chesilbeach

I've never read any of Asterix, but I did get given three gorgeously bound copies of the Nicholas children's books which are also written by Rene Goscinny (and Jean-Jacques Sempe). They're wonderful books filled with short stories about the schoolboy Nicholas, aimed at probably 6-10 year old boys, and would be great for reading to children.

I read this today, and although it was fairly enjoyable, I agree with Janet that it was a bit predictable, and I could see what was going to happen at the end pretty much from the start. However, the biggest problem I had with the book was that if I hadn't read The Five People You Meet In Heaven, I probably would have enjoyed it more as I think this book was too similar in style and theme, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone who has read the other book.

My library send me out a reminder two days before the return date, so I know if I need to renew the book if I want to keep it longer, or return it to avoid a fine! I'm worried about the budget cuts in library services, especially the reduction in staff numbers, so I make a point of continuing to use my library as much as I can, just to support the service. It's essential for me, as I borrow audio books for my Dad, as well as using it to read the newest books of my favourite authors without having to wait for cheaper paperback versions of their latest book. Plus, I'm go to the monthly reading group meetings, and have read some excellent books I would never have dreamt of picking up otherwise. I must admit, I don't like the prevalence of computers in the small library we have in my town, but I don't use it for reading in, just for browsing for books, so it's no noisier than a shop with muzak playing, or other shoppers/shop assistants talking.

"Finding the right wedding gown for your special day isn't easy, but it shouldn't drive you to tears, either!" Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot

Me too! Great book though, and well worth the aching shoulder.

Decided to try For One More Day by Mitch Albom next ... wanted something contemporary but reasonably short, and hopefully a quick read. Enjoyed The Five People You Meet In Heaven, so I've got my fingers crossed for this one.

At least, I think it is ... there are way too many shelves to go through and check.

Didn't actually start Trouble for Lucia until today, but gulped it down in two sittings, so my love affair with 1930's middle class village society is over for now. I've been told that I should read P. G. Wodehouse since I've loved the Mapp and Lucia series so much, but I think I'm going to continue trying to work through my existing TBR shelves before adding any more books to them (although OH does own a couple of Jeeves & Wooster omnibuses so I could sneak those onto the list without spending any money and feeling guilty!). Haven't yet decided what to read next, so going to contemplate that this evening, and pick something to take to work tomorrow to start during my lunch break.

Completed Honey and Dust by Piers Moore Ede this evening. A lovely change to the fiction I've been reading recently, with a mixture of memoir, natural history, anthropology and travel. I've reviewed it on my blog here Will be starting my last Mapp and Lucia book tonight, and although they are such witty, amusing books, I'm a little sad at finishing the series!

Lucybird, I think you've probably seen the Persephone books, which have covers based on fabrics and prints from the early-mid 20th century.

Wow, only five books on your list - hang around this forum enough, and you'll quickly find that list increasing exponentially! I've read The Host but it wasn't as captivating as the Twilight series, and it seemed to go on forever. In fact I probably won't read any more non-Twilight books from Stephenie Meyer. Happy reading

Harry Potter has a wider appeal, as it will appeal to younger children, and is suitable to be read to them by parents, as well as being a more "fairy tale" style of story which most people can appreciate - hence the immense adult fandom for the series. Twilight, meanwhile, has a much narrower demographic, and is more likely to appeal to teenage girls, although it has obviously attracted older fans. I'm not saying that other groups won't appreciate it, but it's more commonly linked to female fans and particularly younger ones. On a critical point, I would say that the Harry Potter series are the better written books. I think everyone I know who has read the Twilight series and enjoyed it, would admit that there are major flaws with the writing itself, but that the story captivated them enough to overcome the issues they had. Having said that, personally I felt the HP series peaked at book three, possibly because after that J.K. Rowling had started to make serious amounts of money, and the series had become such a phenomenon that I suspect the publishers and editors didn't want to say anything against their biggest moneymaking author. *hides from potter fans for fear of backlash*

I think it's probably one of their special editions in the Bill Amberg collaboration - it's actually on the Penguin Classics website but there isn't much info there, other than this: "The result of a creative collaboration between Bill Amberg and the world's favourite publisher, now you can own your favourite Penguin Classic in a beautifully-crafted leather bound edition designed by London-based leather designer Bill Amberg." There's a bit more on the Bill Amberg website, with a picture of the books as well --> click here

"I was living during that curious pre-millenium summer in San Francisco." Honey and Dust by Piers Moore Ede

I've had a good couple of days reading, and this afternoon I finished A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff (review here), and I've started Honey and Dust by Piers Moore Ede, which is already fascinating, despite having only read 50 pages!

Synopsis (from the back cover of the book) "Phoebe Swift always dreamt of opening her own vintage dress shop. She imagined every detail, from the Vivienne Westwood bustiers hanging next to satin gowns, to sequinned prom dresses adorning the walls. At the launch of Village Vintage, Phoebe feels the tingle of excitement as customers snap up the fairytale dresses. Her dream has come true, but a secret from her past is casting a shadow over her new venture. Then one day she meets Therese, an elderly Frenchwoman with a collection to sell, apart from one piece that she won't part with... As Therese tells the story of the little blue coat, Phoebe becomes aware of a profound connection with her own life, one that will help her heal the pain of her past and allow her to love again." Review The publishers are obviously trying to sell this to Isabel Wolff's existing readers as well as the chick-lit market, including their tagline, "Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings?" I think this undersells the book, as this is more than a tale of fluffy, comic romance, but much more a story of friendship with themes of loss, regret and redemption. While written in Isabel Wolff’s deceptively easy style and with enough romance to keep fans of chick-lit happy (and I include myself in that brigade) it was the relationship between Phoebe and Th

If you go with the postcard option, you can also use them as book marks and write notes on them as you go if you want.

There are some lovely notebooks available in bookshops and stationers - my local Borders has a Paperchase shop in it with a gorgeous selection of notebooks. These can be better than a specific book journal for some people, as you're not limited to the format of the record you write for each book. Another alternative is to buy a selection of postcards, and record each book on a single card, then store them in whatever order you like in a index card box. Or why not do what lots of people do (including many of us on this forum!) - use a blog to record the books they read.

'. . . seven-teen, eight-teen, nine-teen . . . twenty! Com-ing!' I yell. A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

That would probably be On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. Although everyone in my book group raves about him, I've only read one other of his books (Saturday) which I found tedious, and my OH has read others which he thinks were awful and, annoyingly, he's usually right when it comes to books, so it's put me off reading any other books by Mr McEwan.

Thanks everydayxangels, I think I'll need it, if I'm going to make a dent in that pile. Finished Lucia Victrix: Lucia's Progress this afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed it (as predicted!). I had intended to go straight on to the final Mapp and Lucia book, but I've decided to take a detour into a couple of other books instead. After hearing an interview with her on the radio yesterday, I'm going to read A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff next.

Glad you're enjoying it - there's a thread here discussing this book.

I was a complete Enid Blyton nut from an early age, starting with the Noddy books, and moving onto The Naughtiest Girl In The School and Amelia Jane series, then the Happy House and Faraway Tree books, before getting into the more obvious Famous Five and Secret Seven and the Adventure series and then the Mallory Towers books. But, my favourite of all was The Children of Cherry Tree Farm which was an absolutely wonderful book. As a teen, I read the Judy Blume novels and the Sweet Valley High books as well, but by 14/15, I'd moved onto more literary fiction than specific YA books.

Ooo, Sister Of My Heart by Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni is on my TBR - I might put that nearer the top of the pile and start on it soon. Thanks for the recommendation France

Hmm, bearing in mind I got nightmares just from someone telling me about the films "The Blair Witch Project" and "Seven", maybe it's a good thing I didn't read this one after all!