chesilbeach

I missed the first three episodes, so I've been recording them since episode four onwards, but I don't want to watch them until I've read the books! Once I've finished my current read, I think I'll get the fourth book as a treat (I think I'll deserve it!), so at least then I'll be able to watch the first one I have recorded. I don't want to rush through and read them all though, so I'm going to try and ration myself to one a month (yeah, right).

Just catching up with the tennis - GO LAURA!!!! Now watching Lisicki, got a bit nervous when she lost the first set, but she's just taken the second, so fingers crossed she can wrap it up now. Isn't nice to watch a women's singles game with no ridiculous squealing!

Oh, me again. Good and bad day today. Good - two lovely independent bookshops visited and two books purchased - My Family and Other Animals by Clare Balding and Fibber in the Heat by Miles Jupp. Bad - only read about 20 pages of House of Suns and still have about 350 to go!

Had a lovely day today - started off with a gorgeous morning walk around Westonbirt Arboretum. I love the walk around the Silk Wood there, as it's not too long (takes me about an hour and a quarter), none of the hills are too steep, and I love visiting my favourite trees each time. We then carried on to Tetbury and had a lovely wander around the shops, including a visit to The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, and as I mentioned earlier, it's Independent Booksellers Week 2013, so I made sure to buy a book there - Fibber in the Heat by Miles Jupp. Another little drive took us onto Cirencester, and another quick mooch around with a stop off in Octavia's bookshop, and another book purchased - My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding.

It's Independent Booksellers Week 2013 starting today, so I'm going to make sure I visit as many as I can get to, buying a book in each.

I bought No and Me yesterday, after remembering about it being on sale this month, but I'm still reading House of Suns and I think it'll be a while yet before I finish. Glad I've made an early start on it, as I think if I'd left it until near my next book group meeting, I would either have not finished it in time, or given up on it. Determined to stick with it though, as I want to finish as least one science fiction book in my life!

Hello Da Vinci :welcome2

Hi Elizabeth

Hi Matwek

Hello cosimo!

Hello Bethany. I can't deny I'm jealous of both your parents jobs and the fact that you get to benefit so much from them! Feel free to chat about as many books as you feel like here.

I still have The Player of Games on my wishlist from a recommendation from you a couple of years back!

Oh no - you've reminded me of that horrible ventriloquist dummy again now

I really liked 44 Scotland Street, and quite interestingly, he wrote it as a serial published daily (I think, it may have been weekly) in a newspaper, which is similar to how Dickens novels were published originally. I think it would work well for a read-a-thon, due to the consistent length of the chapters, it makes it easy to stop and start for the bits of life that get in the way (drinks, food, forum updates, etc ).

5/10 for me.

Absolutely! Anyone got any ideas what they're going to be reading yet?

2 Broke Girls (a definite guilty pleasure)

Suite Française is a fantastic book, I agree, but definitely not contemporary! I only wish she'd lived to finish it. I've also read Fire in the Blood by Némirovsky, which was also wonderful.

Thanks! I was just looking through my wish list and I also have No and Me by Delphine de Vigan who is another French author. Actually, I've been meaning to download it as the Kindle version is on offer this month for just 99p. I can't recommend it as I haven't read it yet, but I'll report back when I have.

I read about a third of the book before I gave up. Not my cup of tea I'm afraid. You're right in that it's tedious, but I didn't find it in the least rewarding. (I do, however, love Austen!)

Burning Bright has been my least favourite yet. It wasn't that it was bad, I just had a distinct feeling of "meh" after I finished it.

I've just looked the book up, and it sounds really good. I've added to my wish list

I thought it was the next weekend as the first full weekend of the month (including Friday) i.e. 5th/6th/7th July? That's what I've been planning for.

I'm about 100 pages into House of Suns now, and I think I'm sort of ignoring the terms and concepts I can't quite get my head round at the moment, but it's not bad so far. Think it's going to be a looong read though

Absolutely delighted to see this on your list - an absolutely brilliant collection of short stories - and another chance for me to rave about Smith. I adore her writing.