chesilbeach

I've only read 30 pages of Moral Disorder today, but I finally get how the chapters/short stories within the book are coming together! I'm starting to enjoy it a lot, and I think I'll be dead keen on getting it finished this weekend now

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Dump them now! I've read Casino Royale and it was dull, badly written and misogynistic and completely put me off reading any more (I still love the films though, as they are a different breed).

Ubiquitous

Sentient

Gorilla

Hello!

Janet, I'm so pleased you liked the Eric Newby book - if you want to follow it up with another one of his, Slowly Down The Ganges is excellent.

Yourself

Mankind

Narcissus

Eggnog ...

Naivety

Kitsch ...

Hello!

Hello!

Started The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, and found out that my reservation for Fallen by Lauren Kate has arrived at the library unfortunately I can't collect it until Friday though

The upper part of the shoe that helps hold it onto the foot is also called the vamp.

teamedward - that comment was from June 2008 before the leak. The last statement on her website about it is from August 2008 (post leaked draft) and says "... I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely."

I've enjoyed all their books: Goodbye, Jimmy Choo (2004) Warnings of Gales (2005) The Xmas Factor (2006) Busy Woman Seeks Wife (2007) The Gap Year for Grown-Ups (2008) Getting Mad, Getting Even (2009) I think my two favourites have been "Busy Woman Seeks Wife" and "Getting Mad, Getting Even" so I'd definitely recommend them, but they're all good entertainment!

Elfin ...

Title: The Shoe Queen Author: Anna Davis Publisher: Black Swan Rating: 4/5 Synopsis (from blurb on book cover): Society beauty Genevieve Shelby King devotes her life to partying with the artists and writers of Montparnasse. But despite her rich husband, glamorous apartment and enormous shoe collection, there is something hollow at the centre of Genevieve's charmed life. When she spots a pair of exquisite shoes on the feet of an arch rival, her whole collection suddenly seems worthless. The exclusive designer Paolo Zachari, renowned for his fabulous shoes and eccentric behaviour, hand-picks his clients according to whim - and he has determined to say no to Genevieve. As her desire for the pair of unobtainable shoes develops into an obsession with their creator, Genevieve is forced to confront the emptiness at the heart of her own elaborately designed life. Review: The story is set in 1920s Paris and is such a deceptive book, starting off with a seemingly shallow tale of a beautiful, rich young woman coveting the exclusive, exquisite shoes made by Zachari, but as the story progresses, we learn of where Genevieve's obsession with shoes stems from and the emotionally charged story of her past. The female characters in the story are so well written, and we get exposed of all sorts of women, from the bohemian artiste Lulu of Montparnasse to Olga, the severe assistant of the shoemaker. Even the briefest of glimpses into the life of secretary Marie-Claire are a fascinating insight into women's lives in the period. I love Genevieve's journey in this book, as she grows and faces up to the past she has been trying to forget, and learns about herself and the direction she wants her life to take. The ending was a surprise for a book of this style, and I was very satisfied with how the story ended, and I can't say anymore than that without giving it all away! The only thing I would say is that I'm not a girly girl and I certainly don't covet shoes myself (I live in walking boots!), but I could picture the beautiful shoes that Genevieve desires so badly, and I suspect even I would fall in love with the unique, hand crafted masterpieces made by Zachari as they are so beautifully described in how they look, the process of designing and making them, the way they caress the foot and how they make the wearer feel.

Finished the excellent The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis. If only ii were still around, I could thank her for the fantastic recommendation.

All the classic I have are in paperback. I have a lot of the standard Penguin Classics (black spine with the coloured banding), most of which were purchased approx 20 years ago and have aged well, with no problems with pages falling out or too much yellowing or pages becoming brittle, and the newer ones seem to be of the same quality. I also love the design of the modern classics they do - books like Bonjour Tristesse by Fran

I read it a couple of years ago with my reading group, so my memory is a bit hazy on it, but it was my first Picoult book, and I remember I didn't enjoy it much. I just found the characters annoying and a bit dull, then if I remember rightly, when it got to the courtroom section it was like rehashing the same story and I didn't really care what the outcome was. We went onto read another Picoult book last year, and I found out that nearly all her books are story then courtroom drama, and I didn't like that either. There are lots of others on the forum who love her books though, so I'm sure you get the opposite viewpoint from someone else! ETA: Just noticed you're now reading an Annie Sanders book - YAY! They're my favourite chick-lit authors - I think they've developed their writing as chick-lit has grown up, and I love their books. Hope you enjoy it too