Souloftherose's reading notes for 2014 - volume the fourth

A warm welcome to all visitors whether you lurk or post.

We've just come back from a weekend visit/retreat at the wonderful Gladstone's Library in North Wales (and thank you to Genny for the recommendation). Here's a picture (not mine) of the theology room in their library

Books read in July
#95 The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North (TBR)
#96 Joy in the Morning by P. G. Wodehouse (TBR)
#97 A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (TBR)
#98 Mrs Tim of the Regiment by D. E. Stevenson (TBR)
#99 The Italian by Ann Radcliffe (TBR)
#100 My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (TBR)
#101 Wedlock: How Georgian Britain's Worst Husband Met His Match by Wendy Moore (Library)
#102 The Carter of 'La Providence' by Georges Simenon (TBR)
#103 The Touchstone by Edith Wharton (Library)
#104 The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin (Reread)
#105 The Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh (Omnibus)
#106 Knight Crusader by Ronald Welch (TBR)
#107 Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#108 The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (Library)
#109 Chanur's Venture by C. J. Cherryh (Omnibus)
#110 Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd (TBR)
DNF The Pink Hotel by Ann Stothard (TBR)

Books read in August
#111 A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones (TBR)
#112 Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (Library)
#113 We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (TBR)
#114 Civil to Strangers by Barbara Pym (TBR)
#115 The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford (Reread)
#116 A Very Great Profession: The Woman's Novel 1914-39 by Nicola Beauman (TBR)
#117 Affinity by Sarah Waters (Library)
#118 Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (Omnibus)
#119 The Gypsy's Baby and Other Stories by Rosamond Lehmann (TBR)
#120 The Martian by Andy Weir (Library)
#121 The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson (Free kindle)
#122 Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope (TBR)
#123 The Blessing by Nancy Mitford (Omnibus)
#124 Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor (Library)
#125 Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Reread)
#126 The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden (TBR)
#127 Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome (Reread)
#128 The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner (TBR)

Books read in September
#129 Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (TBR)
#130 The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (TBR)
#131 An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer (TBR)
#132 August Folly by Angela Thirkell (TBR)
#133 A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr (Library)
#134 The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell (TBR)
#135 Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction by Various authors (TBR)
#136 Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville (TBR)
#137 The Quick by Lauren Owen (Library)
#138 Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#139 The Gothic by David Punter and Glennis Byron (Library)
#140 Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#141 The Kif Strike Back by C. J. Cherryh (TBR)
#142 The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon (TBR)

Books read in October
#143 Chanur's Homecoming by C. J. Cherryh (TBR)
#144 The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (Reread)
#145 Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones (TBR)
#146 Judgement Day by Penelope Lively (TBR)
#147 Kidnapped by R. L. Stevenson (Reread)
#148 The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (TBR)
#149 Black Maria by Diana Wynne Jones (TBR)
#150 The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier (TBR)
#151 Angels and Men by Catherine Fox (TBR)
#152 The Death of Grass by John Christopher (TBR)
#153 The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones (TBR)
#154 A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#155 The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham (TBR)
#156 Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde (Reread)
#157 The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde (Reread)
#158 Restoration London by Liza Picard (TBR)
#159 Catriona by R. L. Stevenson (Free kindle)
#160 Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde (Reread)
#161 The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard (Library)
#162 Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (TBR)
#163 All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Smith (Free kindle)

Books read in November
#164 Other People's Daughters: The Life and Times of the Governess by Ruth Brandon (TBR)
#165 The Foundling by Georgette Heyer (TBR)

Books read in April
#46 The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (TBR)
#47 Behind Closed Doors by Anna Katharine Green (Omnibus)
#48 The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer (Library)
#49 The War Workers by E. M. Delafield (Free kindle)
#50 Mrs Jordan's Profession: The Story of a Great Actress and a Future King by Claire Tomalin (TBR)
#51 A Five Year Sentence by Bernice Rubens (TBR)
#52 Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Reread)
#53 Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson (Reread)
#54 All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard (TBR)
#55 Miss Buncle Married by D. E. Stevenson (Reread)
#56 The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime by Judith Flanders (Library)
#57 Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge (TBR)
#58 The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie (Reread)
#59 Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#60 The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff (TBR)
#61 The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin (Reread)

Books read in May
#62 A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken (Library)
#63 Night Waking by Sarah Moss (TBR)
#64 How To Be a Heroine: or, What I've Learned From Reading too Much by Samantha Ellis (TBR)
#65 Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin (Reread)
#66 Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (Library)
#67 Small Island by Andrea Levy (TBR)
#68 The Pastor's Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim (Free kindle)
#69 Hyperion by Dan Simmons (Library)
#70 Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer (TBR)
#71 Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie (Reread)
#72 The Two Mrs Abbotts by D. E. Stevenson (TBR)
#73 A Diary Without Dates by Enid Bagnold (Free kindle)
#74 The Gentleman's Daughter: Women's Lives in Georgian England by Amanda Vickery (Library)
#75 High Wages by Dorothy Whipple (TBR)
#76 The Kingdom Under the Sea by Joan Aiken (Library)
#77 Embassytown by China Mieville (TBR)
#78 A Matter of Millions by Anna Katharine Green (TBR)
#79 Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon (TBR)

Books read in June
#80 Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (Reread)
#81 The Cuckoo Tree by Joan Aiken (TBR)
#82 Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (TBR)
#83 The Four Graces by D. E. Stevenson (Library)
#84 The Runaways by Elizabeth Goudge (TBR)
#85 Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#86 Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#87 The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker (Library)
#88 Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (TBR)
#89 Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold (TBR)
#90 Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy (TBR)
#91 The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (Reread)
#92 China Court by Rumer Godden (TBR)
#93 Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (Reread)
#94 Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer (Reread)

Books read in January
#1 Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard (TBR)
#2 Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu (TBR)
#3 The Three Clerks by Anthony Trollope (Free kindle)
#4 Farthing by Jo Walton (TBR)
#5 Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill (TBR)
#6 Brat Farrar by Jospehine Tey (TBR)
#7 Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (Reread)
#8 Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (Reread)
#9 Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey (TBR)
#10 The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer (TBR)
#11 The Orchid House by Phyllis Shand Allfrey (TBR)
#12 The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers (TBR)
#13 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (TBR)
#14 Highland Fling by Nancy Mitford (Omnibus)
#15 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Reread)

Books read in February
#16 The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (Reread)
#17 The Love Child by Edith Olivier (TBR)
#18 Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne (TBR)
#19 Consequences by E. M. Delafield (Free kindle)
#19.5 The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold (Reread)
#20 More Talk of Jane Austen by Sheila Kaye-Smith and G. B. Stern (TBR)
#21 The Purcell Papers by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Free kindle)
#22 The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (Reread)
#23 Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (Reread)
#24 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (TBR)
#25 A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin (Spousal unit)
#26 Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells (Free kindle)
#27 Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield (Reread)
#28 Longbourn by Jo Baker (TBR)
#29 Stet by Diana Athill (TBR)
#30 The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie (Reread)

Books read in March
#31 In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden (TBR)
#32 Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch (TBR)
#33 The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons (TBR)
#34 The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (Reread)
#35 Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (Library)
#36 Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran (TBR)
#37 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (Reread)
#38 A Foot in the Grave by Joan Aiken (Library)
#39 Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill (TBR)
#40 The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham (TBR)
#41 Just Henry by Michelle Magorian (TBR)
#42 The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope (TBR)
#43 Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard (TBR)
#44 A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly (TBR)
#45 One of Ours by Willa Cather (Free kindle)

Books acquired in January (14 books acquired, 10 books read from TBR)
#1 Farthing by Jo Walton (Kindle) READ
#2 The Penguin Complete Novels of Nancy Mitford by Nancy Mitford (Kindle)
#3 The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (Kindle)
#4 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (Waterstones.com) READ
#5 The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer (Kindle) READ
#6 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (Kindle) READ
#7 The Brontes at Haworth by Ann Dinsdale (Brithday present)
#8 Home by Marilynne Robinson (Brithday present)
#9 The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (Brithday present)
#10 The Lacquer Lady by F. Tennyson Jesse (Brithday present)
#11 The Ladies of Lyndon by Margaret Kennedy (Brithday present)
#12 The Sleeping Beauty by Elizabeth Taylor (Brithday present)
#13 The Crowded Street by Winifred Holtby (Brithday present)
#14 The Caravaners by Elizabeth von Arnim (Brithday present)

Books acquired in February (7 books acquired, 6 books read from TBR)
#15 The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West (Virago group)
#16 How to Be a Heroine: Or, what I've learned from reading too much by Samantha Ellis (Birthday present) READ
#17 Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran (Birthday present) READ
#18 The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope (Waterstones.com) READ
#19 Longbourn by Jo Baker (Kindle) READ
#20 An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer (Kindle) READ
#21 Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch (Kindle) READ

Books acquired in March (17 books acquired, 10 books read from TBR)
#22 Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill (Kindle) READ
#23 Judgement Day by Penelope Lively (Charity bookshop) READ
#24 Letters to Children by C. S. Lewis (Charity bookshop)
#25 The Book of Taltos by Steven Brust (Amazon Marketplace)
#26 Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard (Kindle) READ
#27 Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister by Aphra Behn (Henry Pordes)
#28 The Fruit of the Tree by Edith Wharton (Henry Pordes)
#29 Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (Henry Pordes)
#30 The Reef by Edith Wharton (Any Amount of Books)
#31 The Lost Traveller by Antonia White (Any Amount of Books)
#32 China Court by Rumer Godden (Foyles) READ
#33 The Two Mrs Abbotts by D. E. Stevenson (Persephone Bookshop) READ
#34 High Wages by Dorothy Whipple (Persephone Bookshop) READ
#35 The Hopkins Manuscript by R. C. Sherriff (Persephone Bookshop)
#36 A Woman's Place, 1910-1975 by Ruth Adam (Oxfam Bloomsbury)
#37 On the Run by Nina Bawden (elkiedee)
#38 Odd Girl Out by Elizabeth Jane Howard (elkiedee)

Books acquired in April (5 books acquired, 7 books read from TBR)
#39 The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (Kindle) READ
#40 Mary Shelley by Muriel Spark (Kindle)
#41 A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns (Virago group)
#42 All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard (Kindle) READ
#43 Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ

Books acquired in May (12 books acquired, 9 books read from TBR)
#44 Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood (Charity bookshop)
#45 A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey (Charity bookshop)
#46 The Luck of the Vails by E. F. Benson (Birthday present)
#47 Agatha Christie's Murder in the Making by John Curran (Greenway bookshop)
#48 Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer (Kindle) READ
#49 Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon (Kindle) READ
#50 Helliconia Summer by Brian Aldiss (Charity bookshop)
#51 Helliconia Winter by Brian Aldiss (Charity bookshop)
#52 Forty Signs of Rain by Kim Stanley Robinson (Charity bookshop)
#53 The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (Charity bookshop)
#54 The Chanur Saga by C. J. Cherryh (Abebooks) READ
#55 The Runaways by Elizabeth Goudge (Kindle) READ

Books acquired in June (18 books acquired, 10 books read from TBR)
#56 Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ
#57 Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ
#58 Beyond the Glass by Antonia White (Virago group)
#59 The Flight of the Maidens by Jane Gardam (elkiedee)
#60 Railsea by China Mieville (drachenbraut23)
#61 Enormous Changes at the Last Minute by Grace Paley (drachenbraut23)
#62 The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (Oxfam Bloomsbury)
#63 Children of God by Mary Doria Russell (Oxfam Bloomsbury)
#64 A Very Great Profession: The Woman's Novel 1914-39 by Nicola Beauman (Oxfam Bloomsbury) READ
#65 Austerity Britain, 1945-1951 by David Kynaston (Waterstones - Gower Street)
#66 Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope (Waterstones - Gower Street) READ
#67 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (Waterstones - Gower Street)
#68 The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner (Waterstones - Gower Street) READ
#69 Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ
#70 Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction! (Kindle) READ
#71 The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North (Kindle) READ
#72 Pamela by Samuel Richardson (Charity bookshop)
#73 The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham (Charity bookshop) READ

Books acquired in July (6 books acquired, 10 books read from TBR)
#74 The Carter of La Providence by Georges Simenon (Kindle) READ
#75 Bodies of Light by Sarah Moss (Kindle)
#76 A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones (Kindle) READ
#77 We are all Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (Kindle) READ
#78 Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig (Kindle)
#79 Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ

Books acquired in August (9 books acquired, 8 books read from TBR)
#80 August Folly by Angela Thirkell (Waterstones.com) READ
#81 Chanur's Homecoming by C. J. Cherryh (Amazon Marketplace) READ
#82 Chanur's Legacy by C. J. Cherryh (Amazon Marketplace)
#83 Black Maria by Diana Wynne Jones (Kindle) READ
#84 Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones (Kindle) READ
#85 The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones (Kindle) READ
#86 Angels and Men by Catherine Fox (Kindle) READ
#87 The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden (Kindle) READ
#88 The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (Waterstones.com) READ

Books acquired in September (9 books acquired, 11 books read from TBR)
#89 The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell (Kindle) READ
#90 Momento Mori by Muriel Spark (Oxfam Birmingham)
#91 Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Oxfam Birmingham) READ
#92 The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (Oxfam Birmingham)
#93 Castle Gay by John Buchan (GennyT)
#94 The Blanket of the Dark by John Buchan (GennyT)
#95 Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ
#96 Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ
#97 The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon (Kindle) READ

Books acquired in October (11 books acquired, 13 books read from TBR)
#98 The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (Mor Books, Skye) READ
#99 The Death of Grass by John Christopher (Mor Books, Skye) READ
#100 Family Britain: 1951-57 by David Kynaston (Mor Books, Skye)
#101 Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh (Mor Books, Skye)
#102 Skye by F. C. Sillar (Mor Books, Skye)
#103 On the Crofters Trail by David Craig (Mor Books, Skye)
#104 A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (Mor Books, Skye)
#105 High Albania by Edith Durham (Mor Books, Skye)
#106 A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle) READ
#107 Other People's Daughters by Ruth Brandon (Library sale) READ
#108 The Foundling by Georgette Heyer (Kindle) READ

Books acquired in November
#109 Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch (Kindle)

Current size of To Read collection: 448 books

Finishing off this challenge from last year:

A century of books!

I'm trying to read a book published in every year of the 20th century. I started this at the beginning of 2013 and am nearly 95% of the way through!

1900 The Touchstone by Edith Wharton
1901 The Ordeal of Elizabeth by Anonymous
1902 Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
1903 When Patty Went to College by Jean Webster
1904 The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit
1905 Princess Priscilla's Fortnight by Elizabeth von Arnim
1906 The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit
1907 Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc
1908 Love's Shadow by Ada Leverson
1909
1910 Prester John by John Buchan
1911 The Innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
1912 Tenterhooks by Ada Leverson
1913 The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
1914 The Pastor's Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim
1915
1916 Love at Second Sight by Ada Leverson
1917
1918 The War Workers by E. M. Delafield
1919 Consequences by E. M. Delafield
1920 The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
1921 The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
1922 The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
1923 Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
1924 Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
1925 The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie
1926 These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer
1927 The Big Four by Agatha Christie
1928 The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
1929 The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
1930 Very Good, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
1931 All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West
1932 Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
1933 High Rising by Angela Thirkell
1934 The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
1935 Lucia's Progress by E. F. Benson
1936 The New House by Lettice Cooper
1937 Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
1938 The Fashion in Shrouds by Margery Allingham
1939 Trouble for Lucia by E. F. Benson
1940 The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer
1941 Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham
1942 House-Bound by Winifred Peck
1943 The Two Mrs Abbotts by D. E. Stevenson
1944 Death at the Medical Board by Josephine Bell
1945 Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham
1946 Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
1947 Joy in the Morning by P. G. Wodehouse
1948 I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
1949 Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien
1950 Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym
1951 My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
1952 Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
1953 Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
1954 No Love Lost by Margery Allingham
1955 Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym
1956 A Lighthearted Quest by Ann Bridge
1957 The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
1958 A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym
1959 The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
1960 Trouble with Lichen by John Wyndham
1961 No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym
1962 The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard
1963 The New Moon with the Old by Dodie Smith
1964 The Runaways by Elizabeth Goudge
1965 The Town in Bloom by Dodie Smith
1966 Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
1967 It Ends With Revelations by Dodie Smith
1968 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
1969 Mr. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
1970 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
1971 The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
1972 Striding Folly by Dorothy L. Sayers
1973 The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
1974 Midnight is a Place by Joan Aiken
1975 Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones
1976 Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy
1977 Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
1978 Kesrith / Shon'jir by C. J. Cherryh
1979 Kutath by C. J. Cherryh
1980 A Few Green Leaves by Barbara Pym
1981 The Stolen Lake by Joan Aiken
1982 An Unsuitable Attachment by Barbara Pym
1983 Jhereg by Steven Brust
1984 Yendi by Steven Brust
1985 Fire Watch by Connie Willis
1986 Elizabeth: The author of Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Karen Usborne
1987 Teckla by Steven Brust
1988 Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson
1989 The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold
1990 Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
1991 Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard
1992 Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
1993 Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard
1994 Mrs Jordan's Profession by Claire Tomalin
1995 High Tide in Tucson: Essays From Now or Never by Barbara Kingsolver
1996 Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1997 Restoration London by Liza Picard
1998 Limbo Lodge by Joan Aiken
1999 Affinity by Sarah Waters

Progress: 97/100

Decades completed: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

An idea borrowed from Liz (lyzard), this lists ongoing series that I am actively reading. This doesn't include series where I have the first book in my TBR pile (i.e. series I haven't started reading yet aren't included). An asterisk indicates a series where I already have a copy of the next book.

Series I'm actively* reading (*for a rather lax definition of active)
*Albert Campion: Next up Hide My Eyes by Margery Allingham (19/25)
Barsetshire Books by Angela Thirkell: Reading out of order. Next up Summer Half (4/29 read)
Chalion: Next up: The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold (3/3)
*Chanur: Next up: Chanur's Legacy by C. J. Cherryh (5/5)
Derkholm: Next up Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones (3/3)
*Dolphin Ring Cycle: Next up Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff (5/8)
Dr. Siri Paiboun: Next up: Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (5/9)
*Ebenezer Gryce: Next up The Doctor, His Wife, and the Clock by Anna Katharine Green (7/13)
Finishing School: Latest book Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger (3/4?)
*Fionavar Tapestry: Next up The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kat (3/3)
*Gilead: Next up Home by Marilynne Robinson (2/3)
Howl's Castle: Next up Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones (2/3)
*Just Patty: Next up Just Patty by Jean Webster (2/2)
Les Voyages Extraordinaires: Next up From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne (4/54)
*The Long Earth: Next up The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (2/3)
Maigret: Next up The Hanged Man of Saint Pholien by Georges Simenon (4/76)
Matthew Shardlake: Next up Lamentation by C. J. Sansom (6/6)
Matthew Swift: Next up The Midnight Mayor by Kate Griffin (2/4)
Mrs Tim: Next up Mrs Tim Carries On by D. E. Stevenson (2/4)
Old Filth: Next up Last Friends by Jane Gardam (3/3)
The Palliser Novels: Next up: The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope (3/6)
*The Prairie Trilogy: Next up The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (3/3) (Reading out of order)
*Rivers of London: Next up Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch (4/6)
Ruth Galloway: Next up A Dying Fall by Elly Grifiiths (5/6)
Small Change: Next up Ha'penny by Jo Walton (2/3)
*A Song of Ice and Fire: Next up A Dance with Dragons by G. R. R. Martin (5/7?)
*Vlad Taltos: Next up Taltos by Steven Brust (4/14)
Vorkosigan (Chronological order): Next up Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold (13/16)
Wolves Chronicles: Next up Dido and Pa by Joan Aiken (7/11)

Series I've stalled on but want to get back to
*Allan Quatermain: Next up Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard (2/15)
*Arsène Lupin: Next up Arsène Lupin vs. Holmlock Shears by Maurice Leblanc (2/23?)
*Barsoom: Next up The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (3/11)
Bas-Lag: Next up The Scar by China Mieville (2/3)
*Chaos Walking: Next up Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (4/4)
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache: Next up The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (8/10)
*Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox: Next up Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart (3/3)
*Cicero: Next up Lustrum by Robert Harris (2/2)
Code Name Verity: Next up Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (2/2)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Next up Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (3/3)
David Wintringham by Josephine Bell: Reading out of order (2/12 read)
The Deed of Paksenarrion: Next up Divided Allegiance by Elizabeth Moon (2/3)
*Discworld: Next up Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett (40/40)
Dragonriders of Pern: Next up Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey (2/25)
Dragonslayer: Next up The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde (3/4)
Empire Trilogy: Next up: The Singapore Grip by J. G. Farrell (3/3)
*Father Brown: Next up: The Wisdom of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton (2/5)
The Girl Who: Next up The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente (4/4)
Green Knowe: Next up: The Chimneys of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston (2/6)
Inheritance Trilogy: Next up The Broken Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (2/3)
Jimm Juree: Next up Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach by Colin Cotterill (2/2)
Julia Probyn: Next up The Portugese Escape by Ann Bridge (2/8)
The Magicians: Next up The Magician King by Lev Grossman (2/3)
Mistborn: Next up Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)
The Penderwicks: Next up The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall (2/3)
*Richard Hannay: Next up The Three Hostages by John Buchan (4/5)
Romantic Poets and Nephilim: Next up A Time to Cast Away Stones in The Bible Repairman and Other Stories by Tim Powers (2/3)
Sorcery and Celia: Next up The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (2/3)
*Turtle: Next up Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver (2/2)
Wars of Light and Shadow: Next up Ships of Merior by Janny Wurts (2/10?)

Series I'm rereading
*The Chronicles of Narnia (publication order): Next up Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
*Colonel Race: Next up Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie (2/4)
*The Dark is Rising Sequence: Next up The Grey King by Susan Cooper (4/5)
*Hercule Poirot: Next up: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (8/39)
*Miss Marple: Next up The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie (2/13)
*The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Next up The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith (4/13)
*Superintendent Battle: Next up Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie (3/5)
*Thursday Next: Next up First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde (5/8)
Tommy and Tuppence: Next up N or M? by Agatha Christie (3/5)

Up to date series
Jackson Brodie: Latest book Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson (4/4)
Shades of Grey: Latest book Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (1/3)
Wolf Hall: Latest book Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (2/3)

Completed series
Alastair-Audley by Georgetter Heyer (4/4)
Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard (5/5)
The Chronicles of Barsetshire: by Anthony Trollope (6/6)
Colonial Trilogy by Kate Grenville (3/3)
The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin (6/6)
Miss Buncle by D. E. Stevenson (4/4)
Seven Kingdoms by Kristin Cashore (3/3)

Plans for 2014, but these are might happens with no pressure:

- The Virago Modern Classics group is doing a Great War theme read to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the start of WWI.

READ
1. Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells
2. One of Ours by Willa Cather
3. The War Workers by E. M. Delafield
4. A Diary Without Dates by Enid Bagnold

- There's a group read of the Vorkosigan saga. I will be rereading the first few books in chronological order and then going on to read the others. Next up is Ethan of Athos

READ
1. Shards of Honor
2. Barrayar
3. The Warrior's Apprentice
4. The Mountains of Mourning
5. The Vor Game
6. Cetaganda
7. Ethan of Athos
8. Borders of Infinity (3 novellas: The Mountains of Mourning, Labyrinth and The Borders of Infinity)
9. Brothers in Arms
10. Mirror Dance
11. Memory
12. Komarr
13. A Civil Campaign

- An Agatha Christie novel a month with Liz (next up is The Thirteen Problems)

READ
1. Partners in Crime
2. The Mysterious Mr Quin
3. The Murder at the Vicarage
4. The Sittaford Mystery
5. Peril at End House

- A Georgette Heyer novel a month with Liz (next up is The Reluctant Widow)

READ
1. The Talisman Ring
2. The Corinthian
3. Faro's Daughter
4. Friday's Child
5. An Infamous Army
6. The Foundling

- A Virago Modern Classic a month

READ
1. The Orchid House by Phyllis Shand Allfrey
2. The Love Child by Edith Olivier
3. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
4. Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge
5. China Court by Rumer Godden
6. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
7. Civil to Strangers by Barbara Pym
8. A Very Great Profession: The Woman's Novel 1914-39 by Nicola Beauman
9. The Gypsy's Baby and Other Stories by Rosamond Lehmann
10. The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson
11. The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner
12. August Folly by Angela Thirkell
13. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier

And a spare just in case

Happy new thread, Heather. What a gorgeous picture at the top!

Happy New Thread, Heather!

Happy New Thread, Heather! Another glimpse of Book Heaven!!!

>10 susanj67:, >11 scaifea: & >12 LizzieD: Thanks Susan, Amber and Peggy!

Some book thoughts:



Book #115: The Pursuit of Love 1945 - 4.3 stars
Book #118: Love in a Cold Climate 1949 - 3.9 stars
Book #123: The Blessing 1951 - 3.2 stars

I've had a bit of a Nancy Mitford binge this month courtesy of the Penguin Complete Novels of Nancy Mitford which I acquired as an ebook earlier this year. The Pursuit of Love is the first of Nancy's 4 post-war novels and the others are very loose sequels or companion novels: the same characters turn up or are referenced in the other novels but there's no real requirement to read them in any particular order.

I always feel like Nancy Mitford's novels are a bit of a guilty pleasure - they're wonderfully gossipy and satirical novels about upper class life in the 1930s and 1940s but there's enough snobbery in them that I feel that perhaps I shouldn't enjoy them as much as I do. The Pursuit of Love is my favourite and I think the funniest of her novels and her tales of the Radlett family (apparently based very closely on her own family) never fail to make me smile. Love in a Cold Climate is slightly less funny - I think because I find the central love story more tragic. The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate were both rereads, The Blessing was a first read and I couldn't really decide how I felt about it. Some parts were funny (the horrible child Sigismond doing his best to keep his separated parents from getting back together because he'd worked out that he would get spoiled rotten if they remained separated) but I didn't really like the disparity in the relationship between his mother and father.

There's a fourth post-war novel, Don't Tell Alfred, which I will probably read soonish. I'd also like to read a biography of the Mitford sisters because they sound fascinating.

Some brief notes on some library books:

Book #108: The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
Original publication date: 2012



3.1 stars

A lot of people have really enjoyed this but I struggled with it and almost gave up about halfway through because I was finding it such slow going. It seems to have all the right ingredients for a good historical mystery series and I haven't been able to figure out why I found it such hard going.

Book #112: Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel Without Letters by Mark Dunn
Original publication date: 2001



4.1 stars

Ella Minnow Pea is a very unusual novel told in epistolary format. It's made up of letters between the inhabitants of the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina whose founder, Nevin Nollop, is the supposed creator of the well-known pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog".

The council of the small island take their founder's history very seriously and there is a monument to the founder which contains the famous sentence. One day, to the consternation of the inhabitants, the letter 'Z' falls off the monument and as a result the island council ban this letter from any future spoken or written word with harsh penalties for any violations. Most of the inhabitants decide they can probably live without 'Z' but a few days later the letter 'Q' also falls off the monument and another council order follows. As more letters start to fall it becomes more and more difficult for the island's inhabitants to live within the law and as people either leave voluntarily or are banished for contravening the council's rules, the council's power grows more despotic.

Although I expected a whimsical, amusing story (and it was) I didn't expect to also find such serious themes. The book is also very clever as it's written as a lipogram so that each time the use of a letter is forbidden by the council, Mark Dunn follows suit in the book. Making the story readable and interesting given this artificial constraint is no mean feat.

Book #120: The Martian by Andy Weir
Original publication date: 2012



4.5 stars

When I first got this book out of the library I amused myself by reading all the book blurbs on the cover and inside the book and eventually got rather annoyed that they basically all said something along the lines of "It's Robinson Crusoe meets Apollo 13 on Mars". But having now read the book I'm forced to admit that's probably the best description I could come up with too, and it's as much fun as everyone said it would be.

Love the Gladstone library photo. I remember when Genny visited, too. Just marking my spot on your new thread, Heather.

Happy new thread, Heather!

>14 souloftherose: - Seriously. I love Matt Damon and think he's a great actor, but I can't see him playing that part in the film version of The Martian. His face is too sincere and conventionally handsome. Instead, I had pictured someone like Jeremy Renner.

Happy New Thread Heather! What a sublime library up there! I've read The Pursuit of Love, but want to reread it and also read Love in a Cold Climate, both of which I've gotten as FS editions (used, as they are OOP). Sorry you didn't enjoy Gods of Gotham, but then again, that's at least one series you won't have to bother about, which can only be a good thing! I'm waiting for the 3rd book, which will probably come out sometime next year.

Can you tell me why suddenly everybody is reading The Martian? There's always some book the entire group seems obsessed with apparently out of the blue sometimes and I often wonder where it all started.

>15 lit_chick: Welcome to the new digs Nancy :-) Unfortunately I have that rather flat post-holiday feeling today....

>16 DorsVenabili: Thanks Kerri! I was discussing the film with my husband Kerri and we think Matt Damon might be able to pull it off. But Jeremy Renner would also be good. Perhaps it helps that I found out Matt Damon had the role before reading the book.

>17 Smiler69: Thanks Ilana. Yes, sometimes it's a relief not to have another series to follow :-)

I don't know who started the buzz about The Martian but I know I succumbed after seeing several very positive reviews (Kerri, Julia, Roni and Jim too?) - I think it's just one of those books that occasionally seem to sweep through the group. The author was interviewed by Tim Spalding recently (I think the link's on the top right of the homepage) so I think the book is getting quite a bit of book buzz in the real world too. And there's going to be a film next year as Kerri and I were discussing. It's quite technical (although I let my eyes glaze at those points) but it's very funny and it's quite a feel good read so I can understand the popularity.

Ella Minnow Pea is coming up soon on my list - glad to see that you liked it!

Hi Heather, I am starting to feel like I am the only one who hasn't read The Martian yet. I am looking forward to getting to it eventually as I am such a huge fan of survial stories.

I was looking at your list of Books of the Century and you are doing really well. I have needed only one book to complete my list for a couple of years now and since I have a book that will fit, I am going to make that one of my priorities when I have finished by Category Challenge.

Happy new thread!

>1 souloftherose: *bliss*

Happy new thread, Heather! I'm glad you enjoyed The Martian and hope you enjoy Howl's Moving Castle as well--talk about diametric opposites in genre!

I read all those Mitford books a few years ago and loved them all. Don't tell Alfred is quite amusing, mostly set in the British Embassy in Paris. I should go in for a reread eventually.
I saw all the positive reviews for The Martian a while back and now your review has me re-adding it to my library requests. I've had it out of the library once before.

The Gladstone Library looks like a wonderful place for a retreat.

Happy New Thread!

Phineas Finn having wrapped up, I was about to draw a deep breath and mention Love-Letters Between A Nobleman And His Sister...but didn't I see you somewhere signing up for a group read in September? Dickens, maybe? Alas...! :)

Just FYI, I have added both The Thirteen Problems and The Reluctant Widow to TIOLI, if you are able to squeeze in one or both.

Hi Heather, don't know how I lost you this year but enjoying seeing your reading on your new thread. I'm reading Ella Minnow Pea now (I'll probably slow down a bit now that I also have the newest Three Pines book too...) so I'm glad to see you enjoyed it. The Martian is already on my TBR list.

Happy new thread, Heather! I envy you your weekend at the Gladstone Library - I would love to do that some time... maybe when I finally convince my husband to visit the UK and he goes off to visit all the war and military-related sites ;-)

I am also suffering from the post-holiday letdown, so I feel your pain.

Hi Heather - Happy new thread. I've just added The Martian and Ella Minnow Pea to my list. Beautiful photo.

Nice opening thread photo, Heather!

I do SO want that complete Nancy Mitford volume. Having it on Kindle would be ideal, but it's not available here and used copies range in price (at Amazon) from $19-something to $45-something. That is not for me.
On the other hand, I do have The Martian on Kindle and look forward to it - maybe sooner than later since you liked it so well. Oh! You should also know that my copy of By Light Alone arrived today, so I have the heads-up for that also to thank you for. Thank you!

>19 scaifea: Hope you enjoy it Amber!

>20 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. The Martian is a great read, I hope you enjoy it.

It's funny how those last few books in challenges are always so hard to get read. I'm still hoping to finish the challenge this year (only 6 books to go!) but nothing that fits any of my empty years is calling to me at the moment.

I wanted to thank you for the recommendation of The Greengage Summer which I finished today and loved. It was so good I almost forgot to get off the train yesterday when I was reading it.

>21 humouress: Thanks Nina.

>22 ronincats: Roni, I think I enjoyed Howl's Moving Castle even more on a reread. I can feel a reread of A Castle in the Air coming on.

>23 avatiakh: Thanks Kerry. I'm hoping to get to Don't Tell Alfred soon.

>24 lyzard: Liz, call me crazy but I was planning on doing both the tutored read of Love-Letters and the group read of Martin Chuzzlewit. Unless you want a break from your hectic tutoring scheudle? I think it will work for me though.

I will see if I can squeeze in either of The Reluctant Widow or The Thirteen Problems this month - there are a few days left...!

>25 bell7: Hi Mary! I hope you enjoy Ella Minnow Pea although I can understand being distracted by the latest shiny new book coming in. The Louise Penny series is one I paused on a couple of years ago and every time I see a new book is coming out I think I really should get back to it. Part of the problem is I can't decide whether I want to do a reread of all the old books in the series before getting to the ones I haven't read yet.

>26 katiekrug: Hi Katie! You getting a weekend at Gladstone's whilst the hubby gets to look at all the war bits sounds like a good compromise to me!

The post-holiday blues were cleared by my return to work, but replaced with a stress-headache so I'm not sure that's an overall win.

>27 BLBera: Thanks Beth - I hope you enjoy the books!

>28 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl! If you ever need a retreat from your hectic, London holidaying life you should head up to North Wales :-)

>29 LizzieD: Peggy, I'm sorry the Nancy Mitford volume isn't available in the US. I wonder if the paper copy would be too large to read comfortably with 8 novels in it though? I hope you enjoy The Martian and By Light Alone :-)

Today's google doodle (in the UK) is in honour of the 200th anniversary of the birthday of the Irish gothic author Sheridan Le Fanu. I read and really enjoyed Uncle Silas and The Purcell Papers last year and have been meaning to read In a Glass Darkly which contains a pre-Dracula vampire story, Carmilla.

Very cool google doodle. I have an FS collection of his stories, In a Glass Darkly, which I got on sale at some point last year when I was in the throes of FS madness. What is this Martin Chuzzlewit group read? It's the first time I hear of it.

>30 souloftherose: I'm good to go with Love-Letters if you are, Heather - and happy to hold off the start for a couple of weeks if that would make the overlap with the group read easier to manage?

>33 Smiler69: Oh, no! We shouldn't have told Ilana about Martin Chuzzlewit! Now we'll never get to Love-Letters! :D

>31 souloftherose: If you listen to audiobooks, those read by Ralph Cosham are excellent and a great way to get back in the series to remind yourself of past events if you decide you want/need to.

Heather, I found myself craving a comfort read this week and, inspired by your example, picked up Howl's Moving Castle for a reread and enjoyed it so much I immediately reread Castle in the Air as well. Now I'm fighting the urge to move on to House of Many Ways--but I may not fight it for long!

>32 souloftherose: I wondered what the ghostly picture was for! Never read anything by Le Fanu - obviously one I need to get around to.

>36 ronincats:, >30 souloftherose: I could certainly make room for House of Many Ways next month, which will not be a re-read for me.

>32 souloftherose: My son's class homework last week was to create a Google doodle of their choice. He did a really nice one with a football world cup theme; maybe I'll post it when we get it back.

A happy day because The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters arrived as well as my new subscription to Slightly Foxed readers' quarterly (the Autumn edition which I didn't expect to receive until next month). I've started reading the new Slightly Foxed - the opening article is a lovely homage to R. L. Stevenson's Kidnapped which has made me want to reread it soon.



>33 Smiler69: I think it came about because Peggy thought there was a Martin Chuzzlewit group read planned for September. That turned out not to be the case but by then there were a few of us interested so we decided to go ahead anyway. I think it's me, Peggy, Gail and anyone else who's interested but I don't think there's a thread yet. I haven't read any Dickens for ages and I'm looking forward to it.

>34 lyzard: Sounds good to me Liz. Say the 13th/14th for Love Letters?

>35 bell7: Thanks Mary. I don't tend to do audio books unless I'm driving but I have the first two books on my kindle ready for a reread whenever the mood takes me.

>36 ronincats: Excellent :-) I have Castle in the Air lined up for September.

>37 SandDune: Hi Rhian. Le Fanu's definitely recommended if you enjoy Victorian gothic/spooky novels.

>38 humouress: Well, I could probably squeeze in House of Many Ways next month too. It's the only one of the trilogy I haven't read before too.

Yes, do post your son's doodle. I used to hate any homework that had anything to do with drawing when I was at school....

Some miscellaneous kindle reads from August (and July - help!)

Book #107: Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
Original publication date: 1994



4.3 stars

Mirror Dance is the 9th or 10th book in Bujold's Vorkosigan series (depending on whether you read the series in publication order or by internal chronological order) and it's a much darker and more serious book than the preceding books in the series. It's definitely not a good place in the series to start reading and it's also difficult to say much about without giving spoilers for earlier books in the series. Let me just say that if you've enjoyed the series up to this point, then here it gets even better.

DNF: The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard
Original publication date: 2011



This was longlisted for the Orange Prize (as was) in 2012 and I bought it as a kindle deal at some point. It's probably a very good book but the opening was quite sleazy and gritty and I decided it wasn't for me.

Book #111: A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones
Original publication date: 1987



3.7 stars

I always enjoy Diana Wynne Jones' books and this was no exception.

Book #113: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Original publication date: 2013



3.8 stars

Well this book garnered some positive reviews before the announcement that it was longlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize but since then it seems to have disappointed a lot of its readers. I really enjoyed it but then I often don't like very literary books being very much a middle-brow sort of girl. There's an element of this book that I'm not going to talk about because a lot of people consider it to be a spoiler - I was aware of it before reading the book and I didn't think it reduced my enjoyment of the book at all. Aside from that this is a story about a dysfunctional family, psychology, animal rights and memory. It was a laugh and cry book and I thought it was a very good read.

Book #125: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Original publication date: 1986



4.1 stars

This was a reread and I think I enjoyed it more this time because the plot is quite complicated and I spotted a lot of things I'd missed on my first read.

>39 souloftherose: A plan, yay! :)

I thought I was the only person who had yet to read Ella Minnow Pea! You've made me put it on my library list, as I must read it sooner, rather than later...

:)

Heather, thoroughly enjoyed your comments on We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. You're right that this one has had a rough ride since its Booker nomination. I love a laugh and cry book, so will need to consider this one.

>41 souloftherose:: Howl's Moving Castle author?

Looks like we have similar views on the Fowler, Heather. I hadn't thought about how opinions changed after the prize nomination, but you are absolutely right. I went into it with even higher expectations because of that, and it didn't quite live up to what I expect of a Booker nominee.

Hi Heather, I am taking advantage of your new thread to get back in touch. I missed out on the Phineas Finn tutored "group" read because of time constraints. I will read it at some point and check out the thread. Your Books of the Century list looks much better than the one I am keeping on paper because there are way too many blank spots on mine. I am doing much better on the 21st century list. Ha!

>32 souloftherose:: Love the Google Doodle!

>41 souloftherose:: I rather liked the Karen Joy Fowler book but don't consider it Booker Prize worthy. I didn't know much about it when I started. I don't think the "spoiler" was all that spoilish. They need to change the book covers if it is supposed to be a secret!

Oh, one more thing. I am a newby to SF in general and the Vorkosigan series in particular. I just started listening to the second book Barrayar and am liking it very much. I sure didn't expect these books to be as much fun as they are. I'm glad I got out of my comfort zone to give a new genre a tryout. I'm hooked!

>47 Donna828: Yay! for another convert to the Vorkosigan saga. Why don't you come over and join us on the group read?

Heather, are you still on for Martin Chuzzlewit? I think I'll start a GR thread right now, and if you and Gail don't want to do it, it can fizzle.

Followed you to your shiny new Thread! Congrats Heather!

Hi Heather,
Somehow I lost you for a while there, and what treasures I missed, including a trip to beautiful Dartmouth! I went there several times when I lived in Exeter - there's an amazing fish restaurant there I could have recommended if I'd been more on the ball, but I've never actually gone and visited AC's house. A good excuse to go back to Dartmouth next time we're down that way!

I'm also anxiously awaiting a review of the new Sarah Waters! I'm a huge fan, but was unaware that she had a new book out until I was up in London this previous weekend when I went to the amazing new Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road. Amongst other treasures they had signed first editions of the new book. I was sooooooo tempted to buy one, but I had a night out with a hen party ahead of me, so I didn't dare buy it only to leave it in a bar. The good news is, I'll be up in London again in a short while (to see Kate Bush, squeeeeee!), so hopefully they'll still be available then! (Think positive here!)

Also, I'm so delighted that you are keen to join us in Birmingham for the Gennyt birthday meet-up! I'm just checking with Genny as she hasn't been spotted around these parts for a while, but I think we're gonna go for the Saturday the 20th! (Of course, anyone else reading this that feels like joining us is very, very welcome!)

>42 lyzard: Not just a plan - a cunning plan.



>43 TinaV95: :-D You're really not the last person Tina!

>44 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. It seems to work better for people if they don't read it expecting a Booker book. I thought it was a good read - maybe it hasn't got much more to it than that but the characters have stayed with me and that's never a bad thing.

>45 elkiedee: Oops - copy and paste error. Well spotted, Luci!

>46 lauralkeet: I suppose the Booker nomination meant a lot of people read it who may not otherwise have been interested in the topic or type of book but I can see what you mean about it not living up to your expectations of a Booker nominee. It reminded me a little of the The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry book from the 2012 longlist which also seemed to be considered quite lightweight from a literary point of view but was quite enjoyable if you wanted something more lightweight. I quite liked both but I'm not really a Booker follower (although I have The Siege of Krishnapur lined up as a potential read this month but J. G. Farrell doesn't scare me now I know I really enjoyed Troubles).

>47 Donna828: Hi Donna! I feel like I've spent most of the year behind on your thread too.

"They need to change the book covers if it is supposed to be a secret!" Particularly that cover!

I am so pleased you're enjoying the Vorkosigan saga. The series stays fun even if the later books get a bit darker.

>48 humouress: I am very bad at posting on the group read threads *looks sheepish*

>49 LizzieD: I've started! Thanks for setting the thread up.

Martin Chuzzlewit group read thread is here for anyone who would like to join in.

September is going to be very busy at work. I hope today is still going to remain an above average stressful day for the month. To help my husband showed me pictures of brave and fluffy cats who served in WWI. The comments at the bottom are also very good.

Took too long to write the above posts...

>50 connie53: Thanks Connie!

>51 HanGerg: Hannah! Dartmouth was one of the places we didn't quite make it to whilst we were there, we were staying just north of Torquay, but we would like to go back so will happily receive any recommendations for restaurants :-) AC's house is a good place to visit if you're a fan.

Given the size of Sarah Waters' latest I can understand not wanting to cart it around at your hen do (or risk leaving it behind in a bar). So far it's very good.

And I'm also looking forward to seeing you later this month. I might message Genny on facebook as I have a feeling that train tickets to Birmingham can get quite expensive if I don't book in advance but they're a reasonable price at the moment.

... but maybe Blackadder isn't the best role model for a cunning planner ...

On the contrary, he sums up my attempts to plan my reading perfectly! :D

Ah!

Oh.

i.e. Hugely complicated and perpetually self-defeating... :)

*resigned sigh of empathetic understanding*

:0)

>52 souloftherose: I must be missing part of the joke there. Is this an actor or character I should be recognizing?

As I was just telling Peggy on her thread, I would have loved to join along on Martin Chuzzlewit, especially since it's been a while since my last dose of Dickens, but then I have several other books by him on the tbr, while MC is one of the very few titles of his I don't yet currently own, besides which I've really outdone myself this month as far as overbooking myself, especially once we add Love-letters between a Nobleman and his Sister on top of everything else (which I have every intention of following along by the way, especially as it was Liz's pick for me in that eponymous challenge). I hope we'll still be graced by your visits in September despite your busy schedule. Wouldn't be the same without you around here!

>60 Smiler69: Sorry, Ilana. I did wonder how well that TV series would be known outside the UK. It's an old series called Blackadder starring Rowan Atkinson in the title role. It's quite a black comedy following Blackadder's attempts to win fame and fortune and inevitable failing despite having a 'cunning plan'. They ended with a very poignant WWI episode which is definitely worth watching.

I know the overbooked feeling - don't worry about MC.

I am certainly hoping to keep visiting LT throughout September for fun and relaxation which will definitely be needed! Given I don't cope well with stress I think I am doing quite well: I spent this morning working (it's technically my day off) but feel like things are a bit more under control now and I have a plan of action to get everything done before the deadline (30 Sep) . Now I am trying a new receipe for Hallou Chard & Lentils for dinner.

I would be quite interested in meeting in Birmingham and seeing Genny and you, and meeting Hannah, but I can't do the 20th as I have at least one family commitment that day. Please let me know if anything is arranged though.

Heather, thank you very much for posting that link to the WWI cats........ I'll either send it to everybody or maybe put it on fb!
And now I'm off to catch up in *MC*!

Love the cats in WWI link. But I wasn't quite sure about commenter who was surprised that 1914 cats looked like 2014 cats! Are they supposed to have different hairstyles or something!

>62 elkiedee: Sorry you won't be able to join us on the 20th Luci. There are quite a few Brum based LTers so hopefully we'll do another Birmingham based meetup at some point.

>63 LizzieD: You're welcome Peggy!

>64 SandDune: I saw that comment too! I thought the commenter was joking but you can never be sure on the internet.... :-)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I have by no means finished my August reviews (and I can't say I feel any great inclination to do so) but in terms of numbers August was a very good month and I finished a whopping 18 books! I think several books may have been quite short (hard to say as the kindle editions don't always have page numbers) but Phineas Finn was nearly 750 pages in my Penguin Classics edition.

September seems to be a month of chunksters and so far I have finished only 2 books with several more on the go.

Books read and not reviewed:

From July
#105 The Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh
#109 Chanur's Venture by C. J. Cherryh

(I'm hoping I can review all the Chanur books together when I finish the series)

From August:
#116 A Very Great Profession: The Woman's Novel 1914-39 by Nicola Beauman
#119 The Gypsy's Baby and other stories by Rosamond Lehmann
#121 The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson
#122 Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope (still thinking)
#124 Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor
#126 The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
#127 Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
#128 The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner

From September:
#129 Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
#130 The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (still thinking)

Currently reading:




August Folly by Angela Thirkell
An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer
Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
Slightly Foxed 43: The Flight in the Heather
The Gothic by David Punter and Glennis Byron
Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life by Henri Nouwem
Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction!

>41 souloftherose: - I still want to read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. I'm kind of a Booker enthusiast, but I admit to struggling with the snobbery issue. On the one hand, I'm pretty sure I've dished it out in recent years (and I get the desire to maintain a high standard, whatever that means), but on the other hand I'm growing a bit weary of it. Does that make sense? Probably not since it's 5:16am right now and I haven't had enough coffee. I don't know. I do want to read the Ali Smith too, but other than that, I'm not particularly interested in plowing through the entire longlist, or even shortlist this year. Sigh.

Whew! You've got lots of books going right now! I sometimes tackle quite a lot of them too, it seems to come and go in waves. Sometimes I only seem able to be able to concentrate on one storyline at once, that is, one audiobook and one print or ebook, but other times I'm happy to jump around all over the place. I look forward to your tutored read starting very soon!

Hmm, Heyer and Thirkell, among others. You've got some great reading going on, Heather : ).

Hi, Heather. The thread for Love-Letters Between A Nobleman And His Sister is up, and we can start whenever you're ready. (No hurry, though!)

The thread is here.

>68 DorsVenabili: Kerri, I think your comments about the Booker make sense. Lately, I've found I'm less interested in the Booker or contemporary literary fiction (whatever that is) and more interested in older books but I know I go through phases of being interested in certain types of books and I'm sure I'll come back to more contemporary novels at some point.

I've just seen this review of the Ali Smith which made it sound qute interesting - the story is in two halves and half of the published copies start with one half and half with the other half (I don't feel like I'm explaining it very well but I think the review does).

>69 Smiler69: Yes, probably slightly too many books if I'm honest! I like to have more than one on the go but I have started reading several books which I can only read in small doses and then needed to have a book I could read in larger chunks on the go as well. And of course I'm about to start Love-Letters....

>70 lit_chick: Hi Nancy. The Heyer and Thirkell have been providing some light relief from my longer/more serious reads.

>71 lyzard: Thanks Liz!

I feel in the mood for writing some reviews!

I feel in the mood for writing some reviews!

I hate you!

:D

Book #126: The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
Source: Kindle
Original publication date: 1958



4.4 stars

Rumer Godden has been a wonderful author to discover this year and The Greengage Summer is a wonderful coming of age tale about five siblings who are left to their own devices in a hotel in France when their mother is suddenly taken ill on holiday. Godden's writing is haunting and evocative and it's a wonderful book. I was quite amazed to find from the preface to my edition that this is based very closely on something that happened to Godden and her family when she was a teenager.

Book #127: Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
Source: Kindle
Original publication date: 1900



3.4 stars

"A 'Bummel'," I explained, "I should describe as a journey, long or short, without an end; the only thing regulating it being the necessity of getting back within a given time to the point from which one started…... But long or short, but here or there, our thoughts are ever on the running of the sand…… We have been much interested, and often a little tired. But on the whole we have had a pleasant time, and are sorry when 'tis over."

This is the sequel to Jerome's wonderul Three Men in a Boat where the same three men take a bicycling tour to Germany and it's still a fairly humourous light read but there are fewer funny stories about Jerome, George and Harris and more anecdotes about German culture which I didn't find as interesting.

>73 lyzard: Sorry! :-(

>74 souloftherose: I was surprised at how much 'tourist information' there was in Three Men in a Boat, although most of it is now out of date, I suppose.

>76 CDVicarage: Yes, I did wonder how much German culture had changed since the period Jerome was writing about (especially, like the rest of Europe, having gone through two world wars since then).

Book #129: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Source: Kindle
Original publication date: 1957



4 stars

Another evocative, summer coming of age tale and again, this one is based on Bradbury's memories of growing up in a small town in Illinois in the 1920s. This lies somewhere in between a novel and a collection of short stories and although I couldn't put my finger on any fantastical aspects of this collection there is a feeling of magic throughout the book. I've previously only read Bradbury's more overtly science fiction books but he seems to be a writer who can write well in any genre and this short book is a beautiful ode to the long, hot summers enjoyed when growing up.

Book #131: An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer
Source: Kindle
Original publication date: 1937



3.8 stars

Georgette Heyer's An Infamous Army is a slightly frustrating novel: on the one hand it contains one of my favourite of her heroines and romances and on the other hand it contains some incredibly detailed (and really quite tedious) descriptions of the battle of Waterloo. If I could have followed and remembered the names of all the troops, generals, majors and captains who feature and had a rough map of the region around Brussels in my head these aspects might have been more interesting. But when Heyer isn't describing in detail the movements of each troop the overall impression she gives of the battle and its affects is very moving and her depictions of the Duke of Wellington and the high society in Brussels are brilliant but it's the romance between the strong-willed Lady Barbara Childe and Captain Charles Audley that I really loved.

Overall, the good parts for me outweighed the confusion of the military battle and I've heard Heyer's account of the Battle of Waterloo is still used today in military training so I accept that it's probably a very good account even if I found it tediously difficult to follow.

(And I have no idea who is supposed to be depicted on the cover of this edition but it certainly isn't Bab Childe).

Book #132: August Folly by Angela Thirkell
Source: Waterstones.com
Original publication date: 1936



3.7 stars

Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire novels make for the perfect light reading. This one is set in the small village of Worsted in Barsetshire which is putting on Hippolytus as its summer play (reading details of the play on wikipedia this didn't seem like a very suitable play to put on but perhaps that's meant to be part of the joke?). As in all of Thirkell's novels the focus is on the upper class inhabitants of the village rather than the lower classes and there are several romances which involve various misunderstandings but everyone ends up with the right person in the end. There are also occasional references to Tony Morland who featured in High Rising and occasional dialogues between Modestine the donkey and Gunnar the cat. It's fluff, but very enjoyable.

Hi Heather: Nice comments. I would like to try Thirkell at some point. I've heard so many positive things about her. The Godden also sounds good. And what a lot of books you have going at once! I may start more than one, but I usually end by focusing on just one. I can't seem to read several at a time.

Regarding Booker and other prizes. The Orange Prize is the one I generally find most aligns with my taste, but I'm a little wary of prizes because they seem so heavily weighted to men -- and I know there are books by women that are prize worthy. The Smith book sounds fascinating.

So, I've just added three books to my wish list...This is a dangerous spot, Heather.

Bravo on the flurry of reviews, Heather! That's the third or fourth highly complimentary review for The Greengage Summer I've read in just a few months (I remember Suz and Judy mentioning it too, and perhaps someone else), and of course coming for you it always has added weight. I'm slightly frustrated though because it had been sitting on my Audible wishlist for quite some time while I was trying to decide whether to spend a credit on it, and it's just been recently removed from circulation (something to do with publisher rights). Of course I could get it in print, but audio just always seems to mean I can get to books that much faster. It's a summer read though, and now we're in full Autumn mode here, it's just not meant to be right now obviously.

I've been meaning to get to Three Men on the Bummel since the first time I read Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing Of The Dog...) (reread it just before tackling the Connie Willis novel). Your observations are probably accurate, but I like to think that what makes it less funny is the obvious omission of the dog on that second adenture!

I thought Dandelion Wine was quite magical as well. I think you describe it very well. As soon as I'd finished it, I felt I'd like to revisit it as soon as possible, so perhaps a reread for next summer?

I've had High Rising on the tbr ever since you mentioned your first Angela Thirkell experience, and I'm resisting any temptation of acquiring any others until I've read that one and decided whether I enjoy her style or not. As for Georgette Heyer, having read/listened to exactly 1.5 of her novels, I've already established that some titles will and some won't work for me, and I've already got quite a few on the tbr... all this to say that I'm somehow managing to resist getting hit by book bullets on this visit, though it isn't because your efforts weren't worthy!

I guess I'll be seeing you around the Love-Letters thread. I haven't tackled Liz's full intro yet, just the general comments, and am feeling apprehensive about 17th century prose now, something I hadn't considered being scared of before. Eek! I wish us both courage aplenty! :-)

I am glad that you enjoyed The Greengage Summer, Heather, I thought it was both insightful and a delight to read. I have both Dandelion Wine and Three Men in a Boat patiently waiting.

Huge fan of The Greengage Summer - on of those books I used to reread. Maybe it's been long enough to read again?

I'm so envious that you went to the Gladstone Library. What a place! And clearly you got in some serious reading time this summer.

>73 lyzard: You sound like my boys. :0)

Myself, I was wondering - if Heather is that keen - if she'd do my reviews for me *flutters eyelashes enticingly*

I just finished The Paying Guests and am looking forward to seeing what you'll find to say about it. I'm hesitating between giving myself time to think or just throwing something together on the spur of the moment.

Hi Heather,
just stopping by to say Hello. I am sorry that we couldn't meet when you came to London, but I am glad that you all enjoyed yourselfs :)

Slowly trying to find my way around the threads again. Yes, my reading is improving and I DO miss the book (and other) conversations here a lot.
So, I will stalking your thread again to see what interesting stuff you are reading.
I saw that your read Embassytown by Mieville, but there is no rating next to the book. So, I am just curious what you thought about it. This is still one of my faves by Mieville.

I've been lurking without speaking. While I have nothing to say beyond "hello," I will say it: "Hello, Heather! Hope you're enjoying your weekend."

Oh dear, somehow after the flurry of reviews I managed to go two weeks without posting on my thread. Work has been very busy and on top of that I've also been on not one, but two LT meetups. This weekend has been my first quiet weekend for a while and I have napped!

>80 BLBera: Sorry for hitting you with book bullets Beth!

>81 Smiler69: Ilana, The Greengage Summer is wonderful but I know what you mean about it being a summer read. After a chilly patch in August we've had a very warm September. The leaves are turning but the temperature's only noticeably dropped in the last week or so.

And you're right (of course) about the absence of the dog being the main reason why Three Men on the Bummel isn't as funny as Three Men in a Boat. Which reminds me that the first time I read Three Men in a Boat it took me quite a long time to realise that Montmorency was a dog and not another human passenger (goodness knows why I thought it was called Three Men in a Boat).

>82 DeltaQueen50: Thank you for the recommendation Judy :-)

>83 sibylline: Hi Lucy. Yes, August was a very productive month from a reading point of view.

>84 humouress: Ha! Nope, not that keen....

>85 Smiler69: Oh dear, I'm still not really getting any profound thoughts about The Paying Guests and have not really had any energy (or much time) for book reviews. I enjoyed your review although I'm curious to know what your reservations were. I think I had some too but I'm struggling to work out what they are.

>86 drachenbraut23: Hi Bianca. I was sorry to miss you too and I hope your back is better. I really enjoyed Embassytown and have also been enjoying more generally getting back into science fiction this year. I definitely want to read more China Mieville (including Railsea).

>87 LizzieD: *waves to Peggy*

Hi Heather! My, you've been busy. Loved the article about the WWI cats.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed Embassytown and I STILL haven't read Railsea I own the unabridged audiobook version and the book and when I initially started listening to the book I just couldn't get into the story.

Thanks for asking about my back (very naughty, probably felt neglected by all the attention my liver had for the past 1 1/2 years). Still on (far too many) painkillers, but finally getting better (thanks to the too many painkillers :( ). Had my spinal MRI yesterday and hope to get some results soon.

If you are trying to get back into science fiction why not try one of the classics? I am almost finished with The Death of Grass by John Christopher. First published in 1956, but very modern in view of the ongoing epidemics we are constantly facing and battling.

Heather, good to know I wasn't alone, because I think I only figured out Montmorency was the dog toward the very end of the story, and couldn't quite figure out why this guy was being so clumsy and strange all along...

I think I pretty well voiced my reservations about The Paying Guests in my review. All that sex. Yech! I'm back to being a prudish child when it comes to that and sort of get grossed out by it all. I even look away when people are kissing in a movie, but then I've always done that. Just never been comfortable with other people's intimate moments, even when they're just made up.

Another absence from the threads - this time because we went away on holiday to the Scottish Highlands. We didn't do much but we rested and read a lot of books. I will post some photos and details of the books we bought (we did, of course, hunt down a bookshop whilst we were away) and I'm also hoping to do some brief reviews to try and catch up there too.

We've come home to a cat who wants a lot of reassurance that we're not going away again (for some reason reassurance is especially required in the early hours of the morning) and a problem with our boiler/central heating system. It's still working but it keeps losing water pressure and I don't think that's a good thing (I'm also a bit worried about where exactly the lost water is going...).

I'm not back at work until Monday so I'm hoping to get some quality LT time this week, do some more reading and try and work my way through a list of little jobs to do around the house (call a plumber has gone in at #1 on the list).

----------------------------------------------------

>89 Fourpawz2: Hi Charlotte. Thanks for stopping by!

>90 drachenbraut23: Bianca, I'm glad to hear your back is slowly getting better. I've just seen that you've started a thread again this year so will be off to catch up soon. Thank you for the recommendation of The Death of Grass. I snapped up an old Penguin copy whilst we were on holiday and read it whilst we were away - a very good book although quite dark as you'd expect from the subject matter.

>91 Smiler69: Glad to know I wasn't the only one confused about Montmorency!

I thought I'd read your review of The Paying Guests but I must have just skimmed it and missed your reservations - sorry. I agree about the sex - I don't think I've had that problem with Sarah Waters' other books.

OOoo. A holiday in the Highlands! Once again this descendent of Highland Scots is having a personal battle with envy. I think I won. I do look forward to the pictures and the list of books.
Sorry about the heating system, but reassuring Erica must be pleasant - except maybe for the wee hours of the morning. I'll also have a look at The Death of Grass, but somehow I'm often turned off by classic 50s scifi. Maybe I waited too long.

Ahhh, a reading holiday in the Scottish Highlands sounds absolutely perfect, Heather! Welcome home : ).

Welcome back, Heather!

>93 LizzieD:, >94 lit_chick:, >95 katiekrug: Thanks Peggy, Nancy and Katie! It's nice to be home and especially nice not to have to go back to work straight away :-)

An attempt to make some headway with my reviews:



Book #105: The Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh - 4 stars
Book #109: Chanur's Venture by C. J. Cherryh - 3.7 stars
Book #141: The Kif Strike Back by C. J. Cherryh - 3.8 stars
Book #143: Chanur's Homecoming by C. J. Cherryh - 4.1 stars

Books 1-4 of C. J. Cherryh's Chanur series: a space opera about several different species of aliens inhabiting a small(ish) area of space known as Compact Space. There's lots of plotting and intrigue around the first contact of these alien species with humans. The main protagonists are the Chanur, the lion-like aliens on the covers above (lions in space!), and what Cherryh specialises in is making their viewpoint seem natural to the reader and the humans seem alien.

The first book, The Pride of Chanur works as a stand-alone novel but books 2-4 are really one storyline across 3 books and need to be read together. There's a fifth book, Chanur's Legacy, which I will be reading soon.

I'm glad to hear that you had a pleasant holiday, Heather; I look forward to your photos. I hope that the boiler problem doesn't prove to be a serious one.

>97 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. Photos have moved from my camera to my computer now, just need to sort through them.

In current reading I'm 136 pages into David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks and wondering whether to give up and return it to the library. I loved Cloud Atlas but I'm struggling to get into this one and it's a big book at 595 pages. It might be very clever but I'm really not getting it at the moment.

Does anyone who's read it think it's worth persevering with?

I haven't read it, but I've decided from comments I've read by both Peggy and Nathalie that I won't be bothering with it. On the other hand, I will eventually borrow Cloud Atlas from the library and look forward to that one.

Hi Heather! Glad you are back and that you had a lovely vacation. And how wonderful that you get several days off to stay at home and just relax before returning to work. Very happy for you. I look forward to the visuals as well, I'm sure it was all quite beautiful.

I'm also not going to bother with the latest Mitchell judging by all the feedback. I'd be more inclined to go for the latest Murakami.

Sounds like a delightful holiday.

>96 souloftherose: I'm working my way through Cherryh's Foreigner series at the moment. Looks like the Chanur books are ones I would enjoy as well.

Hi Heather, I am making note of author C.J. Cherryh as the 2015 Challenge Group is going to be having a monthly Sci-Fi/Fantasy read and I know Aliens are going to be one of the themes.

>93 LizzieD: Peggy, I realised I never replied to your comment about 1950s science fiction. I think the only 1950s stuff I've read is Asimov, John Wyndham and John Christopher - not sure how representative those authors are but I've enjoyed their books a lot (of course Asimov wrote through several decades and not all of his 1950s stuff is that good, in fact some is pretty terrible)

>99 Smiler69: & >100 avatiakh: Thank you - I think you've helped me decide to abandon TBC and return it to the library. I feel relieved which means it must be the right decision.

>101 SandDune: Rhian, I've been focusing on her shorter series as the Foreigner series seems rather daunting in length but I'd like to try it eventually.

>102 DeltaQueen50: Hope you enjoy the Cherryh Judy.

Book #138: Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.4 stars
Book #140: Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.3 stars
Book #154: A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.2 stars

More space adventures from Miles Vorkosigan - these books don't really stand alone and you need to have read at least Brothers in Arms and Mirror Dance before reading these. I love this series so much - Memory and Komarr are can't-put-the-book-down thrillery plots and A Civil Campaign is a Georgette Heyer-esque comedy of manners as Miles tries to woo the woman he's fallen for the old fashioned Vor way.

I'm torn between wanting to read the next one straight away and wanting to space them out now that I'm drawing near to the end of the series. (Is she writing more? Does anyone know?)

Hi, Heather. I'm sorry, but I think you made the right decision with *TBC*.........I got it as an ER ARC (and was smug and thrilled) and had to finish it. It's just not worth all that time.
Cheryh, now, I love. I'm sort of saving the last Chanurs for a time when I need a jump-start. I have also been reading a *Foreigner* or two a year (and that's one I need to get to for 2014), but my real love is for Cyteen and the whole Union/Alliance universe. I confess that I read 268 pages of *C*, enjoying it but not seeing what the fuss was about, and on page 269, she grabbed me and never let go. I look forward to rereading. Being Cheryh, she gets stuck in her characters' psyches and gets a bit repetitive. Being Cheryh, she doesn't explain some things that I could use her help with. Those are minor quibbles in the light of the huge, wonderful pleasure of the books as a whole. I'm a fan.
As you know, I'm a fan of LMcMB too - a totally different experience. And I think that the last Miles one, which didn't get particularly enthusiastic reviews, has been the last one, and I'm wrong. Checking at Amazon, I see both Cryoburn and Captain Vorpatril's Alliance - apparently not a Miles book. You probably knew this already, but I see that I should get cracking.

>105 LizzieD: Peggy, I agree with your minor quibbles on Cherryh's writing but as you say, her books give a whole lot of pleasure despite that. I've also got my husband reading the Chanur books and he's also loving them.

I think I've got 2 full-length Miles novels to go, Diplomatic Immunity and Cryoburn, the Ivan novel Captain Vorpatril's Alliance and I also haven't read Falling Free which I don't think includes either Miles or Ivan but is about the quaddies who also turn up in DI so I'll probably read Falling Free before that one. Then there's also Winterfair Gifts which is a novella.

Listing them like that makes me realise there's really not that many left :-(

Some historical fiction reviews:



Book #130: The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters - 3.8 stars

Set in the early 1920s, Sarah Waters' latest novel looks at the effects on a well-to-do mother and daughter when they are forced to take in lodgers (or, as they like to think of them, paying guests) to supplement their income. The first half the book is partly looking at class divides in the 1920s and partly a romance but an important event midway through changes things and events take a much darker turn.

I enjoyed this a lot but it's not my favourite Waters novel. Partly that I'm not very comfortable with nothing-is-more-important-than-our-love-for-each-other romances (I suspect Waters may have written the romance this way on purpose and, if so, it was well done but it still made me cringe and roll my eyes a lot) and partly that the structure of the book felt very similar to A Pin to See the Peepshow by F. Tennyson Jesse, a little known Virago book (which is brilliant btw) so that I think maybe Waters' novel felt less good by comparison. (Waters acknowledges her debt to APtStP in the acknowledgements and 99% of the people reading the book won't have heard of it so most people won't be bothered by this).



Book #133: A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr - 3.5 stars

I really wanted to love this but instead I just liked it and I don't know why. It's very short (80 pages?) and it's a nice story of a WWI veteran who spends his summer restoring a painting in a church in Yorkshire.

Sounds like a great vacation, and wow, you've been reading my favorites. I love the Chanur and I love Miles too. You've got three more, Diplomatic Immunity, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, and the last, Cryoburn. While Bujold may change her mind, that should be the last of the Miles books in terms of sequence.

Book #134: The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell - 4.2 stars

I don't know how Farrell does it. His books are always set during some kind of conflict and are somehow pretty funny without playing down the horrors of that conflict (if you're a PTerry fan they're perhaps a bit like a historical Jingo). The Siege of Krishnapur is set in the fictional Indian town of Krishnapur and the events are based on the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the sieges of Cawnpore and Lucknow (thanks wikipedia). It's a satire at the expense of the stiff-upper-lipped British ladies and gentlemen of the town and their belief that they could 'civilise' India.



Book #136: Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville - 3.4 stars

Somewhat confusingly, although Sarah Thornhill is the third book in Grenville's Colonial Trilogy about early Australia (well, Australia once the white people arrived anyway), it's a direct sequel to the first book, The Secret River. The Lieutenant, which is the second book in the trilogy, doesn't contain any of the same characters and can be read independently of the others.

I thought Sarah Thornhill was more of the same as The Secret River, except perhaps not quite as good. If you loved The Secret River then it's worth picking this one up to see what happens with the family, otherwise I don't think you're missing much.

>108 ronincats: But I don't want it to be the last! There are some of her fantasy novels I haven't read I guess....

Book #137: The Quick by Lauren Owen - 4.5 stars

I loved this as much as I hoped to - if gothic, Victorian novels are your thing then this is a must read. The physical book is beautifully designed and it was a joy to read. I raced through it and will definitely be reading whatever Ms Owen writes next (there could be a sequel...?)

Nice reviews, Heather. The Grenville and Farrell books look especially inviting to me. Not sure about Gothic -- and aren't there vampires?

Great reviews Heather! Once again, you're inspiring me to follow in your footsteps, as I've been putting off writing loads of reviews for no good reason at all, and if I can just stick to writing short impressions, I might manage it within a reasonable time-frame. 'Reasonable' has never been my middle name somehow. Actually, I never did get a middle name, and always am upset by that as never could get anything monogrammed—it just doesn't look right with just two initials!

Love you Paying Guests review, and of course immediately added A Pin to See the Peepshow to the wishlist. I may in fact order it straightaway from Abe, as I see a Virago edition now, though not exactly cheap and I've been going a bit nuts with the book-buying this month, so will look at what my Visa account condition is like first... and might be persuaded to hold off a little.

I loved The Siege of Krishnapur as well, but somehow I don't think it penetrated my dull mind that it was in fact a fictional town, although I'm quite certain the introduction by Hillary Mantel in my Folio edition must have mentioned this. It's a book I'll want to reread eventually. I have Kate Grenville and must say you haven't made me all that excited to get to it. I believe Suzanne had a more enthusiastic take on it at some point.

THRILLED you loved The Quick too, as it was one of my favourites this year and Lauren Owen a real revelation. Definitely genre-bending, I'd say. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, though yes, it's likely to be a next in series it seems. I got it as an ARC on Kindle, so no beautiful physical book unfortunately, though still hope to reread it eventually if it's still on my iPad. If not I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it.

Hello Heather,
I am so glad that you had a fab holiday in the Highlands. Definitely a place I like to spend some time again in the future. So far I have been twice and In 1996 I even walked part of the West Highland Walk. However, I never went any further than just behind Fort Williams. Good to hear that you read The Death of Grass and I am curious what you have to say about it.

>98 souloftherose: The Bone Clocks I am listening to the book presently and soo far I am in about 3/5 and enjoying it, although I still don't understand the significance of these presences, but I do quite enjoy the individuel stories. However, sometimes there just isn't the right time for a book and then you may even have to abandon it.

>107 souloftherose: Enjoyed your review of the Sarah Waters book I just got myself today (in my fave charity shop) The Fingersmith HB copy for unbelievable 1 pound. I never read anything by her, but have read soo many positive reviews that I thought this book might be a good starting point.

>111 souloftherose: The Quick by Lauren Owen is gone onto my WL.

I hope you will get your boiler sorted quickly and that it won't be anything too costly or serious.
Wish you a wonderful weekend.

Hi, Heather! The thread is up for Volume II of Love-Letters Between A Nobleman And His Sister - here. No hurry about starting, though! :)

Heather, your holiday sounds lovely. Boo to returning to boiler problems - I hope they were easy to sort out. You've certainly read lots! I have yet to read any Sarah Waters, but I like the sound of the Farrell. Maybe once I finish all the library books I can't help taking out. My library-related self-control problems have returned :-)

Hi Heather; quick drive-by. Aargh, not fast enough - bb hit. Must try C.J. Cherryh.

I get the impression that the Ivan book is intended to be LMcMB's last book in the Vorkosigan saga :'(

>112 BLBera: Hi Beth. Yes, The Quick has vampires in, more Dracula than Twilight (from what I've heard, I've never actually read Twilight).

>113 Smiler69: Hi Ilana. I would definitely recommend A Pin to See the Peepshow but it might be worth holding off on buying it as all the copies are quite pricey at the moment and I'm sure I've seen it listed for a lot less than that before. The prices of some Viragoes seem to fluctuate a lot and if you wait it might come down in price. Do you ever use the Wants feautre on abebooks? That can be quite useful for getting notifications when a book is available below a certain price.

Re The Siege of Krishnapur, I definitely wouldn't have realised Krishnapur was fictional myself as I know very little about the Indian Rebellion. I think I read a review or blurb that mentioned it was fictional.

Maybe I was a bit harsh on Sarah Thornhill - it was a pleasant enough read at the time but not really memorable in any way.

>114 drachenbraut23: Bianca, I'm ashamed to admit that we really did no walking on our holiday. The scenery was beautiful but having been so busy at work I didn't have the energy to plan walks and it felt like it wouldn't be sensible to go wandering without planning. We did a stroll along the river in Inverness but that was it.

I'm glad you're enjoying The Bone Clocks - I think I was probably not in the mood for anything very intellectual!

>115 lyzard: Thanks Liz! First questions posted :-)

>114 drachenbraut23: & >116 susanj67: A plumber is coming to look at the boiler tomorrow - hopefully it won't end up being too expensive. Ironically, signing up to one of those boiler insurance plans was on my to do list for our return from holiday.

>117 humouress: Sorry for the BB hit Nina (but Cherryh is very good).

Heather, you've been reading what I want to read. I'm off to see whether the price of The Quick has come down. I have a lot of Waters left to read before I need The Paying Guests and *APtStPS* and all three of the Farrells. But I'm off to see if the price of *Quick* is in my range yet.
I have to say that my problem with The Bone Clocks was that I was expecting a more intellectual experience, and it just wasn't.

>118 souloftherose: Sure y'are :0P

>119 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I think The Quick has just been released in paperback here so possibly that's the case in the US too?

>120 humouress: :-P



Book #145: Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones - 4.2 stars

Hexwood is one of DWJ's more complicated children's books with a plot that draws on a lot of different myths and legends and nothing is quite what it seems. I think this is a book that I'll enjoy even more when rereading.



Book #149: Black Maria by Diana Wynne Jones - 4.4 stars

For pure fun this was my favourite out of my recent DWJ reads. Black Maria is a deliciously creepy tale of two children and their mother who go to spend the Easter holidays with their manipulative aunt Maria. But Maria seems to be more than just a manipulative old lady and something very strange is going on in the town where she lives. I found the use of the magic system to look at gender roles particularly interesting and there are overtones of The Stepford Wives except in this book they're more like Stepford husbands.



Book #153: The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula Jones - 3.5 stars

This was an uncompleted novel when DWJ died in 2011 and it was completed by her sister, Ursula Jones. It was an enjoyable read but I think it's probably one of my least favourite books by DWJ and it didn't seem to have the same sparkle as her other books.

Hi Heather, I Just found out about a book called How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-To-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman. I just read a review about it in Shelf Awareness and it sounds quite good. I believe it was released last year, so you may have heard about it already, but I thought about you right away when I found out about it. I'm quite interested myself, I must say.

I loved The Siege of Krishnapur, but Troubles is my favorite from the Empire Trilogy. The Singapore Grip is very good, but it can't compare to those two masterpieces.

I bought Farrell's last book The Hill Station earlier this year, and I'll read it soon. Have you or anyone else read it yet?

>122 Smiler69: That does sound interesting and, even better, my local library has a copy so I will look for it next time I'm there. Thank you!

>123 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl. I think Troubles is my favourite too, I'd heard people were slightly less fond of The Singapore Grip although I'd still like to read it at some point. I haven't read The Hill Station but looking at one of the reviews on the work page it apparently includes McNab who's the doctor in The Siege of Krishnapur which does make me interested in reading it. I always feel uncertain about whether I want to read unfinished novels though.

No box too small for this cat:



And some pretty ballerinas in the background (we should really get round to hanging those pictures).

So sweet!

The book is available at the National library here, which is a bit more of a trek than the local municipal library branch, but not impossible to get to either. You were really the first person I thought of, though Liz might be interested too possibly?

>125 souloftherose: If I fitz, I sitz!

>126 Smiler69: I would: it's already on The List. :)

Heather, you have been reading up a storm! Well done! I LOVE the photo of your cat. I got my first cat over the summer, a beautiful black male named Cairo. Oh, he is a sweetheart : ).

>126 Smiler69:, >127 lyzard: & >128 lit_chick: Thanks!

>128 lit_chick: And I am still so behind with reviews!



Book #147: Kidnapped by R. L. Stevenson - 3.8 stars

A fitting reread for my Highlands holiday, I was also inspired to reread this by a lovely article in the latest Slightly Foxed quarterly.

It's a boys' own adventure of daring-do set shortly after the Jacobite rising of 1745. David Balfour is a lowland Scots boy who is sent to live with his uncle after his parents die. But David discovers that his father was actually the rightful heir to his uncle's estate and after confronting his uncle about this he finds himself kidnapped and on a ship sailing to a life of slavery in the New World. However on the ship he meets Alan Breck Stewart, a Jacobite, and David and Alan band together to escape their captives. David soon finds himself involved in all sorts of Jacobite politics and fleeing for his life across the Highlands of Scotland in an attempt to save Alan and win back David's inheritance.

The original title says it all really: Kidnapped: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: How he was Kidnapped and Cast away; his Sufferings in a Desert Isle; his Journey in the Wild Highlands; his acquaintance with Alan Breck Stewart and other notorious Highland Jacobites; with all that he Suffered at the hands of his Uncle, Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws, falsely so-called: Written by Himself and now set forth by Robert Louis Stevenson

It's a great adventure yarn and although David Balfour can be a wee bit on the boring side, this is more than made up for by the character of Alan Breck Stewart.

Book #159: Catriona by R. L. Stevenson - 3.2 stars

Catriona, (also known as David Balfour, Second Part) is a direct continuation of the story in Kidnapped although it was published 7 years later and I've always wanted to read it. Unfortunately it's not as interesting a read as Kidnapped. This is partly because the plot is a lot slower (there's a lot of politics at the beginning) and partly because there's lots of the slightly dull David Balfour and very little of the interesting Alan Breck.

Instead there is Catriona MacGregor Drummond in the role of love interest and she's a good feisty character but slightly too prone to leap to the wrong conclusions and her romance with David is hindered throughout by almost wilful miscommunication which is my second least favourite reason for conflict in romances in fiction. But it picks up towards the end and I'd still recommend it if you loved Kidnapped, just be prepared for the change in pace.

>129 souloftherose: Two of my favourite books, although I agree with you that Kidnapped is a better read!

Hi Heather
I'm sorry to be out of touch. Thanks for your visits to my thread. The opening photo of an incredible library is simply breathtaking!

Just speaking again..........and looking at Amazon again, I don't see anything yet about a pb of The Quick.

UK Kindle users can pick up a copy of the Penguin Modern Classics version of Kidnapped for 73p at the moment. It's also available for free, I just like to have the introductions.

Hi Heather. I'm happy to see you liked The Quick as much as I did. I remember reading and loving kidnapped in jr. high. I should reread it and see how much I remember.

I read Kidnapped a couple of years ago and really liked it. I remember watching it on tv back when I was 'kneehigh to a grasshopper' and that staircase scene remains stuck in my memory.

*waving* at Heather

double wave at Heather

>130 CDVicarage: Hi Kerry. I think my favourite of Stevenson's is Treasure Island but Kidnapped is also a very good read.

>131 Whisper1: Hi Linda!

>132 LizzieD: Hopefully soon Peggy....

>133 elkiedee: Well spotted Luci! I also like getting editions with the introductions (Penguin, OUP etc).

>134 brenzi: Thanks for stopping by Bonnie and thanks for being one of the recommenders of The Quick!

>135 avatiakh: Hi Kerry. Yes, the staircase scene is pretty spooky. I loved the 1971 film version of Kidnapped when I was growing up. Can't remember now how well it stuck to the book but I'd like to watch it again (also to see if Michael Caine managed to do a Scottish accent).

>136 alcottacre: & >137 Whisper1: *waves back*

Some rereading:



Book #144: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - 4 stars
Book #156: Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde - 4.5 stars
Book #157: The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde - 4 stars
Book #160: Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde - 4.3 stars

Jasper Fforde's sense of humour and imagination make him one of my favourite writers and the first four books in the Thursday Next series are some of my favourites. They're set in an alternate Britain in the 1980s where the Crimean War never ended, dodos and mammoths have been genetically re-engineered and Thursday Next can enter books, even to the extent of changing the ending of Jane Eyre.

There are another 3 books published in the series which I will probably go on to reread but there's a natural break after the 4th book so it's a good place to pause for a while.

Book #135: Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction by Various - 4.2 stars

This was a special issue of science fiction magazine, Lightspeed, which had been funded via a kickstarter campaign. I can't remember where I first heard about it this, Lightspeed is not a magazine I regularly subscribe to, but this issue was edited and written entirely by women and it fit with the June female fantasy and science fiction theme so I bought the ecopy. It took me a long time to read - mainly because of the fact I struggle to read short story collections in general (I keep forgetting that I'm reading them) but I was really impressed by the quality of the stories and other articles in this magazine. Some were by authors I'd heard of (Seanan McGuire, N. K. Jemisin) but many were by authors I hadn't come across before. All were well written and thought-provoking. Recommended if you enjoy sf.

Congratulations on reading 135 books thus far. What an amazing accomplishment!

>139 souloftherose: Ah, so envious! I want to be able to do that!

Hi Heather - I enjoyed the Fforde books but have only read the first two. I almost feel like I should reread before I go on to the next ones. It's been a while. What an imagination he has!

>141 Whisper1: Thanks Linda!

>142 ronincats: I've done a lot more rereading this year than in previous years and it's been fun. I know you're a big rereader too.

>143 BLBera: Beth, he's very imaginative and that's one of the things I love about the books. I think the 3rd book, The Well of Lost Plots is probably one of the most imaginative books in the series. I haven't found the books in the latter half of the series to be quite as good but they're still enjoyable.

I know I still haven't posted any pictures of our holiday yet but you will not be surprised to hear we managed to track down a second-hand bookshop while we were away. The prices were more than I'd usually pay but it was a proper second-hand bookshop rather than a charity shop and also in quite a remote location so I rationalised the extra cost.

The haul:

2 books on the loacl area:

Skye by F. C. Sillar
On the Crofters Trail by David Craig

Other books:

Family Britain: 1951-57 by David Kynaston
Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
High Albania by Edith Durham
The Death of Grass by John Christopher

My husband also bought Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. Heinlein wasn't high on my list of authors to try but the husband enjoyed it and said it's worth a read.

October is also my Thingaversary month (my 5th) so I'm due 6 books. Normally I try to make Thingaversary books ones I wouldn't otherwise have bought but I'm dithering over whether I can justify another 6 books after quite a big haul on holiday.

Persephone Books had an offer on their new Persephone Classics edition of The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher which has been on my wishlist for a while so I ordered it and made that Thingaversary Book #1.

Book #146: Judgement Day by Penelope Lively - 4.2 stars

Penelope Lively is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Her books aren't plot-driven but tend to focus on the thoughts and feelings of characters in their day to day lives. In Judgement Day the focus is on a small village in England which Claire Paling and her husband and two children have recently moved to. Claire has given up her job so that they can move to the village for her husband's new job and finds herself at something of a loose end. Despite being an atheist she has an interest in the art and architecture of the local church building so when they need someone to join the church fundraising committee Claire joins and helps them to arrange a fundraising event. And that's the plot, such as it is, which sounds pretty unspectacular but Lively writes so well and makes the characters so real that I was completely taken up with their lives. lively uses the small things of everyday life to write about the big things: faith, hope and love.



Book #148: The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher - 4.4 stars

The Home-Maker is a sweet but thought-provoking novel about a wife and home-maker unhappy in her role and her husband who is also unhappy in his role as the family bread-winner. Despite their good intentions, they're also both quite bad at their appointed roles. Wife and mother Eva is such a perfectionist that although she loves her 3 children dearly, she spends far more time worrying about the housework and they are not flourishing in her care. Her husband, Lester, is a sales clerk in the local department store but he hates trying to persuade people to spend money on things they don't need (as he sees it) and has not risen in the store as he should have done. The low point for the family comes when Lester is fired by the new store owner and then injures his back after falling from a roof trying to put a neighbour's fire out. The doctor eventually concludes that Lester will live, but he will never be able to walk again. With no other options left to them, Eva does the unthinkable for the 1920s, she goes to the store Lester was just fired from and gets a job leaving the children to the care of Lester and any neighbours who can help out. What surpises Eva and Lester and the whole town is that this arrangement not only works, but that the whole family flourishes under it. Eva has the natural drive and determination to be a sales person and being interested in fashion she finds it incredibly fulfilling. Lester has the patience and time to care for the children and spend time with them and they flourish under his care, their previous health problems (probably anxiety related) completely disappearing.

But this arrangement that works so well, is so unorthodox that it's only tolerated by everyone because of Lester's injury. What will become of the family if he recovers? No one could tolerate a woman going out to work if she wasn't forced to....

Being interested in gender issues and roles I found this a fascinating novel and astonishing for one published in 1924. I'd like to comment on how much progress we've made since then and, many ways we have but the idea of the sacredness of maternity still seems to be one we're struggling with in the present day.

'These were the moments in a mother's life about which nobody ever warned you, about which everybody kept a deceitful silence, the fine book and the speakers who had so much to say about the sacredness of maternity. They never told you that there were moments of arid clear sight when you saw helplessly that your children would never measure up to your standard, never would be really close to you, because these were not your kind of human beings, because they were not your children, but merely other human beings for whom you were responsible. How solitary it made you feel!'

Wonderful reviews, Heather. I need to put Judgement Day on my list. I read my first Lively, Moon Tiger, earlier this year and loved it.

*putting foot down* WHY isn't that lovely review of The Homemaker on the book page, Heather. It should be. Absolutely. I even have a copy, so I wonder why I haven't read it yet.... Will!

I agree with Peggy that's a wonderful review of The Home-Maker. I would definitely give it a thumbs up and it deserves to appear on the front page. I should have taken advantage of that Persephone promotion, but then as you know I've been going insane with the book-buying this month. A belated Happy Thingaversary to you too. My Thingaversary comes up at the end of November, but after this month's unbridled book shopping, I'm not quite sure what more I can do to mark the occasion really.

I hope to get to Penelope Lively's Moon Tiger sometime in very near future.

I tried Jasper Fforde once a few years ago, and decided he was a bit too wild for me. There's only so far my imagination is willing to stretch, I guess.

>147 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy. So far I've only read Judgement Day and How it all Began but loved both. Moon Tiger is high on my list but it was out on loan last time I went to the library so I've got Consequences to read next instead.

>148 LizzieD: Uh oh... Yes ma'am, right away ma'am! :-)

>149 Smiler69: Thank you Ilana! review is now posted. I can understand finding Jasper Fforde being too wacky - for whatever reason he pitches it just right for me but there are lots of authors I know others find funny who just don't work for me. Humour is very personal, I think.

I've been doing some more thinking about Thingaversary books today and have decided to also get the following (so much for the 'No, I've bought enough books this month'):

A set of 3 Rumer Godden novels from The Book People:

Black Narcissus
Kingfishers Catch Fire
Breakfast with the Nikolides

And The Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones as I've found a 'like new' copy on ebay for not many £ (as long as no-one else bids on it).

Thumbed!

Good going on book purchases! I can't imagine that when November 25th comes around I'll be able to say, after buying close to 300 books so far this year, "No, that's quite enough now, Thingaversary or no, I shall resist from now on!". Pshaw! :-)

>151 Smiler69: :-D LT is hardly the place to come if we want people to help us not buy books. We are all such a bad influence on each other.... but it's great!

Some science fiction:



Book #152: The Death of Grass by John Christopher - 3.9 stars

John Christopher is an author I know for his children's science fiction novels, namely The Tripods Trilogy which was one of my favourites growing up. The Death of Grass is a much earlier science fiction novel for adults where some kind of virus starts to destroy all the grass in the world including the grains that comprise the staple food of so many countries. As starvation looms rioting breaks out in country after country. The western world survives for a while but eventually it becomes clear that the same thing will happen in Britain. A small group of people try to journey from London to a remote farm in the countryside where someone's brother has an easily defensible farm and has been sensibly growing potatoes whilst the grain problem develops. I thought John Christopher did a compelling job of illustrating the way 'civilisation' breaks down even amongst such a small group who are trying to work together. Because of that it was a pretty dark read at times.

Book #155: The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham - 3.7 stars

More apocalyptic science fiction - this time involving sea creatures (possibly originally aliens) who cause the sea levels to rise and start to attack human coastal settlements leading to another break-down in social order. The focus of this book is more on the slow discovery of what the sea creatures are doing rather than the break-down of order itself. It's not Wyndham's best but I really like his female characters which are unusually positive for male science fiction authors of the 1950s.

Book #157: The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard - 3.8 stars

After reading the Wyndham I felt like reading another book which explored the effects of rising sea levels so picked up J. G. Ballard's The Drowned World in the library. Published in 1962 this was Ballard's first novel (although he'd spent many years writing short stories) and this is a post-apocalyptic novel in that the sea levels have already risen to such an extent that the earth is completely changed and Ballard is instead examining what it's like to live in this new earth. Rather than man-made climate change the sea levels rose as a result of solar flares which have caused the temperature to rise and the polar ice to melt. The population of the earth is now only 5 million and resides only at the poles where the temperature is a reasonable 80F.

Outside of the polar regions the only humans are marauders or small teams of scientists studying the new flora and fauna growing in these new conditions. The main character forms part of one of these team of scientists who are perfomring a study in a drowned city which turns out to be London. Ballard's descriptions of the new world are very evocative: the heat, the colours, the otherness of what has become of earth. The whole novel has quite an otherworldly feel to it, particularly the characters of the scientists who are slowly overcome by a psychological regression to primitive man as their minds 'remember' how they were the last time the earth experienced these climatic conditions. It's quite a strange novel and I'm not convinced I understood it all, but it's made quite an impression on me and I can understand why it's on so many lists of classics.

Wow, interesting reading here, Heather! I haven't read these particular works by Wyndham, Christopher and Ballard, but have enjoyed others, especially the tripod series. I've been meaning to read some Penelope Lively ever since reading Four British Fantasists: Place and culture in the children's fantasies of Penelope Lively, Alan Garner, Diana Wynne Jones, and Susan Cooper, particularly since I've read the other three extensively.

> 153: I've read and enjoyed a number of both, the children's fantasies first (as a child) but would just point out that the adult novels are quite different, not much fantasy there. It's a very long time since I last read any of the kids' books, time for a reread?

I've had The Drowned World on my wishlist for some time now and your review has nudged me again into thinking about obtaining this book!

Heather - What a lot of great reading and reviews! Judgement Day, The Home-Maker and The Drowned World are all calling my name! This is a dangerous place to visit. Happy Anniversary.

Loved your review of The Home-maker, Heather. I'm off to apply my thumb!!

>125 souloftherose: LOL! I love that photo. Of course no box is too small. ;)

Hi Heather! Belatedly trying to see what everyone's been up to. :D

Hey, Heather - apropos of something silly, are you right-handed or left-handed?

Heather, while on the TIOLI wiki, I saw you didn't have a chance to get to Greenwitch this month either. I just started it last night. Won't be able to finish it today, however short it is, so have listed it under Darryl's challenge #3 since it qualifies as a novella, so if you plan on reading it in November too do feel free to join me. No hard feelings otherwise.

I've got three of Wyndham's most popular books (according to LT anyway) in a nice Folio slipcover I got when they were offered at a special price, one of which, The Day of the Triffids I had already previously purchased on audio narrated by the love of my life (or anyway, I'm in love with his voice), Samuel West. I guess I'll have to make time for that one soon, though November is vastly overbooked already.

The Drowned World has been on my wishlist for years and years now, as has Ballard's Empire of the Sun, since I've only seen the movie so far, which is brilliant of course. You might be aware the Folio Society released TDW last year and I was very tempted, but had to limit damages at one point since I was purchasing their books as if I was some rich heiress, which is definitely NOT the case.

Please please please DO join along: http://www.librarything.com/topic/182420#4902314

Hi Heather! Your recent SF reads all looks very tempting, as does The Home-Maker. I note with approval that you've recently bought Downbellow Station. That was the first Cherryh that I absolutely ADORED so hope you get to it soon. Now, how about these pictures.....?

>153 ronincats: Hi Roni. As Luci says, I don't think any of Penelope Lively's adult novels are fantasy but I need to investigate her children's fiction too.

>154 elkiedee: Thanks Luci. Yes, time for a reread or a first read for me of a lot of her children's books as the only one I've read is The Ghost of Thomas Kempe.

>155 DeltaQueen50: Hope you enjoy it Judy. Ballard has very evocative writing.

>156 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>157 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura!

>158 saraslibrary: I know! I'm sure it can't really be that comfortable...

>159 jolerie: Welcome back Valerie!

>160 lyzard: Hi Liz. I'm right-handed. And curious now, why you wanted to know!

>161 Smiler69: Thanks for the heads up about Greenwitch Ilana. That was one of the the shared reads I didn't get to in October and it made for a nice read over the weekend when I was feeling tired.

I'd like to read some more Ballard. The introduction to The Drowned World seemed to indicate that he'd been in Shanghai when the Japanese invaded. Possibly Empire of the Sun is in autobiographical? I think the one Ballard book I'm not interested in reading is Crash which just sounds too icky even if it is on the 1,001 books to read before you die list.

>162 Smiler69: Done!

>163 HanGerg: Hi Hannah! I'm genuinely hoping to post pictures today (or at least this week) - I spent some time this morning sorting and uploading them. Glad to hear you enjoyed Downbelow Station so much. I just need to read Chanur's Legacy to finish the Chanur series and then that will be my next Cherryh.

Last few books read in October:



Book #150: The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier - 4.5 stars

A story from du Maurier that's quite science fictiony with its story of a strange new drug that allows the user to travel back in time to the 14th century. It could just be an hallucination but that doesn't explain why two different users visit the same aristocratic family from that time period. I found both the story of the 14th century family and the modern day drug users compelling. Really not sure why I've been hoarding my du Maurier's insetad of reading them.



Book #151: Angels and Men by Catherine Fox - 3.5 stars

Normally I stay far away from anything marked Christian fiction but a recommendation from Luci and a kindle deal on this book tempted me to try it. It's not stereotypical Christian fiction although it's written by a vicar's wife, does look at questions of faith and the majority of the characters are connected with the church in some way but a very honest look at a young girl trying to deal with some of her demons whilst studying for a Masters degree at Durham university. Parts of this were uneven but parts were very good and I found it quite an emotional read. This is one of the author's early novels so I would definitely like to read her later ones to see if some of the uneveness has been smoothed over. Apparently some of her later novels are inspired by Trollope's Barsetshire novels.

Wow! Heather! I put 5 books on the WL. I've missed reading yr thread somehow or other for about a month and blammo! So much great reading and illuminating reviewing.

The review of The Home-Maker is very exceptional review so hope you have posted so I can go thumb it. It's a Fisher I haven't read too! As a woman with a huge amount of drive and the major breadwinner, through her writing and touring, Fisher lived what she wrote in the book! And she's one of my two favourite Vermont authors!

Not to mention the cat spilling out of the box. Lovely.

>166 sibylline: Thanks Lucy! The Home-Maker review is on the work page now (Peggy put her foot down....). I had to nip over to your catalogue to check out the other books you enjoyed by Dorothy Canfield Fisher as she's an author I'd love to read more of. I hadn't realised she'd also been published by Virago or that she was a Vermont author. I've wishlisted The Brimming Cup and Her Son's Wife and downloaded the Project Gutenberg editions of Understood Betsy and The Squirrel-Cage.

It should be said that Angels and Men and two other novels by Catherine Fox were first published years ago by Penguin, not by a religious books publisher. I can't imagine I would have read them otherwise, as I'm not religious at all (though for some reason this is one of several books dealing with issues about faith I've really enjoyed - maybe it's my ancestry coming out - one of my grandfathers was a very high church Anglican vicar, the other was educated by Jesuits in New Zealand although the saying about getting them for life didn't apply in his case - I think he considered himself an atheist before he finished his education).

I read Angels and men and the other two when they were first published and I've just read Acts and Omissions, her latest, which is published by SPCK. I enjoyed that more - it's very funny - as it's set in the Cof E of everyday life rather than the more dramatic church of the earlier books.

Hmm, I might try The House on the Strand as part of Paul's British Author Challenge. I think Du Maurier is a pick for February, so it would work.

Compelling review of The House on the Strand, Heather. I've got several du Maurier novels I've not yet read, too.

You've perked my interest in looking into other du Maurier books as well. I've never heard of her before (except on Paul's BAC) but she sounds like my cup of tea. Thanks Heather! :)

>168 elkiedee: Fascinating Luci :-) I definitely didn't find her treatment of faith heavy handed and I'm glad another publisher has picked up her books. I'm wishing I'd bought the second novel that was available at a discount but I often find books get discounted again so I will keep hoping!

>169 CDVicarage: Lovely to hear you liked Acts and Omissions even more Kerry. I think I saw from her website that there's a sequel to Acts and Omissions written too.

>170 lunacat:, >171 lit_chick:, >172 jolerie: Hi Jenny, Nancy and Valerie! Hope you enjoy The House on the Strand. Typically I'd say du Maurier's novels are more gothic than science fiction but I've enjoyed all the ones I've read* - she knows how to keep her readers turning pages.

*(Actually, I wasn't so keen on her first novel, The Loving Spirit).



Book #158: Restoration London: Everyday Life in London 1660-1670 by Liza Picard - 4 stars

I started reading this as I thought it would make good background reading to the tutored read of Aphra Behn's Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister with Liz as the first volume in Behn's novel was published in 1684. It was only after I started reading that I realized that Behn's novel is set in France in the 1620s and doesn't really mention any details of everyday life. Happily, Picard's book is interesting enough that I was contentedly engrossed anyway.

Based almost entirely on primary sources, Picard has written a book that looks at almost every area of day to day life in Restoration London: from medicine to housing and social life to waste disposal, anything that can be gleaned from contemporary accounts has been. I found it completely fascinating. I had never stopped to think how they went about rebuilding London after the Great Fire and the chapter on childbirth really made me shudder.

The only negative comments I can make about the book are the lack of maps and the inclusion of too few drawings or photographs. There are some photographs included but in a book that so often mentions a stately home that's a good example of 17th century architecture or a piece of furniture in the V&A museum there really need to be pictures of those items - it's frustrating to put the book down every few pages to try and google something as I ended up doing. I expect this was a publishing decision rather than an authorial one (and probably for cost reasons) but it was frustrating for me as a reader.

Of course, in a book using contemporary sources to write about this period there are lots of extracts from the great Samuel Pepys and I'm toying again with the idea of trying to read his diaries. Has anyone tried the Latham and Matthews editions? Am I crazy to even want to try reading all 11 volumes?

Fascinating review of Restoration London: Everyday Life in London 1660-1670. It seems it's part of a series. Have you read any other of her books?
And no, I don't think you're crazy wanting to read Samuel Pepys' diaries, just very courageous!

(Normally I love the Penguin Modern Classics designs but I can't say that I think a picture of bananas on a mat is an inspired choice for this novel...)

Book #162: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - 4.5 stars

Spoiler warning for Jane Eyre below

Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea is a novel I've been almost afraid to read. It's a prequel to one of my favourite books of all time, Jane Eyre. I read Jane Eyre obssessively when I was a teenager, I wasn't sure whether I would be able to cope with someone else playing around with the backstory to such a favourite book and I'm not normally a fan of prequels or sequels to well known books by modern authors (just the phrase 'Jane Austen sequel' normally makes me want to shudder). But Wide Sargasso Sea is such a good book: atmospheric and infused with melancholy, it tells the story of Edward Rochester's mad first wife in Jamaica, the struggles of her white family after emancipation and her struggles with Edward Rochester once married. It also tells the story from Rcohester's perspective and although it's hardly a complimentary portrait, he isn't portrayed as a one-sided villain.

Although I didn't like the cover to this edition, the introduction was really interesting giving some background to Jean Rhys' life and the publication of this book and highlighting some of the themes and literary techniques she used which I felt added to my enjoyment of the book (read once I'd finished of course!) I'd also heard the story of the publication of this book from Rhys' editor's side in Diana Athill's memoir Stet which I do recommend if you're interested in Jean Rhys or WSS.

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And having finished all my October write-ups I'm officially kissing goodbye to the idea of writing any more left over reviews from August and September. Which means I'm sort of caught up!

And in October, without really having reading plans I managed to read 3 books from my century of books challenge completing the 1960s and 1990s and meaning I only have 3 books to read from 1909, 1915 and 1917. My goal for November is to tick off 1909 by reading Miles Franklin's novel about the suffrage movement in Australia, Some Everyday Folk and Dawn.

>174 Trifolia: Hi Monica! Yes, Liza Picard's written several similar books about life in London in different time periods. I've read Dr Johnson's London which was similarly fascinating (although similar problems with maps and pictures) and I expect I will read her volumes on Elizabethan and Victorian London at some point. I guess they're a series by theme rather than one where you need to read the books in a particular order.

I've stayed away from Jean Rhys' book for the same reason as you did, but you have won me over. I do agree that cove is not fitting. I suspect the bananas refer to the Carribean but really, bananans on a mat ???
I'd love to read Picard's book on Victorian London, because that's really "my era".
I admire your zeal to make all those plans and stick to them. How do you do that?

>164 souloftherose: You'll find out if I ever get around to writing my review of Starship Troopers. :)

I have read Liza Picard's Dr Johnson's London, and I have her Victorian volume on The List.

Nice review of Restoration London, Heather. It sounds very interesting, so I'll add it to my wish list.

>175 souloftherose: "(Normally I love the Penguin Modern Classics designs but I can't say that I think a picture of bananas on a mat is an inspired choice for this novel...)" LOL, kind of have to agree with you LOL.

I have her Good Morning Midnight on my TBR.

Please add you review of Restoration London to the work page! I've added it to the wishlist and would like to also thumb it now. I wasn't all that surprised to find it had also been released at some point by the good folks at the Folio Society. I wonder if they have included more images in their edition? Am tempted to order it, but will hold back for now, as I know beyond doubt this is a book that can be found at all times and I really did vastly overspend on books in October. Did I mention I received my 'used' copy of The Victorians last week, which is as good as any brand new one I might have received directly from FS at three times the price? I can't wait to dig into that one, but it'll have to wait. The Pepys Diaries is certainly an ambitious project, but not unheard of, so why not? Then you can tell the rest of us all about it and start a craze among us 75ers, though I wouldn't expect to hear about it for the next year or two at the very least...

I gave the same rating to Wide Sargasso Sea when I read it in 2011. I'll definitely reread it next time I revisit Jane Eyre as well. I've just received the latest FS edition of that book, which I assume you must have seen by now, along with Wuthering Heights which they released for their Christmas Collection. What beauties! In any case, yes, I found looking at Rochester's background, and more specifically, learning more about the mad lady in the attic was definitely an intriguing premise and very well executed. As for the cover, the book I got from the library had the same photo of bananas (or are they plantains?) which I found rather awful, and I would venture that it's not so much the topic that is unsuitable as the style and colouring in which it is rendered. I've purchased the book since and made sure to get the W. W. Norton & Company edition with the much prettier cover illustration shown below:



Very good job on the Century Challenge! I'm not purposely choosing books for it, but every month adding a few to the list all the same. Eventually will have to choose books from the teens and twenties though, as don't seem to be filling up those years without consideration. Will you be moving on the the 19th century next?

>173 souloftherose: I was considering Pepys' Diaries as well but didn't think I could cope with the length of them. Have you heard the BBC adaptation of the diaries? It's hilarious, and very well done, though they take some artistic licence as well.

I've enjoyed listening to extracts from Pepys' diaries on the radio. I also have Claire Tomalin's bio of him somewhere in all these boxes.

>177 Trifolia: 'I admire your zeal to make all those plans and stick to them. How do you do that?'

Smoke and mirrors!? Making the plans is easy, sticking to them doesn't often happen. :-)

The century of books challenge was supposed to be completed in one year but it will have taken two years if I complete it by the end of this year.

>178 lyzard: 'You'll find out if I ever get around to writing my review of Starship Troopers. :)'

Another 'wait and see' Liz? :-)

>179 kidzdoc: I think any of the London books she's written would probably interest you, Darryl and she's good at mentioning when examples of the things she's discussing still exist and where to see them (just not enough pictures...).

>180 drachenbraut23: I don't know much about Jean Rhys' other books but I did enjoy her writing in this one so I'll be interested in your thoughts on Good Morning, Midnight when you get to it.

>181 Smiler69: I've added a slgihtly truncated review of the book to the workpage, I didn't think the comments on Love-Letters would be of interest to someone not following my thread.

I had a look at Restoration London on the FS website and compared the images on the website to my copy of the book and they definitely have added additional pictures and in colour too - in my edition there are onlu B&W images. Hmmm. *covets FS book*

The cover of your edition of WSS is much more evocative. From the work page I think my favourite is this one but I don't know which edition it relates to.



'Will you be moving on the the 19th century next?' Ha! No. Next year my challenge is to not do any challenges (although the British Author Challenge is tempting).

The teens and noughties have been my toughest decades. I think I found the twenties ok as it coincided with lots of Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer reading.

>182 lunacat: & >183 elkiedee: I'd missed the radio adaptation so thanks for letting me know about it! I also have the Tomalin bio in my TBR pile.

Re the length, I was thinking they would be the sort of thing I could dip in and out of so I wouldn't try and read even one volume through without taking a break for other books. There's still a lot to get through....

I did find this website which posts a dairy entry each day and people seem to read along and comment. The only problem is it would mean not starting at the beginning.

>184 souloftherose: Alas, pretty much everything with me is 'wait and see'. :(

Although...at least I only have three more reviews to make it to the end of September. I think I can, I think I can...

God help me, I've actually been thinking of trying a 19th century challenge... At the moment---whether or not it amounts to anything---my big ambition for next year is more blogging, less reviewing...which will require me to STOP giving in to my compulsion to write about a page on everything I read. Mostly I give in because I tend to spend even longer fretting over writing short than I do in actually writing long. Oh, to master the art of the pithy paragraph - !

The thread for Volume III of Love-Letters is up---here---ready when you are! :)

>184 souloftherose: That's the copy of Wide Sargasso Sea that I read - many years ago - it was a library hardback copy.

Just popping in and saying Hi Heather!

>146 souloftherose: I must get to some more Lively too. I loved Moon Tiger when I read it last year. I actually gave a copy to my niece and she developed a Lively obsession and has read a ton of her novels. I'm not sure where to go next, but I have The Photograph on the shelves, so will probably go with that.

>152 souloftherose: I wholeheartedly agree that Wyndham was a bright spot among sci-fi males of the 1950s. At least he was polite. Ha! I haven't read that one yet, but probably will.

>175 souloftherose: I have similar reservations when it comes to prequels or sequels of classics, but I definitely want to read this once I finish the audio "reread" of Jane Eyre, which I should be finishing this week. Good to see you rated it highly.

*delurking for a sec*

>190 humouress: For any particular reason, or just because you felt like it ;)

BWAHAHAAHAA!

>185 lyzard: 'God help me, I've actually been thinking of trying a 19th century challenge...'

Now why am I not suprised? :-)

>187 CDVicarage: I wonder if that was the first edition cover then?

>188 connie53: Hi Connie!

>189 DorsVenabili: Kerri, I think I may also be developing a bit of a Lively obsession :-) I'm surprised her books don't have better ratings on LT.

>190 humouress:, >191 lunacat: *waves*

>192 humouress: BWAHAHAAHAHAHAA!

I was a little premature in declararing all my October reviews written:



Book #163: All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year-Long Journey with Jane by Amy Smith - 3 stars

A travel diary/memoir of Amy Smith's year in six countries in Central and South America, learning Spanish and setting up book clubs for Spanish speakers to read and discuss Austen. I enjoyed reading about the discussions of Austen's books and the readers' thoughts on how relevant Austen's writing was to their culture. Unfortunately I was a lot less interested in Amy's journeys and her love-life and I got quite irritated with her when she tries to decide who to be with based on whether they are more like Mr Bingley or Mr Darcy.

Please follow me to my new thread!