willoyd

Started rereading Mansfield Park, the Northamptonshire selection for English Counties. If in doubt.....read Jane Austen!

A difficult one, not least because there are so many! I've concentrated on books written specifically for adults - there's a whole load of Divergent/Hunger Games/Twilight YA type books that I've no intention of reading, having dipped in and found them massively wanting - and anyway it seems unfair as I am distinctly not a YA! So here's just a few - I've tried to name specific books, but one or two are representative of a genre or author. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (and anything else to do with horror, especially 'funny' horror). Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (or anything by Dan Brown) Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce (tried the first couple of pages - incomprehensible) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (and its like) Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis Atonement by Ian MacEwan (tried and tried with MacEwan, and have given up) In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (7 volumes?!) and any number of mis-lit volumes and celebrity biographies!

Finished The Muse in one huge gulp this morning, mostly whilst waiting in the doctor's surgery for an hour, and then couldn't put it down when I got home when I should have been working! Totally and utterly gripping, I didn't want to miss a word, and at least one twist that I didn't see coming. No idea what to read next - need a breather.

I joined both initially, but found LibraryThing more flexible, more powerful, and easier to use. I still go to GoodReads for reviews, and take part in a couple of forums, but even there, I find LT easier. GoodReads is prettier, I do agree.

Some more mini-reviews Another half dozen to bring me almost up to date. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame ***** As Alan Bennet says in his introduction, TWITW is one of those books that everybody thinks they've read, even when they haven't, it's so much part of the fabric of childhood and reading (at least for someone of my age!). In fact, I have read it, but it's almost forty years ago, and I really only came back to it because it's part of the English Counties challenge - not because I disliked it, far from it, but simply because of that familiarity; I've never felt the need to read it again. I also approached it with some trepidation - would it live up to my childhood memories, as so many haven't? I needn't have worried. It was pretty much exactly as expected, treading a fine line between childish and adult reading with considerable skill. In some ways it's very dated, but it wears its age well, as long as one accepts some of the mores of the time, and quirks of the author. In particular I was struck at what a male book it is, with the only female roles coming through the cameo appearances of the washerwoman and the gaoler's daughter. No matter: Ratty, Moley, Badger and Toad come thoroughly to life and gallop through an England that had probably largely disappeared before I was born, but still resonates of the countryside as still occupies our imagination. I couldn't help but love it. Seven Brief Lessons in Physics by Carlo Rovelli **** Ultra-slim (less than a hundred pages) introduction to some key concepts in physics. I think I understand some of them much more clearly now (I think!), especially Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, although I did find the last chapter, more philosophical in nature, sat rather uncomfortably alongside the others. Quantum Theory still seems as mad as ever though! A book I'll probably go back to. Diaries, In Power 1983-1991 by Alan Clark *** All the reviewers of political diaries say that this is one of the best, in particular giving one of the most vivid accounts of Margaret Thatcher's last days. Well, it might, but it took a long time getting there! In some respects, this was quite captivating - Clark doesn't pull punches, his words and views bouncing off the page at you, and there is a genuineness to these that all too many other memoirs distinctly lack, but it all felt rather a long time ago now, and to be honest, Clark was just that little bit too distant from the main affairs to really grab me. The Stars Look Down by AJ Cronin * A saga, a long saga. For me, this dragged unutterably, and I really only finished it because it was part of the English Counties challenge. Some individual scenes and incidents came alive, but on the whole this just felt completely predictable, set on tracks and never really going to deviate, not helped in that we got 'told' everything, and shown pretty much nothing. In the end, I suppose it did deviate, as the ending wasn't quite what I expected. Unfortunately, it felt profoundly unsatisfying, putting a seal on a book that made me realise how much my reading must have changed over the years, as I remember enjoying a couple of Cronin novels in my teens/early twenties. Having said all that, unlike many one-star novels, I can see why people would enjoy it - and anybody reading this should note that I am definitely in a minority when it comes to what we think of it! The Tightrope Walkers by David Almond *** Similarly set in the North-East, this time centred on the ship-building rather than coal-mining industry, this is the story of a small group of people growing up, as told by one of them. Whilst it was still a book that I didn't warm to, it was well written, vivid in its telling. In some respects the ending was similar too - but this time it struck me as so much more satisfying. I did struggle with the dialogue written to try and reflect the local accent/dialect - I can always see why this is done, but I rarely like it. The Death of King Arthur Simon Armitage **** I don't know how accurate Simon Armitage's translation is, but he either retained (the more probable), or imbued this with, a life and power that made this a rattling good read. He certainly managed to sustain the interesting use of alliteration, which helped give the poem it's attractively strong rhythm and distinct texture - it almost insisted on being read aloud. I did find the story itself became a bit of a succession of bloody scenes at times - one fight after another - leaving the opening scenes and last pages to stand out as the strongest sections. Overall, not quite at the same level as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but still a resoundingly strong read.

Currently reading Jessie Burton's latest, The Muse. About a third of the way through, and am gripped. Interesting plot, intriguing characters, and I love the way she pins the setting so precisely and succinctly.

The Dickens is IMO excellent too (as are the Pepys and Austen, which are the others I've read). Tomalin is, I think, the biographer who finally revealed the true role that Ellen Ternan played in Dickens's life (she's also written a biography of Ternan called The Invisible Woman, which was made into a film). From the four I've read, I'd agree with you about Hardy, and the fact that The Well-Beloved is OK but not as good as the others to date. My favourite so far is Far From The Madding Crowd (one of the English Counties highlights for me). What are the three you've given 5/5 to? I must get cracking with more of his novels too.

as did my OH - it was her e-copy that I read. I'd agree with your comments about the setting.

I can't compare, as I've not read either Winter or Max Gate, but I found Claire Tomalin's biography of Hardy to be very much up to her usual high standard, confirming why she is one of my favourite non-fiction writers. Definitely worth a look. There was certainly quite a tug of war over his remains from what I remember of Tomalin's book.

Finished Simon Armitage's The Death of King Arthur in a couple of sittings, aided by its strong alliterative rhythm, which seems to drive you incessantly forward! One or two passages deserve rereading some time soon. Have now moved on to Jessie Burton's The Muse, which I picked up in our local independent bookshop and then didn't want to put down. Hope it carries on like that!

Some mini-reviews I'm getting quite heavily behind on my reviews, so a quick half a dozen mini-reviews to help catch up and keep on track. I've been reading more than usual this year, and it's hard keeping up! More mini-reviews to follow I think. The Somme by Garry Sheffield *** A useful overview of the months long battle, that is notorious for the bloodshed on its first day, too slim to dwell on the detail, so maybe of limited use to those more familiar with this period. Sheffield is one of those who do not see the battle as the complete disaster so commonly portrayed nor the leadership as quite the 'donkeys' of Oh What A Lovely War. I didn't find him completely convincing, but I still felt I learned a lot from this workmanlike and readable history. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry ****** Set in nineteenth century England, recently widowed of a domineering, perhaps abusive, husband, Cora Seaborne moves out of London into coastal Essex to follow her interest in natural history, in particular to investigate a rumoured sea serpent, the stories of which are threatening to terrorise the local neighbourhood. This sounds like the basis of a Victorian mystery, but whilst the plot, and other sub-plots, bubble along, the real centres of focus are the characters and their relationships, particularly that between Cora and the Ransome family, Will Ransome being the local vicar. I absolutely adored this book, wrapped up in it from the opening page. I loved the language (regarded as rather too florid by some, but to my mind simply wonderfully coloured and evocative), I loved the characterisation, and I loved the setting, all crowned by a series of plot lines that gently intrigued me. As close to a perfect read as I'm ever going to get from modern fiction - with the most fabulous dust cover to boot! Cotillion by Georgette Heyer **** Classic Georgette Heyer Regency novel, enhanced by a pitch perfect reading from Phyllida Nash, with a bit of a twist in it compared to Heyer's usual fare (although visible from miles away!). Whiled away a couple of long, tedious journeys very pleasantly immersed in a world of light intrigue, knotty affairs, silk gowns, pelisses, multiple capes and quizzing glasses! Heyer is definitely one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford *** The story of Linda Radlett as told by her best friend, Fanny Logan. Nancy Mitford's light, fluid writing, leavened with strong streaks of comedy (particularly from the rest of the Radlett family, foremost amongst whom is Linda's father, 'Uncle' Matthew), belies the gently searing tragedy of Linda's life in pursuit of love, some of it reflecting Mitford's own (several characters being recognisably based on Mitford's own family and close circle). Mitford combines the two opposites with almost consummate ease, and it's little wonder that this is such a favourite for so many. However, reading it for a second time, I couldn't help feeling a certain hollowness at its centre, with characters that that seemed to lack real heart - or was that because that was what they were looking for? I'm not sure, but I didn't quite warm to it the way I did first time around. Hmmmm. Berlin Now by Peter Schneider ***(*) Interesting series of essays looking at aspects of Berlin's development since the wall came down, particularly some of the challenges posed by the merging of effectively two separate cities with different ideological backgrounds into one. Definitely gets beneath the surface, even if one always needs to be aware that this is a personal viewpoint. Provided some illuminating reading on a visit to Berlin, although one or two chapters, particularly on the social scene, felt a bit laboured. The Blackhouse by Peter May *** The first in the Lewis trilogy of crime mysteries. I was looking forward to this, the setting if nothing else, but in the end I found it hard work. Yet another damaged detective investigating yet another gory murder. The conceit was that this was a homecoming for the detective brought in because the murder resembled one on his patch in Edinburgh, and he knew all the protagonists (including the victim) from his youthful years. Much swapping of timelines, with the present told in the third person and the past in the first. It was cleverly constructed, although I found the ending a bit predictable, and it will appeal to aficionados of grittier crime I'm sure, but I found it just OK. In particular, the flashbacks were irritatingly distracting (even though they were essential to understanding the story), and the unremitting gloom in the character's lives became thoroughly debilitating. Didn't help that I was trying to read this on holiday! Almost mis-lit, and I hate that genre. I'm not going to bother with the rest of the trilogy - one's OK but enough.

I'd agree with you both about the challenge as a whole, so many brilliant books, and about South Riding. Like you, I would probably never have picked it up, and yet it has proved to be an instant six star read. Of the books I've read for the first time doing this challenge, it's certainly vying for my favourite, challenged only perhaps by Far From The Madding Crowd and Howards End (which I read as an alternative to P&P, as I've read this so often that I wanted to tackle something else). Of the books I've previously read, I'd say my favourite is a toss-up between Middlemarch and Emma. But there's still a few to go.....!

OMG - absolutely not! I don't do sarcasm (what I say is what I mean, especially on-line; I do try irony occasionally - but it doesn't usually work!). I meant that genuinely: you seem to be good at judging what books people would like and dislike from what we post here, and, if I recall correctly, have got it absolutely spot one with me on a number of occasions. Anyway, saying whether you think someone would enjoy or not enjoy a book isn't, to me, saying whether one should or shouldn't read it - it's just a prediction of what you think someone will feel about it. I quite enjoy comparing prediction to outcome! I know this may sound odd in the circumstances, but I actually think The Stars Look Down was a good choice for the list. It is, after all, one of the best known, if not THE best known book set in Northumberland, so it certainly earns its place, and, as I said, I'm in a very small minority of readers who hasn't liked it if reviews are anything to go by. That's the whole point of a challenge isn't it? To provide a range of books for people to tackle, to encourage us to read around and beyond what we would normally read, to broaden our horizons?. I may not have enjoyed The Stars Look Down in the normal sense, but I'm very glad to have read it, even if I was even more glad to have finished it! The more I read from this challenge, the more I think what a good idea it was and what a good range of reading it is providing. The Pursuit of Love is a funny one. I first read it a few years ago, and really enjoyed it, ranking it 4/6 (I then read Love in a Cold Climate and gave that 5/6). I was really looking forward to rereading it for the challenge, and was quite surprised that at the end I had dropped it to 3/6. That, however, is still a book I enjoyed, even if not unputdownable (I love Mitford's style, even if I was a bit more doubtful about the narrative). On the scale I use, the 6 is an extension of 5, solely for the very few books that are even better than excellent, that actually rate as an all-time favourite having something that is personally a bit special, a bit like going from A to A*. Only just over 100 books have ever had a 6 from me. So, a 3 on my scale would still rate 3 if I was rating it on Amazon. (On LibraryThing, I list my 4 as a 3.5, my 5 as a 4, and my 6 as a 5). So, whilst it dipped, I still enjoyed Pursuit of Love a bit more than might seem at first glance. It's a book I can totally see why someone would rate it at full marks (but then, I can see that of the Cronin too).

What a powerful and engaging review. This is a book that has been in the back of my mind for years, but I've never really felt a need to put it on any TBR list.. I do now!

In many respects, a similar sort of novel: working class story set in the North East (coal vs shipbuilding), class conflict, trying to improve one's lot. The difference, however, was marked. I found it more engagingly written (show versus tell to the fore), and more tautly developed. A book that certainly grabbed me more strongly: 3 stars versus 1.

Do explain (I can take it !). I was expecting to enjoy this, having quite fond memories of reading a couple of Cronin books in my teens (but can't even remember which ones). It quite surprised me that I didn't get on with it at all. (I'll have to consult you more often before reading a book!).

I've had this lined up for a while to read, both as part of the counties challenge, and since I read Sathnam Sanghera's Marriage Material, which is apparently a 21st century retake of OWT. Claire gave OWT a really good review too, so doubly promising! Must read it soon now.

Finished the Northumberland book, The Stars Look Down and 38/48, this morning after an intense session to get it finished. If it hadn't been a Challenge book, I'd have packed in hundreds of pages before the end, but kept plugging on. Would have possibly been better at barely half the length. Can't say I feel rewarded, although, reading Amazon reviews and comments here, I'm probably in a minority of one. I won't be in a hurry to try any more Cronin novels though, and am not surprised he's largely out of print if this is a typical example, as there's a very dated feel to the writing.

After a long haul, and several deviations to relieve the hard work, I finished The Stars Look Down this morning. The longest book so far in the English Counties challenge to date and, boy, did it feel just like that....thank goodness it's over. Now on to David Almond's The Tightrope Walkers. No expectations one way or the other as I've never read anything of his before, but it's next month's choice for my book group.

Stephen Fry in America by Stephen Fry *** This has sat on our bookshelves for some time, picked up cheaply, an attractive topic but never quite got around to (true of so many TV tie-ins). However, I needed to read a book written by a comic for one of the challenges I'm doing, and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly - a book I've long intended to read, about a country that has increasingly interested me. The book lends itself to reading in short stints: a series of short chapters, each devoted to one state. It proved perfect bedtime reading. Stephen Fry has a laconic, dry, but sympathetic style that is eminently readable (and watchable), adding to its night-time suitability. About half way through, however, I switched to more sustained reading and, whilst successive states tended to merge together, I started to develop a better overview of the journey as a whole - swings and roundabouts. Overall, this was an entertaining read - it's hard to believe that Fry would be anything else - and whilst it included instances of iconically American visits, there was enough that was sufficiently off the mainstream to capture the imagination. My biggest disappointment, however, was the superficiality, perhaps inevitable in a book and short TV series trying to cover the whole of such a large nation. However, when some states barely get a mention (literally), and most others are represented by no more than one visit, one is left wondering quite how much of the USA we are actually getting a feel for. But then, any greater depth would have probably been totally impracticable. So - what there was proved interesting, an interest that was rather too often frustrated by lack of depth. But as an introduction to the country, including so many aspects that might not be at the forefront of what a Brit would expect, this certainly whetted my appetite, and left me more intrigued than before - which is probably as much as one could expect. I would just like the producers to have found a way of developing this, perhaps, into something more in depth (maybe Stephen Fry in New England, in the Deep South, in the Midwest, etc etc??). I'm glad to have read it though, and have now bought the DVD to go with it!

I remember the Andaman Islands from the Boxing Day tsunami reporting a few years ago: they were particularly badly hit.

Most of those I would have suggested have already been listed, but whilst some of the following might not hit your precise dates, they may still be of interest: Kim by Rudyard Kipling: written in 1900, so a mite early, but a classic, often regarded as the first 'spy story'. If you enjoy this, then Kiplling's short stories may well prove a useful collection to mine. The Siege of Krishnapur and Singapore Grip by JG Farrell. The former is a bit early (mid-19C setting - Indian uprising), but they are part of a series of three outstanding books that examine imperial implications. The other is Troubles, set in Ireland. W Somerset Maugham wrote a number of short stories set in imperial Far East - classics. (Rain is probably the best known). A brilliant, if nowadays underrated, writer. Two books set in India at the time of independence, so a bit after your time zone, but both brilliant and thus probably worth a mention: Midnight's Children (Salman Rushdie) and A Suitable Boy (Vikram Seth). When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro, partly set in Shanghai in the 1930s - not one of my favourites, but others in my book group loved it. Elephant Moon by John Sweeney, set in wartime Burma, based on a real-life journey when a group of school children managed to evacuate the country with the aid of a herd of elephants. A decent read, enjoyed even more by a number of my book group. A Season in Sinji, set on an RAF base in West Africa during WW2. Written by one of my favourite authors, JL Carr; definitely recommended! He regarded it as his best. Hope that helps!

I can only agree with the Brontes and Jane Austen. It's all relative really: having read all Virginia Woolf's novels, I only wish she could have written more, although nine (ten if one includes Flush) is quite a good collection compared to many. Equally, I can't get enough of JL Carr, although he still managed eight novels (although they were all very slim); Margaret Elphinstone is another. However, there are definitely some who are very short. Not all are dead, so may yet produce more, but they've not done so for so long that it seems unlikely, so I've included them anyway. They are (in no particular order!): Harry Thompson: only wrote one novel, This Thing of Darkness, a fictionalised account of the relationship between Charles Darwin and Robert Fitzroy - superb. Died of lung cancer at the age of 45. Keri Hulme: again, just the one novel, the Booker award winning The Bone People, although a follow-up has been on the cards for some time. Erskine Childers: one novel again, the ground-breaking and superbly readable The Riddle of the Sands. Shot for treason. John Preston: author of The Dig, a slim volume based on the discovery and excavation of the Sutton Hoo fin, a lovely read, but nothing since. Ben Woolfenden: another one-book writer of a genealogically based mystery, The Ruins of Time. No idea what's happened since, but really enjoyed this first novel. JG Farrell: author of half a dozen novels, including the Booker winner, The Siege of Krishnapur,and the Lost Booker winner, Troubles. Drowned when swept away by a freak wave whilst fishing in his mid-40s. Elizabeth Gaskell: quite a few short stories and novellas, but only four complete novels (and one completed by another).

Somewhat bogged down with The Stars Look Down, so swapped for a quick and soothing read of The Wind in the Willows, the Berkshire selection in the English Counties list. Can't say I'm that keen to return to a book that already feels overlong and somewhat predictable - and I've got another 600 pages to go apparently!

Getting a bit bogged down with The Stars Look Down (Northumberland) - I really can't yet see why it's particularly well known or popular other than it's a solidly conventional, saga, if overlong and increasingly dull - so took time off to reread The Wind in the Willows (Berkshire). A lovely, gently novel, with much that is still relevant today, although somewhat dated in some of its underlying attitudes. I can't see many children reading it today - the language is far too demanding for most readers (which is intended to say more about modern day language and reading than about the target age or pitched level of the book).