Kidsmum

I'm enjoying his characters, Mrs Jellyby & family & Mrs Pardiggle, the philanthropist & her five disgruntled sons. When i'd attempted to read Dickens when i was younger i'd found him to be a bit of a waffler but i guess i've become more patient as i've got older as i'm enjoying his writing style this time around. I know what you mean Athena i've always found Dicken's novels to be a bit intimidating but i'm enjoying Bleak House very much.

Coincidentally i was listening to a programme on the radio the other day & a boy was talking about what it was like to be bullied at school because he had a facial disfigurement. He hadn't realised he was different from other people till he went to school & was singled out by the other children. I've added this one to my wishlist.

I have a couple of the Lord John books on my shelves i'm still working my way through the Outlander series though so might be awhile before i get round to them

Thanks i'll check that one out I'm 120 pages into Bleak House, i like it, but i think it's going to take me till the end of next month to finish it

I did enjoy it Miss Mabel, i think it would be an ideal beach holiday read

I read this last year on my hols & really enjoyed it but there were parts of it that made me cringe. Some of the descriptive parts of it when he was with his boyfriend made my toes curl I finished The Island by Victoria Hislop over the weekend & have made a start on Bleak House Charles Dickens.

One of my book resolutions was to read some Dickens this year so yesterday i started Bleak House. The size of the book is a bit daunting & i'm finding it's taking me longer to read than usual so i'm only about 50 pages in but i am enjoying what i've read so far.

I agree, as it doesn't feature much in the story i'm not sure why she chose it for the title. Haven't said that i do like the title & i'd be interested to know why she picked it. I felt forewarned as other people had had trouble with her writing style & i did have to give the book my full concentration especially in the beginning which is no bad thing really but once i'd got into the flow of the book i didn't find it a problem. I sometimes found i'd forgotten who was who when it came to the minor characters so it was really helpful having them listed at the front of the book.

I would be really interested to hear what you find out Devi Hi VF I've read some great books so far this year & my mojo's flying high, long may it continue

I'm halfway through The Island still enjoying it but think i'll go for something a bit meatier for my next read

Dropped some stuff off at the charity shop this morning & came out with The Amateur Marriage Anne Tyler Crystal Rooms Melvyn Bragg & for the children War Horse Michael Morpurgo Alfie All Alone Holly Webb

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it I read the first 100 pages in The Island last yesterday, so far so good.

I visited my favourite charity shops yesterday & came home with Black Diamonds The Rise & Fall of an English Dynasty Catherine Bailey - I'm determined to read more non fiction this year & this caught my eye. The House On The Strand Daphne Du Maurier - i loved this book when i first read it when i was much younger. I've picked up other Du Maurier books in charity shops over the years but this is the first time i 've spotted this one so i snapped it up straight away. Sharpe's Devil Bernard Cornwell- another one for the collection. The Accidental Tourist Anne Tyler - I enjoyed her book Digging For America so i was really pleased to see this one under a pile of grubby looking paperbacks a bargain at 79p

Good to hear you enjoyed it Charliepud. iIhave The Thread as well, i picked it up in a charity shop a few weeks ago

I've just finished reading The Dean's Watch Elizabeth Goudge, a nice gentle story i enjoyed it though it was a bit of a struggle getting into it at the beginning as Still Missing was a hard act to follow. My next read is going to be a book i've had on my shelf for quite a while The Island Victoria Hislop.

Great post Pontalba, like Chrissy i've jotted down quite a few titles, i've not read any John Banville so will be checking him out & i already have Widow For A Year on my TBR pile. Off the top of my head i would say The Forsyte Saga John Galsworthy is one of my transcendant reads. There's a part in it where one of the characters receives a telegram that his son has died in the South African War not in battle but of an illness & he thinks of his son dying in a foreign land without any family or friends around him but being brought up to keep a stiff upper lip he's unable to express his grief. I cried & cried when i read that & it still brings a lump to my throat when i think of it, in fact when i finished the whole saga i felt bereft i'd enjoyed it so much. Wuthering Heights, i first saw the film with Laurence Olivier & Merle Oberon when i was a child & loved it then later read the book & loved that even more, a story of such passion & torment. Also both The Little Friend & Secret History Donna Tartt fantastic reads with strong characters. Gosh i nearly forgot A Month In The Country J.L.Carr, a beautifully written book & a very emotional read, one that i know i'll keep coming back to.

Thank goodness for libraries i've discovered quite a few books from my wishlist are on the library catalogue although the more recent ones have long waiting lists but hey it's not like i don't have anything to read while i'm waiting That's amazing Devi Have you ever thought of doing your family tree i bet it would be really interesting? Nonsense, there's nothing healthier looking than a well stocked shelf Thanks Chrissy it certainly was an outstanding book Hope you enjoy it Bobbly, it's worth checking out the library catalogue to see if it's available in your area as it is a bit on the pricey side

That made me smile, i used to go out with a guy who had a thing for Doris Day Chesil beat me too it, i always listen to classical music on my ipod when i'm trying to read & there's a lot of background noise I finished Still Missing Beth Gutcheon . This is not just the best book i've read this year it's one of the best books i've ever read......Brilliant!!!

Still Missing Beth Gutcheon First Published in 1981, Still Missing was translated into 14 languages & has been continously in print in the USA ever since. In 1983 it was made into a film called Without A Trace starring Kate Nelligan. I first heard about it on Radio4's A Good Read & added it to my Amazon wishlist where it has remained for quite some while, mainly because at £12 for the paperback i felt it was a bit too pricey then by a lucky chance i found a copy at my local library. The book is about Alex a 6 year old boy who goes missing one morning walking the 2 blocks from his home to school, the subsequent investigation & the effect his disappearance has on his mother & father, family, friends & local community. I would compare this book to the wonderful Red Leaves Thomas H. Cook but to be honest it completely blows it out of the water. This is simply one of the best books i've ever read it's all of those literary cliches heart-rending, an emotional rollercoaster, gripping to the last page & more. 5/5

What about The History Boys Alan Bennett, it's a play though so not sure if that would put you off it

Dead Man Walking Sister Helen Prejan In 1982 Sister Helen Prejean, a catholic nun became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier a convicted killer sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana's Angola State Prison. In this book she writes of her experience as a spirtual advisor to death row inmates & argues persuasively for the abolition of the death penalty. Interesting & enlightening this book was a good read although i'm not sure how up to date some of the information is as it was published in the 1990's 4/5

I thought that Cromwell tolerated Anne because she was Henry's woman & so that made her powerful he knew that he had to stay on the right side of her but i don't think he liked her. Anne was a bit like a spoilt child she exploited her power over Henry to the max but of course as we know her power was transitory. On Saturday on CH4 there's a program on called Walking Through History with Tony Robinson about the Tudors & it mentions Thomas Cromwell in the info about it .... reveals the extent of Thomas Cromwell's ruthless ambition. I think it would be interesting to see another take on Cromwell so i'm going to record it.

I finished Dead Man Walking Sister Helen Prejean today & have now started reading Still Missing Beth Gutcheon a book i've had on my wishlist for a long time & then discovered in my local library. While i was there i also reserved The Last Runaway Tracy Chevalier; there's quite a waiting list but hey it's not like i don't have anything to read while i'm waiting...... Yay for libraries

Reading If Not Now, When? has certainly made me want to read his other books Eleonora. That's really interesting Devi, i didn't know your dad was Italian. My dad was a soldier in WW2 & he has lots of stories he never saw frontline action but he likes to talk about all the silly & sometimes dangerous things he got up to with his friends that you wouldn't do in peacetime but he says none of it mattered because you knew you could be dead the next day. It's hard to imagine what that must feel like.