Hayley

I feel like some people enjoy unlikeable characters, but I’m with you, it makes me like the book a lot less! That’s good to hear - it’s on my wish list but I know it had some mixed reviews! Wow, you read loads! I really do need those first two…

Oooh that’s a good question Kev! I think, if I could do another one, I might do nineteenth-century botany in periodicals . Have you seen the National archive’s currency converter by the way? If not, I think you’d find it interesting! https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/

Hi Meg, welcome to the forum! I also love fairy tales. I’m currently making my way through The Watkins Book of English Folktales. It’s a beautiful book and really interesting! Do you have a favourite book?

@Hux while I’m sorry for the stink you undoubtedly had to endure, I am very happy that you decided to record them so we could all share the joy of sausage dogs rolling in the grass . New fear unlocked 😱

Welcome back!!! 😄 Oooh that sounds exciting, what are you going to be doing first!? I am determined to learn how to crochet. My friend bought a kit for me for my birthday. It’s characters from Harry Potter, but I need to work out the basics first! I’d love to see your projects. Was the hobbies thread around when you were last here? I can’t remember how long it’s been going! I just finished this, it’s really good!

Thanks Luna! (Sorry @itsmeagain, I clicked the wrong @ 😄)

It’s good so far, I already despise two of the characters 😂

I will admit, I don’t love Metamorphosis either. I appreciate that it deserves its place as a classic, I’m glad I read it, but the thought of reading it again is not very exciting 😅. If you haven’t read it yet though @Angury, it is really interesting as a portrayal of a psychological state… And @lunababymoonchild you’re right that there are some overlapping themes, but The Yellow Wallpaper has a different tone to it (Victorian gothic) and I think you’d really like it!

I think my next book for this challenge is going to be People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitfield

Finished The Thursday Murder Club and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love all of the characters, especially Elizabeth 😄

@France, @lunababymoonchild, you haven't seen my TBR pile... 😅

Oooh I just looked it up on Goodreads and it sounds really intriguing. The description is so short though! Looking forward to hearing what you think; it might have to go on my wish list too 😄. Phew! 😄 This thread is really tempting me to buy more books at the moment 😅

I feel like this about a lot of books That's on my wish list too! What do you think so far? I've started The Thursday Murder Club, which I got as a birthday present and is a pretty classic mystery, so definitely fits with our theme!

I feel sure that somebody else here was interested in boarding school novels but I can’t remember who! My niche interest is dream portrayals in literature, especially in the nineteenth century There’s a good one (when I say good, I mean he’s utterly detestable) in Nicholas Nickleby too!

I finished Slade House by David Mitchell as my first book for this challenge and I loved it! Very creepy and brilliantly written. It almost felt like a series of short stories, each one set in a different decade, though they're all connected to each other. Impressively, all of the characters still managed to feel real, well-developed and unique. I'd definitely recommend this one to fans of magical realism. Isn't it!? And I think it features one of the best mysteries of any Dickens book. Only part of which is 'why is Miss Havisham permanently wearing an old wedding dress?' . So, spoiler quotes for this bit, did you guess...

There was a story in The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights that was definitely inspired by The Yellow Wallpaper - I think you'd like it!

I really want that one… I have so many unread books right now but I might have to treat myself at the end of the month! Yay 😁 Yeah definitely do that! Reading the same book would be ideal, it’s just too difficult to find something that everyone wants to read and has access to!

I had to google the Fair Fortnight and now I can’t believe I’d never heard of it! Good timing for nice weather 😄

How are you feeling now Madeleine? I hope you're getting plenty of rest!

I feel like both would be excellent options! I'd like to read some more Agatha Christie, I've only read Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and A Murder is Announced. I really liked all of them though! I didn't know there was a new book in that series! I have the second one, The Retreat, on my shelf, so actually that would be a good choice for this challenge too . I think that one should count towards Something Mysterious as well... maybe we could talk about it once you're done in the 'finished reads' thread!

I'm sorry that there wasn't much time for a discussion on this, but I think we really need to get this challenge going! For that reason, we're going to take the broad theme 'Something Mysterious' for this quarter's Book Club (even though I do feel very bad about pushing ahead with my own idea before everyone has replied... I feel confident that we can have fun with this!). But please do still reply in this thread to the question of genres! My only concern would be that while things like 'Gothic' can be found in lots of different types of books (so you could have elements of the Gothic in a mystery or a horror, a fantasy or even science fiction), there might genuinely be nothing in the genre of science fiction (or horror or fantasy etc.) that someone enjoys. The plus side would be that it might encourage us to read something outside our comfort zone! So please tell me your thoughts! And also let me know what you're thinking of reading for 'something mysterious'. From my shelves, I'm thinking maybe Slade House by David Mitchell (about a mysterious house, accessed by a door which can only be found in the right conditions. The blurb asks 'what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it's already too late...').

If you’re thinking of reviewing books, to say ‘yes I’d recommend this one if you like…’ then you might consider starting a book blog! You can find that section of the forum here: https://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/forum/16-book-blogs-discuss-your-reading/ It sounds like you might be thinking of a book that you suspect most people won’t have read though? We do have a ‘have you read?’ thread in general book discussions, where you could just reach out to say ‘hey I really loved this, has anybody else read it?’.

Ooh so suggestion to do a specific genre this time? I’d be up for science fiction! How do others feel about this? Should we try out a genre theme? Or would you prefer to have a broad theme so you can choose your own genre?

Don’t worry 😄 . Maybe you could suggest a theme it might still fit into in the new BCF BookClub thread?

With a slight delay (sorry about that) it’s time to choose the next BookClub theme! As always, participants can read any book which fits with the suggested theme, regardless of genre. For this one, which will run to the end of September, I’d like to suggest the theme ‘Something Mysterious’. Please add your suggestions for a theme below and we’ll decide on one this Monday (15th)!