Jessi

I have started re reading Poldark and have updated by read list... unfortunately I am also going to have to update my brought books list too...

I definitely need to get to it then I am enjoying the Nurses of Steeple Street at the moment!

Thank you both - people have been telling me how great the Eyre Affair is for years - I really must try to pick it up this year

Brought From May 2017... Ok, this thread is open for business!!!

1 - 35: gained in 2009 or before 36 – 79: gained in 2010 80 - 103: gained in 2011 104 – 147: gained in 2012 148 – 175: gained in 2013 176 – 217: gained in 2014 218 – 285: gained in 2015 286 – 405: gained in 2016/17 1. Campbell, Christy: Band of Brigands 2. Foreman, Amanda: The Duchess 3. Garfield, Simon: Our Hidden Lives 4. Gristwood, Sarah: Elizabeth and Leicester 5. Guy, John: My Heart Is My Own 6. Massie, Robert: Nicholas and Alexandra 7. Rees, Laurence: Behind Closed Doors 8. Williams, Stephanie: Olga’s Story 9. Weir, Alison: Henry VIII 10. Anderson, Hans Christian: Anderson’s Fairy Tales 11. Boyne, John: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 12. Dunant, Sarah: In the Company of the Courtesan 13. Fforde, Jasper: The Eyre Affair 14. Furnivall, Kate: The Russian Concubine 15. George, Margaret: Helen of Troy 16. Gee, Sophie: The Scandal of the Season 17. Gregory, Philippa: The Queens Fool 18. Gilbert, Henry: Robin Hood 19. Grahame: The Wind in the Willows 20. Lawrence, D. H: Lady Chatterley’s Lover 21. Lee, Harper: To Kill A Mocking Bird 22. Lewis, Hilda: I, Jacqueline 23. McIntosh, Fiona: Royal Exile 24. Montefiore, Santa: The Swallow and the Hummingbird 25. Montefiore, Santa: The Butterfly Box 26. Montgomery, L.M : Anne of Green Gables 27. Nesbit, E: The Railway Children 28. Ryan, Robert: Early One Morning 29. Sheers, Owen: Resistance 30. Sittenfeld, Curtis: American Wife 31. Steel, Danielle: Silent Honour 32. Thomes, Rosie: Isis and Ruby 33. Tolkien, J.R.R: The Silmarillion 34. Tolkien, J.R.R: Unfinished Tales 35. Adams: The Letters of John and Abigail Adams 36. Brands: Traitor to his Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 37. Byatt, AS: The Children's Book 38. Burstein, Andrew: Jefferson’s Secrets 39. Campion, Emma: The King's Mistress 40. Cheek, Mavis: Amenable Women 41. Clark, Mary Higgins: The Christmas collection 42. Deighton, Len: SS – GB 43. Didion, Joan: The Year of Magical Thinking 44. Duff, David: Alexandra: Princess and Queen 45. Dunant, Sarah: Sacred Hearts 46. Erikson, Carolly: Great Catherine 47. Erickson, Carolly: The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette 48. Figes, Orlando: Natasha’s Dance 49. Follett, Ken: The Pillars of the Earth 50. Furnivall, Kate: Under A Blood Red Sky 51. Gill, Gillian: We Two 52. Gordon Reed, Annette: The Hemingses of Montecello 53. Harrods-Eagles, Cynitha: Anna 54. Hibbert, Christopher: Victoria – a Personal History 55. Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner 56. Kerr, Judith: Out of Hitler Time 57. Lieven, Dominic: Russia Against Napoleon 58. Lovell, Mary S: The Mitford Girls 59. Lukyanenko, Sergei: The Day Watch 60. Mantel, Hilary: Wolf Hall 61. McCullough, David: Mornings On Horseback 62. Mitchell, Margaret: Gone With The Wind 63. Morrow, James: The Last Witchfinder 64. Motley, Annette: Men on White Horses 65. Norton, Elizabeth: Jane Seymour 66. O’Brien, Stacey: Wesley 67. O’ Grady, Paul: At My Mothers Knee 68. O’Toole, Patricia: When Trumpets Call 69. Pakula, Hannah: An Uncommon Woman 70. Plaidy, Jean: Plantagenet Prelude 71. Quinn, Kate: Mistress of Rome 72: Smith, L.J: The Night World 73. Snyder, Maria V: Storm Glass 74. Van Der Kiste, John: Queen Victoria’s children 75. Weir, Alison: Katherine Sywnford 76. Weir, Alison: The Captive Queen 77. Weir, Alison: The Lady in the Tower 78. Withey, Lynne: Dearest Friend 79. Adornetto, Alexandra: Halo 80. Atkinson, Kate: Case Histories 81. Chamberlin, E. R: Everyday Life In Renaissance Times 82. Fraser, Antonia: Love and Louis XVI 83. Graham, Laurie: The Importance of Being Kennedy 84. Gilbert, Elizabeth: Eat, Pray, Love 85. Greene, Graham: Brighton Rock 86. Harris, Charlaine: The Sookie Stackhouse Guide 87. Lewis, CS: Mere Christianity 88. Lovell, Mary S: The Churchill’s 89. Montefiore, Santa: The French Gardener 90. Newman, Janis Cooke: Mrs Lincoln 91. Nicholas, Katie: William and Harry 92. Obama, Barack: Dreams of My Father 93. Orzel, Chad: How To Teach Quantum Physics To Your Dog 94. Patch, Harry: The Last Fighting Tommy 95. Parsons, Tony: Starting Over 96. Pasternak, Boris: Doctor Zhivago 97. Perry, Tasmina: Kiss Heaven Goodbye 98. Richman, Alyson: The Lost Wife 99. Sanderson, Jane: Netherwood 100. Sebba, Anne: That Women 102. Tremlett, Giles: Catherine of Aragon 103. Trotter, Janet MacLeod: Never Stand Alone 104. Adams, Douglas: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 105. Angelini, Josephine: Starcrossed 106. Bach, Richard: Jonathan Livingston Seagull 107. Brown, Kate Lord: The Beauty Chorus 108. Cast, PC and Kristen: Hidden 109. Carnarvon, Countess of: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey 110. Carter, Aimee: The Goddess Test 111. Clare, Cassandra: City of Bones 112. Clare, Cassandra: Clockwork Angel 113. Collins, Suzanne: The Hunger Games 114. Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations 115. Doyle, Arthur Canon: The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection 116. Edward. Anne: Matriarch 117. Harvey, Greg: The Origins of Tolkien's Middle Earth 118. Follett, Ken: Winter of the Worlds 119. Foster, RF: Randolph Churchill 120. Goldman, Lisa: The No Rules Handbook for Writers 121. Hardy, Thomas: The Mayor of Casterbridge 122. Holt, Maggie: A Nurse at War 123. Huth, Angela: Land Girls 124. Jackson, Nancy: The Cook's Tale 125. Jones, Nigel: Tower 126. King, Stephen: 11.22.63 127. Kerr, John: A Dangerous Method 128. Magorian, Michelle: A Little Love Song 129. Magorian, Michelle: A Spoonful of Jam 130. Magorian, Michelle: Cuckoo in the Nest 131. Massie, Robert K: Peter The Great 132. McInerney, Monica: Those Faraday Girls 133. McKay, Sinclair: The Secret Life of Bletchley Park 134. Moyes, Jojo: The Girl You Left Behind 135. Newman, Michael: Socialism 136. Plaidy, Jean: The Merry Monarchs Wife 137. Plummer, Rosemary: The Maids Tale 138. Powell, Margaret: Below Stairs 139. Prentis, Evelyn: A Nurse and Mother 140. Prentis, Evelyn: A Nurse in Time 141. Rice, Anne: Interview with the Vampire 142. Stachniak, Eva: The Winter Palace 143. Stockett, Kathryn: The Help 144.Townsend, Sue: The Secret Diary of Afrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 145. Tsaraidze, Alexandre: Wife Before God 146. Wilcock, Penelope: The Hawk and the Dove 147. Wolff, Jurgen: Your Writing Coach 148. Berkowitz, Eric: Sex and Punishment 149. Bower, Sarah: House of Borgia 150. Carpenter, Teresa: New York Diaries 151. Collins, Suzanne: The Hunger Games 152. Dalton, Kathleen: Theodore Roosevelt 153. George, Margaret: Elizabeth I 154. Garcia, Kami and Stohl, Margaret: Beautiful Creatures 155. Garcia, Kami and Stohl, Margaret: Beautiful Darkness 156. Garcia, Kami and Stohl, Margaret: Beautiful Chaos 157. Garcia, Kami and Stohl, Margaret: Beautiful Redemption 158. Green, Graham: Writing for Dummies 159. Harman, Patricia: The Midwife of Hope River 160. Ives, Eric: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn 161. Lanchaster, John: Capital 162. Marschall, Rick: Bully 163. Northup, Soloman: Twelve Years a Slave 164. O'Neill, Glenda: Our Street 165. Penman, Sharon: The Sunne in Splendour 166. Phillips, Winifred: Mum’s Army 167. Rogers, Hannah: The Art of Deduction 168. Salisbury, Harriet: The War on our Doorstep 169. Schwalbe: The End of Your Life Book Club 170. Sibley, Brian: The Hobbit 171. Sparks, Nicholas: Safe Haven 172. Sparks, Nicholas: The Lucky One 173. Spence, Jon: Becoming Jane 174. Weir, Alison: Elizabeth of York 175. Wilson, Derek: The Uncrowned Kings of England 176. Adam, Max: The King in the North 177. Ashdown-Hill, John: The Third Plantagenet 178. Canon Doyle, Arthur: His Last Bow 179. Canon Doyle, Arthur: Return of Sherlock Holmes 180. Clare Castor: City of Ashes 181. Conklin, Tara: The House Girl 182. Deary, Terry: Groovy Greeks 183. Deary, Terry: Cut Throat Celts 184. Deary, Terry: Angry Aztecs 185. Deary, Terry: Incredible Incas 186. Deary, Terry: Frightful First World War 187. Eden, Dorothy: Never Calling It Love 188. Follett, Ken: Fall of Giants 189. Hugo, Victor: The Hunchback of Notre Dame 190. Ingelman-Sundberg, Catharina: The Little Old Lady Who Broke all the Rules 191. Larman, Alexander: Blazing Star 192. Lefebure, Molly: Blitz 193. Mantel, Hilary: Bring Up The Bodies 194. Meyer, E J: The Borgias 195. Montefiore, Simon Sebag: One Night in Winter 196. Puzo, Mario: The Godfather 197. Rowell, Rainbow: Fan Girl 198. Spencer, LaVyrie: Then Came Heaven n 199. Taylor, Jodi: Just One Damn Thing After Another 200. Wainwright, Robert: Shelia 201. Bolitho, Hector: Albert, Prince Consort 202. Burton, Jessie: The Miniaturist 203. Clements, Rory: The Queens Man 204. Fraser, Antonia: Charles II 205. Gelardi, Julia P: From Splendour to Revolution 206. Graham, Margaret: Easterleigh Hall 207. Holmes, Frederick: The Sickly Stuarts 208. Iggulden, Conn: War of the Roses: Stormbird 209. Jones, Dan: The Plantagenet’s 210. Jones, Dan: The Hollow Crown 211. Langford, Elizabeth: The Oxford Book of Royal Anecdotes 212. Lewis, Damien: War Dog 213. Martin, R R George: The World of Fire and Ice 214. Plaidy, Jean: The Reluctant Queen 215. Plaidy, Jean: Victoria Victorious 216. Strong, Roy: Coronation 217. Tribe, Steve: Sherlock Chronicles 218. Aaronovitch, Ben: Rivers of London 219. Aronson, Theo: A Family of Kings 220. Austin, Lynn: Candle In The Darkness 221. Beer, Anna: Bess 222. Brellend, Kay: The Windmill Girls 223. Bolt, Rodney: As Good as God, as Clever as the Devil 224. Castries, Duc De: The Lives of the Kings and Queens of France 225. Colfer, Chris: A Grimm Warning 226. Crewdson, Dorethea, Dorethea’s War 227. Dunn, Dot May: Around the Village Green 228. Farthing, Pen: Wylie 229. Farquhar, Michael: Bad Days In History 230. Follett, Ken: Edge of Eternity 231. Genova, Lisa: Inside the O’Breins 232. Graham, Winston: Warleggon 233. Graham, Winston: The Black Moon 234. Graham, Winston: The Four Swans 235. Graham, Winston: The Angry Tide 236. Gregory, Phillipa: The Kings Curse 237. Gristwood, Sarah: Blood Sisters 238. Hadlow, Janice: The Strangest Family 239. Hancock, Sheila: Miss Carters War 240. Hardy, Shelia: The 1950s Mother 241. Hawking, Jane: The Theory of Everything 242. Henderson, Casper: The Book of Barely Imagined Beings 243. Hibbert, Christopher: The Virgin Queen 244. Hines, Jerri: Belle of Charleston 245. Hobb, Robin: Assassin’s Apprentice 246. Hobb, Robin: Royal Assassin 247. Hobb, Robin: Assassin’s Quest 248. Hugghes, Kathryn: The Letter 249. Jensen, Marie-Louise: The Lady In The Tower 250. Jones, Andy: The Two of Us 251. Jones, Dan: Magna Carta 252. Kay, Susan: Legacy 253. King, Sophie: Do You Take This Man? 254. Knight, Lynn: Lemon Sherbet and Dolly Blue 255. Lake, Deryn: Pour The Dark Wine 256. Licence, Amy: In Bed With The Tudors 257. O’Brien, Anne: The King’s Speech 258. Maitland, Karen: The Vanishing Witch 259. McCallin, Luke: The Pale Horse 260. McCallin, Luke: The Man From Berlin 261. Montefiore, Santa: Songs of Love and War 262. Mottershead, June: Our Zoo 263. Moyes, Jojo: One Plus One 264. Pemberton, Margaret: A Season of Secrets 265. Pevel, Pierre: The Cardinal’s Blades 266. Pulley, Natasha: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street 267. Purnell, Sonia: First Lady 268. Rees, Tracy: Amy Snow 269. Rees, Peter: The Anzac Girls 270. Ribchester, Lucy: The Hourglass Factory 271. Rothschild, Hannah: The Improbability of Love 272. Sibley, Brian: The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies Movie Guide 273. Smith, Michael: The Debs of Bletchley Park 274. Sparks, Nicholas: See Me 275. Stewart, Mary: The Crystal Cave 276. Sunners, Julie: Jambusters 277. Thomson, Oliver: The Impossible Bourbons 278. Tolkien, J R R: The History of the Hobbit 279. Tolkien, J R R: Children of Hurin 280. Tolkien, J R R: Return of the Shadow 281. Tolkien, J R R: Treason of Isengard 282. Tolkien, J R R: Sauron Defeated 283. Tolkien, J R R: War Of The Ring 284. Wards, Geffrey and Ken Burns: Roosevelts: An Intimate History 285. White, T H: The Once and Future King 286. Ackerman, Diane: The Zookeepers Wife 287. Aronson, Theo: The King In Love 288. Beauclark, Charles: Nell Gwyn 289. Bernieres, Louis De: The Dust that Falls From Dreams 290. Blackwell, Elizabeth: In the Shadow of Lakecrest 291. Bradley, Simon: The Railways: Nation, Network and People 292. Brown, Raymond Lamont: John Brown 293. Borman, Tracy: The Private Lives of the Tudors 294. Bowman, Karen: Corsets and Codpieces 295. Bryson, Bill: A Walk In The Woods 296. Bryson, Bill: A Short History of Nearly Everything 297. Bryson, Bill: At Home 298. Bryson, Bill: Shakespeare 299. Burge, James: Heloise and Abelard 300. Carsta, Ellin: The Draper’s Daughter 301. Clare, Bethany: Love Beyond Time 302. Clarke, Susanna: Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell 303. Cleave, Chris: Everyone brave is Forgiven 304. Cohen, David: Bringing Them Up Royal 305. Collins, Larry: Freedom at Midnight 306. Costeloe, Diney: The Sisters of St Croix 307. Cornwall, Bernard: The Pale Horseman 308. Donnelly, Jennifer: Lost in a Book 309. Douglas, Donna: The Nurses of Steeple Street 310. Douglas, Donna: A Nightgale Christmas Carol 311. Duffy, P S: The Cartographer of No Man’s Land 312. Edwards, Rhoda: None but Elizabeth 313. Erskine, Barbara: Lady of Hay 314. Evans, Lissa: Their Finest 315. Fennell, Emerald: Monsters 316. Fletcher, Giovanna: You're The One That I Want 317. Fletcher, Giovanna: Dream a little Dream 318. Frankopan, Peter: The Silk Roads 319. Furnivall, Kate: The Liberation 320. Garwood, Julie: The Wedding 321. Gibson, Mary: Gunner Girls and Bomber Boys 322. Gibson, Mary: Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts 323. Gibson, Mary: Bourben Dreams and Tattered Dreams 324. Graham, Winston: Bella Poldark 325. Grahame-Smith, Seth: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 326. Gregory, Philippa: Three Sisters, Three Queens 327. Goodman, Ruth: How To Be A Tudor 328. Goodman, Ruth: How To Be A Victorian 329. Goodwin, Daisy: The Fortune Hunter 330. Hargrave, Kiran Milliwood: The Girl of Ink and Stars 331. Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia: I, Victoria 332. Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia: Goodbye Piccadilly 333. Harvey, Jacky Colliss: Red – The Natural History of the Redhed 334. Hepburn: A Year at the Stars and Sixpence 335. Hall, Coryne: Princesses on the Wards 336. Haviland, David: Why was Queen Victoria Such a Prude 337. Hay, Daisy: A Strange Romance - Mr and Mrs Desrali 338. Henderson, Casper: The Book of Barely Imagined Beings 339. Heminsley, Alexandra: Running Like a Girl 340. Horsfield, Debbie: Poldark: The Complete Scripts – Series 2 341. Holmes, Richard: The Age of Wonder 342. Housden, Frances: The Chieftains Curse 343. Howard, Francine Thomas: The Daughter of Union County 344. Hubbard, Kate: Serving Victoria 345. Hughes, Andy: The Pocket Guide to Royal Scandals 346. Hutchinson, Robert: House of Treason 347. Kaplan, Janice: The Gratitutde Diaries 348. Kareem, Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem and Anna Waterhouse: Mycroft Holmes 349. Lane, Soraya M: Voyage of the Heart 350. Lowe, Charles: Alexander III of Russia 351. Macmanus, James: Midnight In Berlin 352. Marston, Edward: The Amorous Nightingale 353. Matusiak, John: Wolsey 354. McGrath, Carol: The Handfasted Wife 355. McLain, Paula: The Paris Wife 356. Merrick, Atlin: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson 357. Millers, John: The English Civil War 358. Montefiore, Simon Sebag: The Romanov's 359. Mortimer, Ian: The Time Travellers Guide to Restoration Britain 360. Moore, Sandra: Caroline 361. Mount, Ferdinard: The Tears if the Rajas 362. Moss, Sarah: Bodies of Light 363. Nemirovsky, Irene: Suite Francaise 364. O’Brien, Anne: The Scandalous Duchess 365. O’Morain, Padrig: Mindfulness on the Go 366. O’Morain, Padrig: Mindfulness for Worries 367. Oliver, Abi: A Map of New Love 368. Pearson, John: The Profession of Violence 369. Pollard, Tony: Culloden 370. Prowse, Amanda: My Husband’s Wife 371. Rappaport, Helen: The Victoria Letters 372. Perry, Sarah: The Essex Serpent 373. Read, Sara: Maids, Widows, Wives 374. Rideal, Rebecca: 1666 375. Ridley, Jane: Bertie 376. Rosenberg, Alex: The Girl From Krakow 377. Rowling, J K: Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them 378. Rowling, J K: Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists 379. Rowling, J K: Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies 380. Rowling, J K: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide 381. Sandy, Claire: What Would Mary Berry Do? 382. Seanz, Benjamin Alire: Aristotle’s and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 383. Seddon, Peter: Law’s Strangest Cases 384. Shetterly, Margot Lee: Hidden Figures 385. Shipton, Elisabeth: Female Tommies 386. Spiers: Hester and Harriet 387. Spufforf, Francis: Golden Hill 388. Stibbe, Nina: Love Nina 389. Stargardt, Bicholas: The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939 - 1945 390. Stratford, Sarah-Jane: Radio Girls 391. Staryed, Sheryl: Ting Beautiful Things 392. Taylor, Andrew, The Ashes of London 393. Theobald, John Owens: These Dark Wings 394. Tolstoy, Leo: War and Peace 395. Tonge, Samantha: Breakfast Under A Cornish Sun 396. Queen Victoria: Letters 1837 – 1843 397. Walters, Victoria: The Second Love of My Life 398. Watkins, Sarah-Beth: Catherine of Braganza 399. White, Karen: Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion 400. Whitelocks, Anna: Elizabeth’s Bedfellows 401. Williams, Sarah: Colour Bar 402. Winspear, Jacqueline: Journey to Munich 403. Woodbury, Sarah: The Good Knight 404. Weir, Alison: Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen

Hi all – I am back (again)! I am 5 months late to the reading party of 2017 but I am just glad I have got here at last. After reading Outlander last year, I got a huge book hangover and didn’t manage a to read much more – maybe 4/5 books in as many or more months! Other contributing factors were my starting running and the emergence of a love life!!! But I have finally got my book mojo back so here I am… And here are my lists… (I still have a bit of working out to do but will over the next few days!) 2009: Read 48 books 2010: Read 79 books 2011: Read 74 books 2012: Read 92 books 2013: Read 59 books 2014: Read 45 books 2015: Read 49 books 2016: 2017: Reading Goals ~ To have less than 404 books on my TBR list on 1st January 2018. Unless I am going to begin reading it that minute, make a list of kindle books I want. Don't just download - the only exceptions to this rule is books I want from the Daily Deal. Read some thrillers! Review every book! Read 2017: 1. Happy Mum, Happy Baby by Giovanni Fletcher 2. With All My Heart by Margaret Barnes Campbell 3. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 4. Longbourne Library by Trudy Wallis 5. Promise House by Sandra K Moore 6. A Nightingale Christmas Carol by Donna Douglas 7. The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Penman 8. The Nurses of Steeple Street by Donna Douglas 9. Never Stand Alone by Janet Macleod Trotter 10. Catherine of Braganza by Sarah Beth Watkins

April TBR March 1st: 298 Read: 4 Brought: 8 Best books: The Outlander series – Diana Gabaldon TBR April: ??? Hey all! I am so sorry I have not been around that much this month. There has been a very simple reason for this… The Outlander Series! While on the surface it looks as if I have not read that much this month, having read only 4 books, the Outlander books are whoopers and I have done 3! I have read (I believe) 3,000 pages plus this month and have been using every spare moment I have to get through a few more chapters! I can’t remember the last time I got so swept up in a series, but Outlander, Claire, Jaime and Diana Gabaldon have taken me hostage at the moment. I shall return properly to the internet more often when I get to the end of book 8 I expect lol! In addition to reading 4, I have also brought (I believe) 8 books this month (a couple of them being Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager, so I have read those two already!) so I need to sit down and do some maths to figure out where I am with the TBR pile. I have a horrible feeling I am over 305 again somehow (you guys know me and maths lol) so sometime soon I will have to sit down and work my stats out properly again. But still the year is young enough that I can get under 300 again and I thoroughly enjoyed my April reading! I really hope all of you did too! On to May (and more Outlander! I am currently on book 4, Drums of Autumn!)

I am continuing with Mansfield Park today

I read more of Mansfield Park last night - I am really enjoying it!

I am about 80% through now - its getting dark, but still addictive!

It is wonderful! Even though it is a big book, it doesn't feel like it and I am sneaking off every chance I can to read it!

April Read-A-Thon Friday: 38 pages of Out of the Hitler Time and 39 pages of Outlander! Saturday: 28 pages of Out of the Hitler Time, 86 pages of Outlander, 24 from Mansfield Park and just 4 from The Sunne in Splendour! Sunday: 39 pages of Out of the Hitler Time (book finished!), 56 pages of Outlander, 16 from Mansfield Park and 21 from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! Again, I had a really fun read-a-thon! There was as normal a lot of jumping around books, but the main ambition of the weekend was to get to the end of the Out of the Hitler Time trilogy which I started for my first read–a-thon a couple of months back and I achieved that, so that was great! I also continued to get lost in Outlander. I barely realized how many pages were passing as I read the book – it is just so captivating and I feel really lost in the story at the moment, it’s wonderful! In addition to that, I finally got to start Mansfield Park, so I am definitely a happy reader! : ) Total - 351!

I just finished Out of the Hitler Time by Judith Kerr... what a trilogy!

I am going to be reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon today! I started it earlier in the week and have fallen in love with the Scottish Highlands as well as all of the Highlanders

I am feeling much better now, thank you! It was a shame though - it wiped out the four day weekend for me! LOL nope - just a typo!!! Shall go and edit that out You too!

March TBR March 1st: 299 Read: 6 Brought: 2 Best books: The Churchill Secret KBO - Jonathan Smith and East End Angel - Kay Brellend TBR April: 298 Once more I can’t quite work the math of my TBR pile. Somehow I still have 298 when theoretically, I feel as if it should be nearer 295, but there we are… March was an alright reading month. I feel a bit frustrated as I was ill over Easter which was when I planned to turn it into a great reading month! Instead of making my way through a couple of books, lasted weekend I barely read a page! That said I still got through six books overall and made some real progress with my ‘brick’ reads. So onwards and upwards! Sadly, I am now two books off the big hundred challenge. However, the year is still pretty young, so I am not saying die yet! In March, I suppose the best thing was how much I behaved myself book buying wise. Over the 31 days I only bought 2 and spent under £2 over all! So that was a win : ) Hope you all have a great reading April all : )

I am now right at the end of Out of the Hitler Time and am determined to finish this weekend!

I am off work today and Sunday and will be joining in Have a good reading weekend all!

Welcome to the BCF!

The 1950s Housewife - Shelia Hardy (3.5/5) This book was a pretty quick read which lead you through the life of the 1950s housewife – what she wore, what she cooked, what she did for entertainment… how much she knew (or did not) about sex when she got married. What I really liked in this book was the detail it gave you – it really painted what it was telling me effectively in my mind and that always is a big plus for me. Why 3.5 then? I’m not really sure. I guess part of it was that while this book does make some mentions to upper and lower class housewife, it felt very middle classed focused to me. The life it described was not a universal experience. Not only that, but in spite of it being a quick read, if found it quite heavy in places too for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on. Overall, I think I came to it hoping to enjoy it more than I did… but it wasn’t a bad read.

I am now on the last book in the Out of The Hitler Time trilogy!

I passed the half way mark of Out of the Hitler time yesterday!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell (4.5/5) I loved North and South! Gaskell’s wrote Margaret Hale and John Thornton’s romance so beautifully and I just got swept up in the novel. While it did take me a while to get to through it, it was so, so worth it. There was plenty of heart break for poor Margaret (and John too) along the way but when the end came I was left with a huge smile on my face. I would absolutely recommend North and South.

Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher (3.5/5) I enjoyed Billy and Me. In between all my bricks, it was quite nice to have an easier read that I got through relatively quickly. Billy and Me tells the story of a young women named Sophie who lives in a small community, working in the local tea shop. She has had a rough time and is reserved and prone to panic attacks, yet her luck changes with a film crew comes to the village to shoot Pride and Prejudice. There is a spark between her and Billy Buskin, none other than the new films Mr. Darcy himself, and her life changes pretty quickly after that. Like I said, I enjoyed this book. Fletcher certainly knows how to tell a good story and I liked her writing style, the way she told us a little bit here and there before revealing Sophie’s past. That said, I didn’t always sympathize with Sophie. While there were moments I definitely did, I also found myself rolling my eyes at her from time to time. That said, the ending was heartbreaking and I got a little misty eyed, so I would reread this and look forward to reading more from Giovanna Fletcher!