chesilbeach

Thanks Athena. I've had a good day today and managed to finish a book! Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey is a YA Victorian ghost story, and it was pretty good. I thought the main characters were very good, but I did think the secondary characters were a bit thin, and often confused them when they came into contact with the main plot, but the story itself was well plotted and led to a thrilling denouement. And I was pleased to see it was a complete story and didn't end on a cliff hanger or deliberately set it up for a continuation of the story in a series of books. It could easily be carried on into a series if the author decided it, but if there weren't any more, you wouldn't feel hard done by!

Oh man, I'm so far behind!!!! I'm not sure I'll actually catch up to be honest, but reading has been mostly uninspired stuff over the last couple months as work and other tasks have been eating into my reading time. In fact, over the last week or so, I've struggled to even read at work during my lunch break, as going from concentrating on work to try and relax to read has just made me feel sleepy, and I've either read the same page over and over again for minutes of end, or read a chunk of my book only to come back the next day and realise I'd taken none of it in! Things are much better now though, and hoping to have some free time to get back to some serious reading. I think the week between Christmas and New Year is often my most productive week of reading in the entire year! Over the last few weeks, I have managed to read Lighthousekeeping for the Reading Circle, but it didn't grab me, although that may have been due to the general reading issues I've mentioned above. Having said that, I loved the ending, and made me think I should probably go back and read it again when I'm more involved in my reading, as I think I'd enjoy it more. I also started Barchester Towers for the English Counties Challenge, but have put it to one side for now until I can actually concentrate properly.

I bought Looking for Alaska as a gift for a friend today, so good to hear such a glowing review!

Lovely to see someone else enjoying JSAMN so much, and your thoughts sum it up perfectly!

I think the only one I really liked was Abbey this week, although the camerawork made it difficult to see her footwork most of the time but like you Kay, I thought her hair was maddening! Surely that's why they have a dress rehearsal to make sure those things don't happen. She's got American Smooth and Samba this week, so I think her AS will be good, but have no idea how she'll manage with the Samba. Not sure of anyone else's dances yet, although they've each got to do two out of three remaining. Sophie was ok, but nothing more - poor frame and I hated the song choice, and the same goes for Susanna with a dreadful song choice for an Argentine Tango. I did like Ashley's salsa, but when we were watching it, it made me think of an episode of Friends where Chandler says that Michael Flatley scares the bejeezus out of him because "his legs flail around as if independent from his body"! I felt sorry for him being in the bottom two, as even though he was irritated to get 35 again, he was the only one to get the same score from last week, with everyone else getting a lower score than their previous dance, but it's getting to the stage where the judges scores are almost irrelevant. It's interesting what you said about Natalie and Artem, Kay, as I said exactly the same thing to OH last night, that he's only had any chemistry with Kara, and since then, I haven't seen a connection between him and his celebrity at all. I hate having to agree with Len (although there's no way I'm going to be so obnoxious about it), but he was right about the paso content in their routine, and there was way too much pfaffing about with her skirt, but it's difficult because it's not fair on Natalie when she can only dance what Artem gives her, but then again, he has to let Artem know what's wrong and why they're getting lower scores. Similarly with Patrick, when they danced on Saturday, I pointed out two heel leads that I spotted, and twice he was a bit off balance, so was gobsmacked that Darcey gave him a 10, but surprised that Len or Craig didn't mention the heel leads, but it was totally unwarranted for Len to go off on one after the dance off. Having said that, it wasn't bad for a male rumba, so 8s and 9s were justified, but the 10 did irritate me, and I've just watched their dance off again, and there were more heel leads in there second time around, although camerawork meant I couldn't see his feet all the time. I thought Anya did a good routine though, and it helps that Patrick doesn't look his age, as sometimes when you have an older celeb, it can look a bit awkward, but it's definitely one of the better male rumbas from a choreography and performance point of view, just lacking a bit in technique. At this stage, I think Abbey has to be my favourite dancer, but that's only because the partnership with Aljaž is better than Natalie & Artem, and generally, I prefer Aljaž's choreography, but Natalie has great potential, I just wish she had more chemistry with Artem and he got his act together with the choreography. I can see why Susanna is so popular, and I do really like Kevin, but she hasn't really had the improvement that Abbey has, and has become a bit unstuck over the last couple of weeks. Similarly, I like Sophie (and I'm a big Brendan fan) but I think she seems to improve one thing that the judges pick up on, then let something else go instead, and it's just not all coming together. I don't mind Patrick and I really like Anya (in fact, I like all the new professionals this year), but I always find I end up concentrating on his feet as he does tend to be flat footed, and it sort of takes me out of the dancing. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, I think I've said enough!

I have no idea, so another quote might help!

We occasionally get opera and ballet productions shown on television in the UK, although they're recorded not live, and it's mainly at Christmas, but there is a trend now to broadcast theatre productions live to cinemas. There's a NT Live series, and I wish I'd made the effort to go and see some of them, as there were some amazing productions shown. I'd definitely like to try one next year.

I wondered if it was The Catcher in the Rye or something from that generation but they're a bit older than that.

My computer has been out of action all week, but I finally got it back yesterday evening! Still trying to catch up on here, as well as other things, although a bit busy this weekend with just normal running around jobs to do, but will hopefully be back up to speed by the end of the weekend.

Thanks! I'm not very good at the design side of things, but it's got as much information as I can find to cram into it for any die hard Strictly fan. I've just started an advent calendar on there today too. I enjoyed last nights programme more than the previous week, but the marking was all over the place! Now while I agree with Len that there wasn't enough of Natalie's American Smooth in hold (it's supposed to be 40% minimum), it's not fair to criticise that, then give Abbey 10s for a routine that was mostly disco and not much salsa? I thought Patrick's charleston was okay, but he's still flat footed, so I can't agree with 10s there either. In fact, I don't think any dances deserved 10s last night, but obviously the judges see things differently! I did actually like Mark's samba, and was impressed by how much proper samba content Iveta put in, but the marks were about right for him. Loved Sophie's Viennese waltz and definitely up there with her charleston, and again the marks were about right for that too. I also loved Kevin's choreography for Susanna's quickstep, there was just too much of it, and she came a cropper in one section where she was a step behind him all the way through it (I think it's the same bit I saw that Craig pointed out) and I think because the song was so fast and there was so much content in it, it seemed much longer than the other dances, but personally, I don't think it should have got 9s with the mistakes that were in it especially if you've given 9s to Sophie who had a slight problem with her neck on the spins, but didn't go wrong. I don't look at the spoilers, so I have no idea who's in the bottom two or going home this week, but I voted for Sophie and Susanna, just because those are the only two I really don't want to see go this week.

One of my friends has been telling me to watch the The Five(ish) Doctors all week, and finally got round to it - I think I might have enjoyed it more than the real anniversary programme! Definitely laughed more

Yes!!! That's the one Over to you, Kay

Frances McDormand plays the title character

No, not Doris Lessing. I'll try another clue. The book is a Persephone Classic.

No, sorry. Here's a second quote ... the opening paragraph: XXXXX pushed open the door of the employment agency and went in as the clock struck a quarter past nine. She had, as usual, very little hope, but to-day the Principal greeter her with a more cheerful smile.

No to both, a bit more light hearted than Rebecca. There was a film version released in 2008.

No, not The Great Gatsby - it's by a female author.

Nope, it was first published in the 1930s

No, not YA.

No guesses? I know some of you have definitely read it

I finished reading Lighthousekeeping for the December reading circle, and have started Barchester Towers for the English Counties Challenge

Sorry I haven't done one earlier, but I fell asleep in front of the telly last night and just didn't get around to it! Anyway, here's the next quote: XXXXX sat in a taxi with a strange man and he had the effrontery to put his arm round her, and XXXXX ... XXXXX relaxed. She sank in her seat. She laid her head on his shoulder. She had never been so wicked in her life and she had never been so happy. She wasn't going to pretend any more.

Is it The Woman in Black by Susan Hill?

Is the author E. Nesbit?

What about A Little Princess?