Kidsmum

Hi & welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum Miss Mabel

No i didn't get round to seeing the movie, i remember seeing the trailer & thinking that looks good but of course as usual by the time i got round to going to see it it had disappeared off the screen I didn't know it had another title my copy has the film cast on the front- i'm only a short way into it but so far so good

I finished The Biography Of J.L.Carr by Byron Rogers at lunchtime which brings my total reads to 18 so far this year which means i'm on track to at least equal last years end of year count of 72 all being well. Thanks to Willoyd for recommending the above it's certainly whetted my appetite for reading more of Carr's book's. I have a few books jostling for position as my next read but have decided to ignore them for the time being & go for something light hearted; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Deborah Moggach.

I'm about 100 pages into his biography he certainly was eccentric & there's quite a few funny anecdotes that made me laugh. I intend to read his other books as well so i look forward to reading your reviews Claire

Think your mixing up your Tiswas with your Two Ronnies there Janet Wasn't it the Phantom Raspberry Blower from Old London Town & the Phantom Flan-Flinger was on Tiswas ? Made a start on The Last Englishman after Wolf Hall this seems like a really short read

Not at all they were very helpful. I picked the book up in a charity shop just because it was a World Book Night choice, didn't really know anything about it & was a bit worried it might be a bit overly sentimental; i suppose because of the title but your comments tell me it's not so i wont leave it languishing on the shelf

I finished Wolf Hall this afternoon & look forward to discussing it in the reading circle. My next read is The Last Englishman The Life of J.L. Carr by Byron Rogers.

Thanks Ben, i shall certainly let you know what i think of it when i finally get round to reading it

Hi Ben would be interested in your thoughts on Beloved Toni Morrison as its on my pile

Only 100 pages to go in Wolf Hall although i am enjoying it i want to hurry up & finish it as i'm itching to make a start on the biography of J.L. Carr i borrowed from the library.

A Time To Dance Melvyn Bragg Waterstones Synopsis A lifetime of restraint and placid affection erupts when a retired bank manager falls for a young girl, as far removed from him in background and experience as in age. Set in Cumbria, this is an intensely moving evocation of an overwhelming passion and its destructive kernel of jealousy. The main theme of this story is obsession; the obsession of an older man with a younger woman but far from being smutty it's a very moving read. The book is essentially a letter from the unnamed bank manager to his lover Bernadette at the end of their affair in which he lays out their romance from it's beginning to it's painful ending. One can't help but feel sympathy for the main character tormented by jealousy & insecurity as his life starts to unravel.I loved the story & characters which were totally believable. My first book by Bragg but definitely not my last. 4/5

Not sure if this would be too young for her but what about A Traveller in Time Alison Uttley.

I've added King Solomon's Carpet to my wishlist

The Siege Helen Dunmore Amazon Synopsis Leningrad, September 1941. Hitler orders the German forces to surround the city at the start of the most dangerous, desperate winter in its history. For two pairs of lovers - Anna and Andrei, Anna's novelist father and banned actress Marina - the siege becomes a battle for survival. They will soon discover what it is like to be so hungry you boil shoe leather to make soup, so cold you burn furniture and books. But this is not just a struggle to exist, it is also a fight to keep the spark of hope alive... Helen Dunmore is a relatively new author to me & this is only the second book i have read by her. She writes beautifully capturing the reality of living in Leningrad during the Second World War; the all consuming hunger, fear & the breakdown of morality. Despite these dark elements to the story the book never felt depressing or hard work at anytime. 5/5

Initially I thought Wuthering Heights as it's one of my favourite books but as it would be my last book ever it makes more sense to go for something that i've never read before so i'd choose Bleak House Charles Dickens.

Salem Chapel Mrs Oliphant Synopsis When Arthur Vincent the newly appointed minister of Salem Chapel discovers that his sister has been spirited away by her dishonourable fiance it is down to him to track them down and rescue her from his clutches. In order to protect her reputation his task must be kept secret from his friends and parishoners which only adds to the terrible burden on his shoulders. This is the second book in the Carlingford Chronicles & very different from the first book. It was a tense exciting read with lots of great characters; Arthur Vincent himself is a bit of a stuffed shirt and although i sympathised with his predicament i found him absolutely exasperating. My favourite character was Mr Tozer the butterman and senior deacon of Salem Chapel who stands by his minister when it looks like he'll be ousted by a disappointed congregation who feel their minister is not doing his duty by them. Tozer remains loyal & fights his corner without ever knowing why Vincent is behaving so strangely & constantly disappearing without proper explanation. This has been my favourite read of the year so far it reminded me of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins & gets a well deserved 5 stars. 5/5

I'm sorry to hear that, 69 isn't old these days. I haven't read any of his books in years but i did enjoy them when i was younger especially The Rats.

I went to the library this morning to collect my reserved copy of The Last Englishman The Life of J.L. Carr by Byron Rogers. Thank you Chesil for suggesting i try the library in the first place I'm nearly halfway through Wolf Hall & enjoying it so far.

Some interesting looking books there VF look forward to reading your thoughts on them. I didn't know you were a fan of Jeremy Kyle

Me too Julie , i thought yay she must be feeling better. It's good to know she's being well looked after though & hopefully she'll be back soon as it doesn't feel the same without her

I think we're all burning to know what your reading now; so come on spill the beans

That's what i thought when it came up when i was checking out your book The Seance John Harwood so when i saw it in Waterstones i couldn't resist

We took the youngest children into town this morning so they could use up their World Book Day vouchers & i couldn't resist buying one for myself Lady Audley's Secret Mary Elizabeth Braddon . I also spotted a lovely hardback edition of Wuthering Heights which i really want but at £15 it was a bit pricey so it'll have to wait for a special occasion

It's called The Last Runaway ; i heard her talking about it on Woman's Hour during the week & have added it to my wishlist