poppyshake

Oh your jar is so pretty .. I love the bunting Happy reading Kylie! .. you're doing great!

I'm liking the look of it very much Sounds interesting too .. I bet it will be good. Books that look that good normally are Hope you enjoy it Janet xx Absolutely lovely tulips

Steak pie (made by Mum), mashed potato, peas and carrots Plus a (half price ) chocolate chick

It's not without its problems but I think it is worthwhile definitely. Kept me engrossed all the way through.

If I hassled myself with sticky notes and lists I'd get bad tempered with myself I'm not a very organised person sadly .. and I don't seem to be able to shame myself into it I put it off I suppose because I find it difficult but like everything .. once you do it .. it's not so bad. I wish I found it easier though. I do like the thought of giving myself ten stamps and then treating myself to a new book I'm owed four new books going on that I'll buy them tomorrow

Next jar pick .. No. 16 .. I've escaped again I think you'll be happy Claire The Accidental by Ali Smith

Always talking about toast? .. me?!? Sounds like an idyllic weekend .. have a great time xx Cracking toast Claire! .. you don't stint with the butter ... I heartily improve (that photo .. definitely toast porn ) Enjoy the read-a-thon everyone

Alan's idea of an April Fool's joke

I already do it .. place them in a pile which eventually becomes tottering .. right by the computer. Sometimes I can't put my tea down as there's no space. I still manage to put it off though The only time I really get antsy about it is if the book belongs to the colouredy shelf .. then it has to be put back asap .. for sanity's sake Thanks for the suggestion though .. all suggestions welcome xx I wonder if I could offer myself a small reward? .. or pay someone to write them for me or nag me about it? Poor Claire To have your books rearranged You are too lenient .. I know it's better to have a quiet life but really .. you should declare war!

I bought a book today The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by T.E. Carhar. I can't blame it on Janet's influence because she was very disciplined and limited herself to browsing. Funnily enough .. unbeknownst (good word ) to me Janet had already picked it up .. the Parisian appeal of the title is strong Anyway, it cost but £2.50 (from the Oxfam Bookshop) and part of the reason for me buying (which was no reason at all really) was that Alan bought a couple of vinyl records and .. well .. he had his wallet out I remember reading a good review of it a few years back but have never seen it .. until now. Somewhere on the cover it says the word 'quirky'. I'm always drawn to anything with this on it when probably I should run for the hills .. it's the sort of opposite to 'gruesome' as far as appealing to me goes So that's 59 books acquired this year .. some of them I've only borrowed but still .. we're only just in April This is the downside of enjoying your reading .. it sort of goes hand in hand with enjoying your buying (of books)

Yes .. that's them .. not a trilogy then Does that mean I can read them in any order?

Oh brilliant .. hope you love it Claire

Like you Claire, if I don't have hot cross buns then it's not Easter. I do tend to eat too many of them on the lead up though. I'd be happy actually if they made hot cross buns only available for the Easter holidays .. it would be more special (same with mince pies) .. I have no willpower and as soon as they start heavily promoting them I'm sunk We always do eggs .. of course we do Easter eggs don't seem to taste as good as they did when I was small .. that might be my rose coloured glasses .. not sure. When I was a child and then later, until we all moved away, Mum always did a buffet lunch on Easter Monday .. mostly salad and a cold chicken or something. Usually a chocolate cake too. I've never ever eaten Simnel cake .. not sure I'd like it though I do like marzipan. I saw Paul making those hot cross buns on the Easter Bake Off .. they looked scrummy

Finished Summer Term at St Clare's last night. Still reading and loving Campari for Breakfast and treasuring every word. Not far to go with Gone Girl .. not really enjoying it much though I do want to know how it ends.

Alan Bennett!! He understands Pooh

Thank you .. yes .. here's to April ... hope it's kind to us I did get it read but I practically had to nail it to my forehead after saying about being ashamed and all that I was determined I wouldn't shame myself .. so I gave myself eye strain instead I wish one would come across pie on a slope like that .. all obliging and on a plate etc .. a definite incentive to climb slopes. I've only ever seen regurgitated pie on a Sunday morning pavement You're at it again! I'm now intrigued but I might still abandon

Almost a pamphlet

Thanks Athena .. and you Yes .. I'm going to pick from the jar soon too but then I have put the newer books in the jar and it did pick one of them out in March so it didn't help True It wasn't so much that though as ..

It's lovely isn't it? You've got a new job and look at all that walking? You've made major changes in your life and I've read a few books

Great review Steve .. I definitely want to read it (oh but I haven't even started on that other trilogy of his .. what's it called? First Law? .. no that can't be right .. I've read those??) I'm a tiny bit concerned by the quote .. not that it's not funny .. it is .. it's the name Skifr .. it strikes a sort of Erikson fear in me Thorn, Brand and Father Yarvi though are perfectly acceptable Tiny bit disappointing that it's not as good as what came previously but Joe is a great storyteller and, as you say, his lesser offerings are still better than the majority of what's out there (says she .. who has no clue at all about what's out there ) Hopefully the next one will take a step back (or forward) towards greatness

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald Synopsis: Oscar Dunleavy, who used to make the world's most perfect apple tarts, is missing, presumed dead. No-one seems too surprised, except for Meg, his best friend, and his little brother Stevie. Surrounded by grief and confusion, Meg and Stevie are determined to find out what happened to Oscar, and together they learn about loyalty and friendship and the power of never giving up hope. Review: I wouldn't give up hope either .. not if it meant giving up on those gorgeous apple pies! I loved the relationship between Meg and Oscar, we learn about their friendship in flashback because .. as the synopsis says .. Oscar is missing, presumed dead. It seems he rode his bicycle deliberately off the pier .. but Meg can't believe this .. this isn't the Oscar she knows. The only trouble is, she's been away for six months in New Zealand and things have got a bit awkward between them .. mainly due to misunderstandings .. well, in fact, mainly to do with the girl who has temporarily moved next door to Oscar .. Paloma. Paloma has stepped into Meg's shoes, walking to school with him and sharing moonlight chats .. she's even been chosen to say a few words about Oscar at the day of prayer .. as if she were his best friend. Still .. what on earth can have happened to change Oscar so completely? He was such a positive person. His apple pies actually contained magic .. they could cure anybody .. they contained hope .. they could combat despair. Meg .. along with Oscar's brother Stevie .. intends to find out but it's difficult .. everyone else believes he is dead and gone. It's very lyrical as you might expect from an Irish novel and beautifully descriptive. I swear I could smell those apple pies and hear the roar of the sea. I loved the way the chapters were entitled 'The First Slice' etc and how there was a pie motif to denote whether the narrative was with Oscar or Meg. The only slight jarring note was the character of Paloma .. her character didn't quite ring true to me .. she was such a caricature .. but everybody and everything else I loved. Many thanks to Claire for lending it to me xx Will make you crave apple pie! Liked it!

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie Synopsis: A dentist lies murdered at his Harley Street practice. The dentist was found with a blackened hole below his right temple. A pistol lay on the floor near his outflung right hand. Later, one of his patients was found dead from a lethal dose of local anaesthetic. A clear case of murder and suicide. But why would a dentist commit a crime in the middle of a busy day of appointments? A shoe buckle holds the key to the mystery. Now – in the words of the rhyme – can Poirot pick up the sticks and lay them straight? Review: Who on earth killed the dentist? .. obviously the list of suspects is huge This is another Poirot investigation and another story where Agatha plays with rhyme. I did like it but found it more convoluted. I'm easily boggled though so other readers might find it all plain sailing. I'm still not entirely sure what happened and why .. there seemed to be a thousand sub-plots. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point with Christie .. possibly it's a story to build up to. Unpleasant setting, how can a dental practice compare with the Orient Express? I enjoyed it but at the end whilst Poirot was unravelling the strands I was still in a tangled mess Liked it!

The last day of March .. might as well do a bit of a round up .. see how I've done. Not as good a month as Jan or Feb but I was expecting that as had a busy time. 14 books read though (possibly will be 15 by the end of today .. I should be ashamed if I can't get Summer Term at St Clare's finished off!! ) so that's better than I expected and still enjoying my reading hugely which is best of all. Am getting behind on reviews .. it's a slippery slope! I'm trying not to stress about it though .. I should be able to get them done but I want to do it before my thoughts about them fade (always difficult .. I'm so easily distracted .. usually by pie ) Looking at it though I'm not that far behind .. if I tackle a few more this week then I should be okay. It's when you get miles behind that it's difficult to catch up .. I get demoralised just by the hugeness of the task. I'm easily swamped! Read only 4 books from my huge TBR .. the others were all more recent acquisitions (despite the jar .. I'm still picking from the newer books .. whenever I'm left to my own devices ) Still .. I'm slowly chipping away at it. I was looking at some of the books on the shelves today and thinking .. do I really want to read that? The Night Watch for instance .. by Sarah Waters .. I've seen the adaptation so no surprises etc and is it one of her best? Feel I could shave off a few more from my TBR just by walking them to the charity shop Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow? .. that has mixed reviews .. I do love a book about snow though (Lord!! I've just seen that it isn't listed on my TBR .. though I know it's in the house .. I saw it yesterday .. that list is even worse in actuality then .. I'm getting nowhere!!)

Thanks Steve A long book has got to be good .. you can trudge through a 250 pager and even if it's not riveting you can plod on. A 900 pager owes it to you to be interesting .. you gave it long enough. Hope the Nelson biog is good .. that is one hell of a long account!

No!! I think I would just go out and buy buns for everyone .. keep Piglet safe