chesilbeach

Miss Ranskill Comes Home by Barbara Euphan Todd Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): This 1946 novel (by the author of the Worzel Gummidge books) is about a woman who goes on a cruise and is swept overboard; she lives for three years on a desert island before being rescued by a destroyer in 1943. When she returns to England it seems to her to have gone mad: she cannot buy clothes without 'coupons', her friends are only interested in 'war work', and yet she is considered uncivilised if she walks barefoot or is late for meals. The focus of Barbara Euphan Todd's satire is people behaving heroically and appallingly at one and the same time. Rosamond Lehmann considered Miss Ranskill Comes Home 'a work of great originality, and delightfully readable, a blend of fantasy, satire and romantic comedy... a very entertaining novel and less light than it seems.' This has been an especial Persephone favourite. Review: Oh how I loved this book. This is exactly what I wanted to find in my reading this year, and yet again, it seems Persephone have hit the spot. Can you imagine what it would be like to have been on a desert island with absolutely no contact to the outside world, only to be rescued and returned home in the middle of the Second World War? To rationing? To air raid sirens and shelters? To no home at all? Todd's story of Miss Ranskill brings you slap bang into that world, but instead of a frightening, despairing look at it, we are treated to a satirical gem of a story, which made me smile and chuckle as much as it did ponder the impossible life Miss Ranskill had returned to. From the littlest things like trying to buy a picnic lunch on her first day back, to finding your childhood home has been commandeered by the Army, to making contact with the sister who thought you were dead, we follow the English woman as she tries to find her place in a world dramatically different from the one she left behind. I loved that there was such humour to be found in the situation, a way to see the ridiculous in the darkness of war, putting on a brave face in adversity, and how having a stiff upper lip doesn't always mean forgetting you are human, and treating others likewise. An absolutely fabulous book, and another highly recommended book from the Persephone publishers catalogue.

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): It is 1923 and Evangeline English, keen lady cyclist, arrives with her sister Lizzie at the ancient Silk Route city of Kashgar to help establish a Christian mission. Lizzie is in thrall to their forceful and unyielding leader Millicent, but Eva's motivations for leaving her bourgeois life back at home are less clear-cut. As they attempt to navigate their new home and are met with resistance and calamity, Eva commences work on her book, A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar... In present-day London another story is beginning. Frieda, a young woman adrift in her own life, opens her front door one night to find a man sleeping on the landing. In the morning he is gone, leaving on the wall an exquisite drawing of a long-tailed bird and a line of Arabic script. Tayeb, who has fled to England from Yemen, has arrived on Frieda's doorstep just as she learns that she is the next-of-kin to a dead woman she has never heard of: a woman whose abandoned flat contains many surprises - among them an ill-tempered owl. The two wanderers begin an unlikely friendship as their worlds collide, and they embark on a journey that is as great, and as unexpected, as Eva's. Review: I don't really know what to say about this book. It's one of those middle of the road reads that didn't fully engage me, but was ok to read. I think the clues as to how the contemporary story linked with the historical story were fairly obvious, and that made it feel a bit predictable, and I didn't actually see the need to alternate between the two throughout the book. I think I might have actually preferred it more if they'd been written separately, or even the historical part been the main bulk of the story, perhaps using the modern day story to top and tail it. The characters were fine, but they didn't worm their way into my heart so that I was desperate to read what was going to happen to them next. Maybe the one exception was Tayeb, and thinking about it now, his was the story I would loved to have read a whole book about - that could be a fascinating read but as it was, it felt that we only skimmed the surface. Having said that, there was nothing that bothered me like bad writing or poor characterisation, so it's difficult to find actual faults to pick out, it was perfectly fine, just a bit pedestrian when I wanted it to fly. Damning with faint praise springs to mind.

The Bookshop That Floated Away by Sarah Henshaw Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): In early 2009 a strange sort of business plan landed on the desk of a pinstriped bank manager. It had pictures of rats and moles in rowing boats and archaic quotes about Cleopatra's barge. It asked for a £30,000 loan to buy a black-and-cream narrowboat and a small hoard of books. The manager said no. Nevertheless The Book Barge opened six months later and enjoyed the happy patronage of local readers, a growing number of eccentrics and the odd moorhen. Business wasn't always easy, so one May morning owner Sarah Henshaw set off for six months chugging the length and breadth of the country. Books were bartered for food, accommodation, bathroom facilities and cake. During the journey, the barge suffered a flooded engine, went out to sea, got banned from Bristol and, on several occasions, floated away altogether. This account follows the ebbs and flows of Sarah's journey as she sought to make her vision of a floating bookshop a reality. Review: I absolutely had to buy this when I saw it in the bookshop, as it sounded brilliant. I'd actually heard of the book barge, due to the news story about it being banned from Bristol, so that added an extra reason for me wanted to read the full story. Unfortunately, I found it lacking. The author actually points out at one point why it was hard to write something that people would want to read, as these type of memoirs often rely on the characters that make up the authors story, and due to the constant moving from one location to another, and the isolation of living on the boat mostly by herself, this was difficult to achieve. And that really sums up the problem. It's a bit fragmented, and seems to bump around without much cohesion in the journey, I found it difficult to follow the relationships, particularly with her boyfriend, as I was never really sure if they were still together, or whether they had split up and he was just her friend. There also wasn't enough to do with the books or the customers. It's not that I didn't like it, but I didn't like it enough, and I wanted more fluidity in the journey and the people she met. I couldn't help thinking about what I would like to have read, and I would have preferred more of a diary format, or perhaps to have more of a running theme through it, with more focus on the customers, or the books, or even what she was reading throughout, instead of dipping in and out of all of it, amongst reminiscences of childhood and the past. It just felt a bit jumbled and not what I'd hoped for.

Tout Sweet: Hanging up my High Heels for a New Life in France by Karen Wheeler Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): In her mid-thirties, fashion editor Karen has it all: a handsome boyfriend, a fab flat in west London and an array of gorgeous shoes. But when Eric leaves, she hangs up her Manolos and waves goodbye to her glamorous city lifestyle to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, central western France. Acquiring a host of new friends and unsuitable suitors, she learns that true happiness can be found in the simplest of things – a bike ride through the countryside on a summer evening, or a kir or three in a neighbour’s courtyard. Review: Just my cup of summer tea, a spritely memoir of someone escaping a failed relationship and the everyday humdrum of modern city life, running away to a life in another country and the trials and tribulations of such a dramatic change of speed and direction, but with humour, warmth and a good dose of sunshine. Perfect escapism for a sunny read, and I'll definitely read the next instalment - probably on holiday while escaping my own life albeit for a brief week away.

Twelve Minutes of Love: A Tango Story by Kapka Kassabova Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): To the uninitiated, tango is just a dance, albeit a dance with an exotic and sensuous allure. To the true tanguero, it is something akin to a religion, attracting the lost, the lonely, and the fanatical with its formal rituals, its sense of belonging, and its intense emotions. Kapka Kassabova first set foot in a tango studio ten years ago and, from that moment, she was hooked. With the pulse of tango thruming through her body and the music filling her head, she’s danced through the night, from Auckland to Edinburgh, from Berlin to Buenos Aires, suffering blisters and heart-break, as well as forging lasting friendships and experiencing all-too-brief moments of dance-floor ecstasy. Here Kapka takes us inside the esoteric night-time world of tango, to tell the story of the dance from its afro roots to its sequined apotheosis in 'show tango', exploring its cultural and emotional pull and enticing us to join her at the milonga. Review: It's no secret I'm a big fan of Strictly Come Dancing, and the Argentine tango is one of my favourite dances, so from the moment I saw this book, I knew I was going to read it. The book is as much the journey of Kassabova's life as it is about tango, but it's how tango threatens to take over her life, and how much it defines her at times. You also get to hear the history, meet others equally infatuated and controlled by the dance, and how it can insinuate itself into the soul of some, who seek that perfect dance as its elusiveness forever haunts their waking hours. This is not the story of steps, lifts and pizzazz, this is the emotional guts of the obsessive combination of music, movement and soul. Tremendous.

Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis Synopsis (from amazon.co.uk): There's a secret hidden on Callum's family farm, a secret nestled in the forest, above the dark waters of the loch. Callum and Iona make a pact to guard the secret together and keep it safe from harm. From mountain peaks and glittering lochs to vast skies and mangrove swamps, the promises made by Callum will change his world for ever ... Review: There seems to be a new category of children's books called Middle Grade, which covers the 9-12 age range, and this is where this book fits. I got it as a present for Christmas, and it took me a little while to get around to it, but it was so worth the wait. It was an excellent book, and absolutely perfect for the age range. There are all sorts of themes in there, peer pressure, environment and climate, socio-economics of developing countries, and bereavement amongst others, but all told within a believable, heartfelt, engrossing tale. There are some moments of heart breaking sadness and unexpected twists, alongside uplifting moments of soaring joyousness, with the authors love of the natural world as the backbone that keeps all the threads knitted together. It was great to have Callum as the main character too, giving the chance to look at the difficulties of growing up from his point of view, being friends with a girl and finding his place in his own family. I often seem to read books with a female lead, so it made a nice change, but in no way would it be described as a boys book, and there are still girls present in the story, making it accessible to all children. A fantastic book that would be excellent to read aloud.

The beginning of a new month means it's time to divvy up where I am on my reading so far this year ... As at the start of 2014 TBR: 35 books (excludes any books I own on my challenge lists) Jane Austen reading list: 18/24 books read = 75% complete J. L. Carr reading list: 3/8 books read = 38% complete E. H. Young reading list: 0/13 books read = 0% complete Persephone reading list: 6/104 books read = 6% complete English Counties Challenge: 7/48 books read = 15% complete Status as at the end of May Books purchased: 34 4 pre-order 10 Kindle daily/monthly deals - one of these is an omnibus of 4 books 3 second-hand for English Counties challenge 17 full price books Books received as presents: 6 Books read: 58 Abandoned books: 0 TBR: 22 books Jane Austen reading list: 19/24 books read = 79% complete J. L. Carr reading list: 4/8 books read = 50% complete E. H. Young reading list: 0/13 books read = 0% complete Persephone reading list: 8/107 books read = 7% complete English Counties Challenge: 12/48 books read = 25% complete

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Howard's End is on the Landing too, and then remember reading huge chunks of it out loud to my partner, as we have some similar tastes in books, and it warranted a whole evenings discussion! I like the idea of not buying any new books for a year, but I'm not a big re-reader - the books have to be very special, or I have to have not liked them when I read them when I was younger and think I need to give them a second chance - so I can't see myself ever doing something like this, unless I somehow wind up with a huge pile of unread books for some reason.

I agree. From Orwell's novels, I've only read 1984 and I really disliked it, but I've read a couple of his non-fiction works, and both were excellent, but Down and Out in Paris and London was a standout book from my teenage years that I still remember 25 years later. Highly recommended!

Hi Tim, just to clarify, Joanne Harris doesn't write YA, she writes general fiction. She's famous for Chocolat, mainly because it was adapted into a film, but has written a whole bunch of other books, and I don't think she's actually written any YA that I can remember, although I'm sure I read somewhere that her Rune books were marketed as YA, but she never really felt that should have been the case. Still, none of that will change your views on this book!

I finished Broken Homes last night, and I really do think the series has got better as it goes along - not something I can say for a lot of series I've read! Something happened at the end of the book though, that was so unexpected, I gasped out loud - my OH had nodded off, and I almost woke him up, my gasp was so loud - but in the end, he just fidgeted slightly then carried on snoring.

Quiz: Can you identify these classic sci-fi books by their covers? Although mostly (some educated) guess work, I managed 8/10!

A bit of a last minute day off due to an irritating errand that needed doing, but on the plus side, have already been to the shops and had a coffee and a read, plus have a visit to the library later, and will go and see my Dad too. Hoping the rain will hold off for the weekend, but even if it doesn't, I've got plenty of good books to read (and probably some bad ones too!) Have also had a trawl through my wish list and culled a lot of books that have been there for ages and not tempted me since adding, so it's now down to a slightly more reasonable 216 books (although that still excludes any books on my various reading challenges list.

As predicted, I finished Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch last night and have gone straight on to Broken Homes today. Love this series!

Fortunately, yes, although most of the books I read now are ebooks, so I don't buy/read that many tree books any more, but I do make sure whenever I do get to a bookshop, I always buy at least one book! It does make a bookshop visit more of an event too, so I spend longer browsing and am more discerning in my choices, as I prefer to buy tree books I'm likely to want to keep and re-read, such as my Persephone books, or non-fiction/reference books.

I've just finished the third PC Peter Grant book, and started on the fourth today. Hope you're still enjoying Rivers of London, and for me, the series gets better as it goes along, so you've got a few more books to look forward to afterwards.

I remember when I went to an author event at Waterstone's for the release of First Among Sequels (which I've just looked up was six years ago ), he said he didn't think he'd write another, then a few years ago, I'm sure I read on his website that he was planning on continuing the series, but I can't find that anywhere now! I think it was about the time the first Dragonslayer book was coming out, so perhaps that's taken over for the moment. I struggled with The Big Over Easy initially, and put it down after the first couple of chapters, but when I picked it up again, I must have been in the right frame of mind, as I whizzed through it then. I did enjoy both of the books in the series, you're absolutely right in that they're great fun, and I hope that one day, he does pick them up again.

It's interesting to see some of you say your parents bought books for you. I picked my own books from as far back as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is my first visit to the dentist at four or five years old, and my treat for being a good girl was to choose a present at the shops and I picked a book, and I think from then on, whether at the library or at the shops, I chose my own books. Even books as presents for birthdays and Christmas, were mostly based on other books I was reading, e.g. the next Famous Five book, or the new book by an author I'd recently read, but mostly I would have been given book tokens to choose my own. But then, I don't ever remember my mum or dad reading to me as once Mum had taught me to read (long before I started school), I preferred reading the books myself apparently, and I think she was happy to let me choose the books I wanted to read from then on.

I've only read a few of her books, but I've been told that Rose Tremain is an author who writes about something very different in all her books. She writes both historical and contemporary fiction, and chooses a wide range of themes. I fully intend to read more of her work, so I'll come back to this in a few years and see if I agree with those who've told me this.

i quite like my armchair where I sit and read, and although it's lovely, I wouldn't say it's the chair of my dreams. We did look at a lot of chair when we were shopping for it, and this was the best one I found at the time, but I think the reading chair of my dreams probably doesn't exist! It depends on the book and my mood, but sometimes I think I'd like something more smooshy (sorry, can't think of a better word to describe what I mean!), and other times I wish I had something more upright like the wing back chair in the original post. What I really need is to win the lottery, and then have a bigger house with lots of reading corners with a variety of chair and sofas to suit my mood!

I feel your pain - my nearest Waterstone's is 12 miles away, and a decent independent bookshop is about 35.

I don't count free ebook on my TBR, but any ebooks I've paid for definitely count.

I don't have children, so I can only speculate, but I would like to hope that I would check what they were reading, and discuss their book choices with them, but hopefully not censor their reading. But I'll never be in that position, so who knows what sort of control freak I'd become! I do have a god daughter, and at seven years old, she loves to read, has a very advanced reading age, and even helps other children in the class with their reading. I am building up a collection of books I've loved that I hope to share with her as she gets older, but I do worry about when they will be okay for her to read, as not having any children myself, I find it difficult to judge what age range books are suitable for. I don't remember my mum stopping me reading anything when I was a child, or even a teenager, but I was quite self aware, and I don't think I ever picked up anything that wouldn't have been age appropriate or of a sensitive nature. I've always been quite a scaredy cat, so I would never have ventured into violent crime or horror, and I can't remember anything else I read that I wouldn't have wanted my parents to know about, or would be considered unsuitable or controversial. While I might have been a normal moody teenager, I never really rebelled against my parents, and my friends always said I was the most placid person they knew, so perhaps it's just part of my nature not to rock the boat, and this encompassed my reading choices too.

I'm three quarters of the way through Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch and it's flipping brilliant! My favourite of the Peter Grant series so far, and a real page turner. Thankfully I also bought book four, Broken Homes, at the weekend, so I'll be able to follow straight on with that once I've finished.

I started Whispers Under Ground today, and after only a single page I was hooked and completely back in the company of Peter Grant in mystical London. Loving it!