to what I thought would make a good book to discuss. What was great, was that in a group of mostly retired elderly women (obviously not me ) who never read YA, those who persevered past the first few pages, found it a gripping and rewarding read, and we had such a lively discussion, that the few who'd originally given up thinking it wasn't for them, were tempted to try again after our meeting.

I finished The Girl Who Walked on Air by Emma Carroll today. It's a children's book, probably aimed at the 9-12 age group, but good old-fashioned story telling, no fantasy or sci-fi elements, a historical setting in a Victorian circus for an exciting, dangerous, heart-stopping, perilous story. I loved it, and will definitely keep it for my goddaughter in a few years time. I think I'm going to go for We Were Liars by E. Lockhart next.

Don't know about anybody else, but I loved the first episode this week. I like almost everyone, there's just one person that I found irritating, but maybe that was just first week ebullience, and they'll grow on me. I thought Nancy was great, and was pleased she won star baker, as I wanted to try all her bakes, especially those jaffa orange cakes, which looked fabulous. I'm not sure based on what we saw that I'd have got rid of Claire (although she was always going to be a disaster with a name like that ) but I think it was probably close between the bottom three, so unless the two lads buck their ideas up next week, I think one of them will be out anyway. Favourite moment has to be Mel and Sue fighting over licking out the chocolate mousse bowl! Did anyone watch An Extra Slice with Jo Brand on Friday night? I thought it was pretty good, and it was nice to have a little interview with Claire as well as the extra snippets of the main show, and just talking about baking generally. I'll definitely keep watching if the first one is anything to go by, and it might improve even more once they get in the swing of things

The 10th August is the Best written bestseller, and I've chosen Chocolat by Joanne Harris. It's always difficult to pick this sort of category, because I never really look at book charts, and I'm not sure how many books sold indicates a best seller, but I found this list from 2012 of the Top 100 best selling books of all time (UK only) and looking through it, there were a few that jumped out at me, but in the end, I thought Chocolat pipped it for me. Separate the book from the film, if you've seen it, and what you get is a modern fairy tale for adults, and the alchemy of making perfect chocolates is beguiling. The tension builds throughout Lent, between the mysterious, mystical Vianne, and the religious, righteous Father Reynaud, as the priest preaches abstinence, while the heathen chocolatier tempts the village with confections to die for. Funny, poignant and brilliant storytelling, it is my best written bestseller. What would you pick? You don't have to use this list of bestsellers, as these are UK only, but do you think there's a best seller out there that is well written?

That was me - I loved the title too, but unfortunately I didn't think the book lived up to it. Sorry. Here's my review if you want to compare once you've finished it --> http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/12450-claires-book-list-2014/page-5#entry395066 Yesterday I accidentally clicked on the wrong button and ended up buying Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve instead of added it to my wish list, and I made a good start on The Girl Who Walked On Air. Seeing as it's absolutely pouring with rain this morning, and yesterday I finished all the errands I had to do this weekend, I'm hoping that today can be a relaxing, reading day, and I'll finish it as well.

Now that's an opening line to grab you! I've just looked the book up, and it sounds very interesting, so it's gone on my ever expanding wish list. This is one of the things I've loved about the #bookadayuk on Twitter - I've picked up a whole bunch of recommendations. Edit: Oops, clicked on the wrong button, and I seem to have purchased it

Kay, I've just found the *perfect* bookshop for you!!! https://twitter.com/Lit_Books/status/498136320670453760

On to the 8th August and Never fails to cheer me up, and I had to pick Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson. I was a latecomer to the books, but since discovering them a few years ago, I've read this particular one quite a few times, and even just typing the title in brings a smile to my face. It's funny and warm, totally engrossing. I love the period of the between the wars years, and the village setting, when the distinction between the classes was still evident and people could live comfortably without having to work. It makes for a very funny read, as those with nothing to do have to find things to fill their time and an unhealthy obsession with their neighbours and the one-upmanship! It's an absolute joy to read, with so much humour in the language and the attitudes of the characters, and still an amount of affection with an almost caricaturish feel to the people. I think I've read it four or five times since I first found it in 2009, and it definitely always cheers me up.

So the 7th August is Enjoyed by several generations. None of my family were big readers, and our tastes rarely met, but I do remember lending both my mum and my nan the Fairacre and Thrush Green series of books by Miss Read. Gentle social commentary based in a quintessentially English village.

The 6th August - Best for a bedtime story is a tricky one for me - I don't read at bedtime now, and I don't remember my parents reading to me at bedtime when I was small, as I always preferred to read on my own, but I do remember there would always be Enid Blyton books on my bedside cabinet, so in the end, I chose The Faraway Tree series. I fondly remember these, and if I remember correctly, the chapters worked well as little stories on their own, so would have been perfect for bedtime. I think I've read somewhere that they're not considered politically correct any more, but I don't think I ever noticed that as an innocent child. I guess I'd have to re-read them to see what the problems are, as it's probably been over 35 years since I've picked one up. I do still have them on my shelf upstairs, so maybe one day, I'll do just that!

For the 5th August - Classic hero/ine or anti-hero/ine was always going to come from Jane Austen, and in the end I had to chose Anne Elliot, the patient, thoughtful woman who eventually gets her chance to shine. In an age where 27 years old is over the hill for a woman, Anne has resigned herself to a life governed by her family, but in her heart she still loves the dashing young sailor whom she was convinced to reject when younger. I love that when Wentworth returns years later, the spark of life in her is reignited, and she proves that she and Wentworth have far more class than her family, who had thought him below them, and unworthy of marrying Anne.

For the 4th August - best graphic novel, I chose Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds. I've always had the impression that graphic novels were sci-fi, fantasy or thriller/noir style books, and they've never interested me but I have to say, this was completely different and a fantastic reading experience. I can't deny, it did feel like I was ten years old again, reading the comic strips in my teen mags. The difference was that this was a grown up reading experience. Sprinkled through the pictures is the text telling a bit more of the story from a particular characters point of view. As an alternative to the traditional novel, I thought it was very entertaining and a very satisfying reading experience.

I'll just copy across my first few entries from my blog before I get on to the rest of the week. It started on the 1st August with The most arresting opening line, for which I chose Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith. The opening line is "Let me tell you about when I was a girl, our grandfather says." How could you NOT want to read on? I adore this book, it's probably my favourite book ever, and this opening sentence gives you a sense of what you can expect, to be told a story, but an unusual one that will make you think. The story for me was incredibly moving, and by the end I cried tears, but tears of joy, seriously the most joyous book I've ever read. The 2nd August was The best pairing of words and pictures and my choice is Raoul Taburin Keeps A Secret by Jean-Jacques Sempé. It's a whimsical tale of a bicycle repair man who keeps a secret from everyone he knows, and the consequences it has on his life. It's a very traditional style of illustration with a nostalgic tone, and the story itself is utterly charming, amusing and affectionate, and has that classic small French town feel with an almost timeless quality about it. I completely loved it. On the 3rd August, it was Your favourite collection of short stories. I do love Ali Smith's short stories, but I suspect I could pick her books in almost all categories, so for the sake of variety, I've gone with the sublime Love Begins In Winter by Simon Van Booy. Here is an extract from my original review, and I still stand by it!

Sorry Michelle, that link doesn't work, and I can't find the topic on the board anywhere.

Sounds great, Michelle! I was really only putting them in my thread as they were books I'd read and I wanted more than 140 characters but if we can get everyone else to join in, I think it would be very interesting. I'm happy to move over to a new thread, and I've been pretty good (apart from the last few hectic days) as keeping up to date, so I'm sure between us, we could keep it running. I think the twitter version has been very successful, and I hope that someone else will pick up the baton for future months - I think it's good publicity for the publishers/organisation who run them each month, so I can see it running for a while yet.

Nice - closely related to one of my favourite words (and something I wish I could be ) ... Polymath - a person of great or varied learning; a person acquainted with many fields of study; an accomplished scholar.

I'm behind a few days with my twitter choices, but I'll try to catch up this morning. Unfortunately, too much stuff going on at the moment, so didn't get any reading time yesterday, and not looking promising for today either. Hopefully I'll be able to find *some* time this weekend, as next week is going to be hectic too, and I'm already counting down the days until the bank holiday weekend at the end of the month when I'll have a long weekend!

My favourite cafe is nearby, just down the road. The only problem is parking - there's only two hours free parking on the main streets near it, and it's always full, and it's quite close to the seafront which is always full too, and overflows into the residential areas, so it can be tricky to find somewhere to stay for a while, unless you know the area, but I'm sure we can work something out. Fingers crossed, it's turns out to be what it says it is! We did, didn't we? I've got three months worth of questions built up now, so maybe I could set a thread going again next month so everyone here could join in. I'm already thinking about day 22 - I'm not sure I want to kill anyone, although at least they are fictional! I'm not a big reader of illustrated stories, but OH bought it for me for Christmas one year. Previous years, he'd bought me some gorgeous editions of the Nicholas books, which are children's short stories based around with mischievous French schoolboy, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé, and we both loved them, so when he saw this book by Sempé, he couldn't resist. I've read two of Van Booy's collections of short stories and was impressed with both. He is such an incredible writer, I can't praise him highly enough. He then wrote a novel, which was just as breath taking. I think he's published a second novel as well now, but I haven't read it yet … still battling with that TBR first!

Haven't had chance to update for a few days - a pre-ordered Kindle book downloaded on Thursday, The Original Miss Honeyford by M. C. Beaton, so I read that, and then Emma Carroll's second book, The Girl Who Walked On Air, was published on Thursday as well, so I popped into Waterstone's to get it, and it was in the buy one get one half price offer, so I also bought We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

The first few that spring to mind are Sea Room by Adam Nicholson, both Findings and Sightlines by Kathleen Jamie, and Strands by Jean Sprackland. I'll have a think about it and see if I can come up with any more.