Alexi

I'm guilty of the same with Les Miserables willoyd. I got it for kindle about six months ago in the hope that not lugging around the physical copy would encourage me... Not so far! The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo has also been staring at me since Xmas 2010...

I actually found that very interesting/horrifying. Normally, in political discussion, it's evil conservatives vs good labour (unless you're very rich where it might be the other way around!) although I do feel that's changing. Here, it was made quite clear that both major political parties have disgraced themselves when it comes to housing. It's horrifying how attitudes towards it can change so quickly after the initial work after the war. I think the major problem we now have is a complete lack of housing policy at all, never mind a decent one. Or if there is one, it isn't clear to me and I follow politics! I went past a new development the other day actually, which had a massive sign outside it, and I thought of Hanley! Particularly as without it I wouldn't know it was council housing at all...

I have Black Beauty on my TBR. Another of those books I never got round to reading as a kid! Thanks for your review Athena, I'm looking forward to trying it myself now

I've also finished Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck which I aim to review soon! I thought it was fabulous though and wish I'd had the opportunity to study that at school rather than Lord of the bloody Flies...

Be just started it now, so will let you know how I get on - although it might be a while because I'm snowed under at the moment, so reading time has been reduced to the commute!! I think I'm going to try 11,22.63 first, because the premise fascinates me too! Reviews reviews... #33 Estates: An Intimate History by Lynsey Hanley Synopsis: Lynsey Hanley was born and raised just outside of Birmingham on what was then the largest council estate in Europe, and she has lived for years on an estate in London's East End. Writing with passion, humour and a sense of history, she recounts the rise of social housing a century ago, its adoption as a fundamental right by leaders of the social welfare state in the mid-century and its decline - as both idea and reality - in the 1960s and '70s. Throughout, Hanley focuses on how shifting trends in urban planning and changing government policies - from Homes Fit for Heroes to Le Corbusier's concrete tower blocks, to the Right to Buy - affected those so often left out of the argument over council estates: the millions of people who live on them. What emerges is a vivid mix of memoir and social history, an engaging and illuminating book about a corner of society that the rest of Britain has left in the dark.(From Amazon) Thoughts: I really enjoyed this. I raced through it, and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about the concepts it brought up. I have never lived in a council house, but my Dad was born in one and lived the first ten years of his life in one. He educated me at a young age about the foolishness of right to buy, but that's pretty much all I knew, so really enjoyed tracing the history back. Hanley writes in an engaging tone, switching seamlessly from social study to autobiography in a moment. I don't agree with everything she says, but she explains herself very articulately. At times, she can repeat herself, but on the whole a thoroughly enjoyable, worthwhile read on a very interesting subject. 4/5

The reason I hate it is because I had an English teacher who made it extremely dull!

I was friends with my boyfriend first, and we've now been together for two years. Having said that, we're going to a wedding next year of two people who met in a bar, so what do I know?! On a serious note, I'm with you on being friends with a guy first. I loathe and detest "dating", and feel grateful I haven't had to do it for a while. But I have friends who love it. I think it's working out what's right for you, and taking it from there.

Don't say that Janet, Christmas is ages away I finished Estates by Lynsey Hanley. I plan to review it soon, but I will say I thought it was an absolutely excellent piece of non fiction. I'm now starting Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Ugh, I am struggling with multi quote!! Janet and bobblybear - wow, two good recommendation for Ella Minnow Pea! I must get around to it soon then I think you're doing better than me - I've only seen The Shawshank Redemption! Speaking as someone who has 198 unread books on the shelf, I'm not one to judge. I need to give up work and housework and just read for about six months to catch up with everything!

He has! He's usually a non fiction guy, but makes exceptions for horror, time travel or grisly crime He buys me books sometimes and has told me he will get me an extra book case when we move. I might keep him

It's been on my wishlist for a while, so I'm pleased to have seen it so cheap - I'm not sure my no book buying rule counts when there is a wishlist book available for 99p to be quite honest! I was eyeing it for a while too, but I took the plunge a few weeks ago. I can't remember who (sorry!), but I know someone put it in their best books of 2013 so far list, so I have higher hopes for it now! Library books don't count My boyfriend was amazed when I told him I hadn't read any King, he finds it surprising because I read so much. But a lot of years in education destroyed my reading for pleasure for a while, so for the last three years I've been catching up!

Thanks Frankie! I've never actually read any King - although I do have 11.22.63 on my TBR. I saw Slaughterhouse Five was only 99p for kindle and that seemed too good a deal to pass up

I really need to catch up with my reviews!! I recently read Hit Girls by Dreda Say Mitchell and I've finished Summer by Edith Wharton, ready for the reading circle. I've now read 32 books so far this year, so I'm hoping to easily be able to reach my target of 52. I've also bought the following books recently: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Still Alice by Lisa Genova The Shining by Stephen King The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn And taken: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger Out of the library.

II read quite a bit this morning and I think you're absolutely right - her writing style is really engaging even while she's really making you think about the attitudes that have got us to where we are today. Successive governments have really let us down with housing policy - IMO - and no one seems to be willing to come up with a solution.

I felt the need for some non fiction, so I've started Estates by Lynsey Hanley (recommended on here). I'm not far in but it's already fascinating.

I have this on my shelf Brian (similarly, I read and loved The Secret Race and bought this book following that!) but haven't really read any reviews. Good to see such a positive review from you - I will bump it up the pile a bit!

It's also worth noting that the very same Hope Powell took them to the quarter finals two years ago in the World Cup and to the final of the UEFA Women's Championships in 2009. Do you have anyone in mind who could do a better job than Hope?

I have Undone by Cat Clarke to read on my kindle, so good to read some positive comments I also have Gone Girl, which I'm a bit nervous about! I haven't read your spoilers though, as I do intend to get around to it... At some point!

I've finally finished Hit Girls by Dreda Say Mitchell. I feel like I've been reading it for weeks, but I don't think that's entirely the fault of the book - I've had a super busy July and I think it deserved more than 10 pages at a time while dog tired! I'm now starting Summer by Edith Wharton for the Reading Circle.

You should! There's becoming a little group of us doing it now

I'm a third of the way through Hit Girls by Dreda Say Mitchell. I was intrigued by a gangster premise with females the main characters but it isn't really grabbing me yet.

I walked past Waterstone's today because I felt bad that mine has crept up to 220 - I should have waltzed in with open arms!

Such fantastic news Julie!

#28 Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco Synopsis: It begins with a body. On a clear day in winter, the battered corpse of Crispin Salvador is pulled from the Hudson River – taken from the world is the controversial lion of Philippine literature. Missing, too, is the only manuscript of his final book – meant to rescue him from obscurity by exposing the corrupt roots of power behind the Filipino ruling families. His student, Miguel, investigates, journeying home from a city still in shock from terrorist attacks to a country caught between reckless decay and desperate progress. To understand his mentor’s death, Miguel scours the life, charting Salvador’s trajectory via his poetry, stories, interviews, novels, and memoirs. The literary fragments become patterns become stories become epic: a generations-long saga of revolution, familial duty, political intrigue, and a people’s enduring struggle against their own worst tendencies. This is a clever, bravura, and exuberant debut novel from a new literary sensation. (from Amazon) Thoughts: I picked this up for my world challenge from the quick selection table at the library - I've found a few interesting books that way. Straightaway, this intrigued me. The student being Miguel, I wondered if it was loosely based in fact despite being filed in fiction. It's definitely fiction, but told as fact and it isn't told very well. It's needlessly confusing - the author knits the story together through dreams, emails, flashbacks, memoirs, and excerpts from the dead man's short stories. It isn't always obvious which source is being used until you've read a few paragraphs - which given the author changes source up to twice a page can get rather draining! When he adds in second person tellings of something that is later on repeated in the first person (confused yet?!) it gets silly, and reads as if the author is trying to show off or win plaudits for an alternative writing style than encourage the reader. It obviously worked for the awards - this won the Man Asian Literary Prize BEFORE the official release! - but I was glad to put the book down and move on to something else. I won't be picking his work up again I suspect. For my world challenge, this should have been great. The story may be officially about a murder but it does feel more like a discussion of Filipino culture and character. But the story is unsatisfactory and it drags due to an unreadable style. 2/5 #29 This is the One by Daniel Taylor A half review for this one, as its a short football book. Taylor is a Manchester sports journalist covering Manchester United, and this book details his dealings with Ferguson over a two year period, comprising the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. This makes it interesting because the first season was a disaster for Sir Alex with some sections of fans and media calling for his head while in the second year he wins the title again. I was living outside England for these two years and while I watched the games, I missed a lot of media coverage and sensationalism (the online journalistic world was a different scene in 2005 to what is now like large swathes of the Internet!). It was interesting to compare the character and reactions of Ferguson between the two seasons and follow the headlines and context I largely missed during this period. It also gives the book an extra dimension knowing what came after - such as the actual date of his retirement and the fact that he won the European Cup in 08. Hindsight is certainly 20/20!! 3/5

I watched the film at the weekend and I must say I agree it was poor compared to the book. The book also suggests child prostitution (iirc), but the film simplified the story to the point it was wildly different from the book and removed my favourite bit of the ending! Unimpressed Mr Boyle. Elsewhere, I have now finished Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco (Phillippines). A full review to follow in my reading thread, but I wouldn't recommend it. It certainly gave me a flavour for Filipino culture which was good, but was needlessly complicated to the point of being pretentious to be quite frank. Must be something better out there. That brings me to 27 out of 224 completed! I have 11 books on the TBR that would count for this though (I counted this morning!)