poppyshake

I'm glad you got to cross the Kati books off your challenge list frankie .. pity they weren't more to your taste (Kati had no right going to Paris and then not telling you about it .. she might as well have gone to the end of her street ) This has reminded me that I need to make a start on my Astrid books .. they might be just the thing as I'm slightly struggling mojo wise but all because I'm not feeding it .. with literary nutrition anyway. I need to entice it with some good reads. It would seem that Rory has been steering you in the right direction .. only two duds .. that's excellent. What was it you didn't like about Me Talk Pretty One Day? .. I haven't read it but have heard a bit of his stand-up on radio (or one of his monologues anyway) and thought he was quite funny .. don't know if I could sustain interest for a whole book but it definitely made me smile a lot while I was peeling spuds. Was he particularly annoying or something?

Lovely pic Lucy x

Pie and chips

Review: Very easy to read and entertaining. Maybe it's a little too ideal .. nobody seemed to get into a tizz about anything (well Mariette did get into a cat fight over Charley but it didn't amount to much) but then they're probably too stuffed full of food, bucolic charm and Dragon's Blood to care less. I like a book with food in it but this one took the biscuit ... they don't stop stuffing from morning to night. You couldn't help but worry about their cholesterol (and very weird combinations too .. like putting ketchup on iced buns terrible way to treat a bun I thought.) I couldn't help worrying about Charley either who was like a lamb to the slaughter but then he willingly went there so there was no saving him. On the whole I liked it very much .. it's very amiable .. but I didn't love it. There wasn't a lot of depth to the story (there isn't meant to be .. that's not its purpose) though it is well written and would be perfect (not to mention 'perfick' .. ) for reading whilst drowsing away a sunny afternoon. Actually I will probably read at least one sequel (I saw at the back of this book that they go to France .. that's got to be worth a look, though Lord knows what they'll be putting on the croissants ) So idyllic as to make one positively dissatisfied with life .. and very seductive .. that is until one reads about Ma being as 'huge as a buffalo' .. that's taking a love for buns too far 3/5

Yes .. I'll join you

The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates Amazon's Synopsis: 'Home looks nice. Allus does though, don't it? Perfick'. And so the Larkins - Pop, Ma, Mariette, Zinnia, Petunia, Primrose, Victoria and Montgomery - return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening. There, amid the rustic charms of home, they discover a visitor: one Cedric Charlton, Her Majesty's inspector of taxes. Mr Charlton is visiting to find out why junk-dealer Pop hasn't paid his tax - but nothing's that simple at the Larkins. Mariette takes a shine to 'Charley' - as Pop calls him - and before long the family have introduced the uncomplaining inspector to the delights of country living: the lusty scents of wild flowers, the pleasures of a bottle of Dragon's Blood, cold cream dribbled over a bowl of strawberries and hot, hot summer nights. In fact, soon Charley can't see any reason to return to the office at all. Review: Very easy to read and entertaining. Maybe it's a little too ideal .. nobody seemed to get into a tizz about anything (well Mariette did get into a cat fight over Charley but it didn't amount to much) but then they're probably too stuffed full of food, bucolic charm and Dragon's Blood to care less. I like a book with food in it but this one took the biscuit ... they don't stop stuffing from morning to night. You couldn't help but worry about their cholesterol (and very weird combinations too .. like putting ketchup on iced buns terrible way to treat a bun I thought.) I couldn't help worrying about Charley either who was like a lamb to the slaughter but then he willingly went there so there was no saving him. On the whole I liked it very much .. it's very amiable .. but I didn't love it. There wasn't a lot of depth to the story (there isn't meant to be .. that's not its purpose) though it is well written and would be perfect (not to mention 'perfick' .. ) for reading whilst drowsing away a sunny afternoon. Actually I will probably read at least one sequel (I saw at the back of this book that they go to France .. that's got to be worth a look, though Lord knows what they'll be putting on the croissants ) So idyllic as to make one positively dissatisfied with life .. and very seductive .. that is until one reads about Ma being as 'huge as a buffalo' .. that's taking a love for buns too far 3/5

Thanks Gaia

Great review Janet Glad you enjoyed it. I've loved all the Mole books I've read so far but want to start again before getting to the later ones. I've got a really soft spot for this one in particular as it's the only fiction book my Dad has ever personally gone out and chosen for me. I was unwell (it was the first time I'd been unwell with ME back in the 80's .. though nobody knew then what was wrong with me) and Dad got me this because it was making him laugh on Radio 4. He described it as being 'about a soppy boy'

Really enjoying The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker and The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness... mentally patting myself on the back for being such an excellent chooser of books (that can't last )

.. if you're having trouble with some of them then I have no chance

Diane enjoyed it without having read the book but, I agree, you can bring so much more to it yourself if you've read the story. Alan liked the film but is loving the book and keeps saying 'they should've put that bit in' Difficult though .. to whittle it down without losing the essence of the story. Anyway .. we the readers are the important ones to please and I think they did that. Who cares about film critics?

Oh you should read some of Virginia's .. taken from her 'selected' .. selected for maximum headaches that is

It's funny isn't it? Most of us really liked it (all of us I think) but the critics have mauled it. I read a review last week that said it was 'a real stinker!' A too sanatised view of nazi Germany apparently?!? .. I think they're missing the point of the story.

I really want to see it .. it looks amazing

.. but were they on your wishlist?

Brilliant book haul ... you've got some really great titles there. I've got The Shock of the Fall lined up to read soon too Hope you enjoy them all Gaia

Wandering off (in your head) can be a problem .. especially if the book is tedious or slow moving. I got into the habit of listening when cross stitching .. it's not easy to watch TV or anything when you're stitching but listening is no problem. Also during illnesses when I can't read I usually can listen and during long walks also (practically listened to the whole of Les Mis while out walking.) Because I've always done it (ever since the invention of books read on cassettes/discs) .. I find it fairly easy now. I listened to part of a story when ironing earlier. The narrator is key though .. some narrators could read anything and make it interesting .. others do the opposite I do use them for falling asleep every night ... usually Stephen Fry reads me something .. I set my sleep timer for 30/60 mins and off I go to the land of Nod to have all sorts of weird dreams It's not for everyone .. I'm glad I like it though as it helps me read more books .. possibly I've lessened my hand/arm/eye strain as well I tried listening to something on my Kindle the other day and .. oh my!! .. those automated voices are not for listening to unless you really need to. They pieced together unfamiliar words from other words .. it made for very odd listening.

Ooh I love the sound of The Museum of Literary Souls. I like John Connolly anyway and books about books so this sounds right up my alley .. will go on the wishlist for sure I'm really enjoying your reviews.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs Waterstone's Synopsis: This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages. Review: I couldn't remember much about the story of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and so was a bit worried that I'd need to glance through it again in order to refresh my memory but once I started on the sequel .. it all came flooding back. Ransom doesn't do a lot of recapping actually (which I'm glad about because it can get tedious) but the first few paragraphs reminded me of where we'd left off. I think .. in my head .. I had mixed some of it up with The Night Circus etc so it was good to straighten it out again. I really enjoyed the story but strangely (being as it's probably the book's main appeal) I could have done without the photos Don't get me wrong I love the photos ... very eerie most of them .. it's just .. for me .. they didn't always gel with the story in the way they were meant to. I felt this with the first book but felt it more here ... some of the photos weren't right for the text. There was one in particular clearly showing a man .. when the text was describing a boy and another supposedly of two pairs of eyes glinting in a dark tunnel which were too far apart to be human eyes at any rate. Let's just say that I wasn't convinced and at times it seemed as if the story purposefully went off somewhere in order to include a photo. This may be just me though as obviously I knew this was the set up and I wouldn't put it past my mind to keep reminding me to look for inconsistencies. Readers with more imagination and less of a suspicious nature won't have a problem Now .. those are the negatives (haha .. a pun ) .. for some reason I always mention them as if they're a big deal but they weren't really. For the most part (aside from one or two pointless detours) I loved the story and found it gripping and absorbing. I love the way it builds to a climax .. it had me flicking pages well into the night and I'm truly looking forward to the next installment. I wouldn't be sorry if there weren't any photos .. though of course I know there will be. I will try not to start looking for flaws from the outset but now it's in there I doubt I can stop the little voice from nagging. Still I must know the resolution as I'm entirely absorbed by the characters (and I felt they were more fleshed out in this story actually and that the story itself had more depth to it) and their plight. 4/5

Finished Paperboy by Christopher Fowler .. really enjoyed it. Started The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates ... had misgivings as I wasn't really a fan of the TV programme .. only watched a couple but it wasn't my thing but enjoying the book so far .. it's all about food .. how hard can that be to read about? .. it does make one a bit peckish though Still reading The Golem and the Djinni ... it's very good indeed.

Every time I read a review of The Rosie Project I could kick myself for listening to it and not reading it. I know that, in my head, it would've come across exactly as you've said. The narrator was just all wrong and that made Don unconvincing. I still liked it a lot but couldn't reconcile the voice to the character .. I need to re-visit once his voice has faded from memory. Great review Kate

Thanks Chrissy Yes .. I love 'Protection' too .. I haven't actually come across anything yet that I don't like of hers .. it's costing me a fortune in downloads (well .. a small fortune that is .. it's definitely eating into my book money )

Brilliant idea .. I was hooked from the first few paragraphs so I think you'll easily be able to tell if it's for you or not Thanks Kate It does make sense and of course OTT characters in books are far more acceptable. One thing's for sure .. when Boris turned up .. stuff happened I preferred The Secret History ... but there was really nothing between them and you're right .. there wasn't one likeable character in TSH .. there were intriguing ones though in both books. Thanks Marie

Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to be a Popstar by Tracey Thorn Amazon's Synopsis: 'I was only sixteen when I bought an electric guitar and joined a band. A year later, I formed an all-girl band called the Marine Girls and played gigs, and signed to an indie label, and started releasing records. Then, for eighteen years, between 1982 and 2000, I was one half of the group Everything But the Girl. In that time, we released nine albums and sold nine million records. We went on countless tours, had hit singles and flop singles, were reviewed and interviewed to within an inch of our lives. I've been in the charts, out of them, back in. I've seen myself described as an indie darling, a middle-of-the-road nobody and a disco diva. I haven't always fitted in, you see, and that's made me face up to the realities of a pop career - there are thrills and wonders to be experienced, yes, but also moments of doubt, mistakes, violent lifestyle changes from luxury to squalor and back again, sometimes within minutes.' Review: A really well written and fond look back at the 70's/80's and 90's through the eyes of one half of Everything but the Girl. It's brought fairly up to date actually but most of the really interesting stuff concerns the forming of the band and Tracey's early days. As a teenager she didn't really have much interest in music as her diary reveals .. Brotherhood of Man winning the Eurovision Song Contest being one of the few music related things she bothers to jot down in 1976 It was punk actually that made her sit up and listen but she was slightly late to the party only really starting to take notice mid 1977. She makes an absolutely valid point (leastways I thought it was valid) about punk being responsible for the formation of more bands than any other movement .. the main reason being that nobody felt they had to hone their skills or sit at home practising .. they just bought a guitar (as Tracey did .. second-hand from a market stall) and joined/formed a band .. without ever having played a note Basically you could just go out there, clang about a bit and do some appropriate (or inappropriate) yelling. Tracey didn't have to do that though as obviously she's far more melodic. She wasn't originally the singer .. more the back up but her guitar playing .. though always naive .. had a certain charm to it. With a voice like hers it wasn't long before somebody sat up and took notice, though strangely she hadn't ever thought of herself as a good singer and had to perform her first singing audition in a wardrobe .. so embarrassed was she at the notion of fronting a band. The photo's are dispersed amongst the text which I prefer actually to having a lump of them to flick through, because you're not always having to refer back. She ends each chapter with a set of song lyrics ... some familiar some not .. I found myself scouring the net looking for tracks (especially from the Marine Girls who I'm not familiar with at all.) I nearly always prefer biogs at the beginning or in the middle, especially these sorts of biogs. I'm not that interested in reading about what happens once they've reached normaldom (married with the 2.4 kids etc) .. I much prefer hearing about all the weird and wonderful stuff that can happen to you once you start recording demo tapes in your bedroom and selling them in the backs of magazines. This is possibly why Morrissey can't write for toffee (just a theory ) .. he has stepped too far into normaldom .. it all ends inevitably in whinging and recriminations. Tracey writes in an easy going, slightly self deprecating, chatty style that's very likeable. She wrote the bulk of it many moons ago but shelved it for a while to make music again. It's witty and funny but also at times serious and reflective. Anyone interested in EBTG or the music industry (particularly the late 70's into 80's) .. or even 70's/80's Britain .. will love this I'm sure. 4/5

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Amazon's Synopsis: Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate. Review: This isn't an easy book to review so I've made it easier for myself by writing this a full three weeks after finishing I've only read one book by Donna before (The Secret History) but enjoyed it immensely .. there's something about her style of storytelling that immediately draws you in. This story was no different, in fact there were a lot of similarities, especially in the way the story is told. I did have a couple of niggles with it, she's very detailed and sometimes you can get a bit bogged down. I'm pretty sure she intentionally does this as just when you feel you're drifting off a bit the plot twists dramatically .. it's both unsettling and exciting ... you can go from reclined to the edge of your seat in no time. Despite all or any of these niggles, I never ever wanted to abandon the book .. quite the opposite, it's very readable and her characters get under your skin .. whether you love or hate them. It's a tome but one that reads easily. 4/5