Mary, I think that The Railway Children is by far the best of E Nesbit's books. There are others The Phoenix and the Carpet, Five Children and It etc where temporarily 'parentless' children have various magical adventures. If nothing else they give an interesting picture of middle-class Edwardian life . . .so different from the real life of E Nesbit, who's husband was a cad, keeping a mistress and expecting his wife to help rear the offspring. ;-(

Vee, was Edith Nesbit really so distressed by her husband's behavior? Weren't they socialists, believers in open relationships, and co-founders of the Fabian Society? This would dismay most of us, but it seems to me that he was just practicing what they both preached.

Rosefolly

I never heard about Edith Nesbit's unhappy marriage.

In Canada, Lucy Maud Montgomery is a literary icon. Her marriage was similarly unhappy, as her Presbyterian minister husband suffered from debilitating depression. Lucy had to write her books while running a household and managing the parish duties her husband could not cope with. Poor woman. It is not a surprise she predeceased him, her health worn out.

I just finished Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh. I thought I had read all of the books in the Roderick Alleyn series but this one I evidently missed.

I have waiting for me The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, which was recommended on another site and a book I picked up at the local library book sale: I'd Rather be Writing by Marcia Golub. It looked like it might be interesting (and it was free, I had gone in on the last day of the sale where all the books left were given away so they wouldn't have to be tossed) so I thought I'd give it a chance, even though I'm not interested in becoming a writer.

rosefolly,

I meant to ask you how your husband liked Crocodile on the Sandbank? I like the series as a whole, but that is my personal favorite from it.

Rouan, he is just starting it. So far, so good. Meanwhile I am reading The Ivy Tree as a follow up to Brat Farrrar.

Rosefolly

Paula/Rosefolly re Nesbit and the Socialism thing. From what I understand there was a type of 'higher' Socialism where a way of life/ideal belief was discussed among well-heeled intellectuals (now often referred to, even on the BBC, as Guardian Readers) and the blue collar/working class Labour Party socialism where there was first hand experience and resentment at the uneven distribution of wealth, poor living/working conditions etc.
Nesbit and her husband Hubert Bland belonged to the former group and I think while the theories of 'free love' might sound fine, when put into practice by the man the life of the little woman at home must have become intolerable, however brave a face they put on it.
This is just my view on the subject.;-)

I finished the next one coming out for Stephen Leather in the Dan Shepherd series, Rough Justice. Good standard thriller, with political overtones.

Just finished Deanna Raybourn's "Silent in the Sanctuary". After my complaints about her first book in this series, I thought I would see if the second was better. (It had been sent from another town on my earlier ILL request so it seemed rude to send it back immediately!) I am glad to say that it was. I am not an expert on Victorian times but am old enough to recall the speech of people who lived then and listened to their stories.
I have to finish my library books by next weekend 'cos it is time for the Eurovision Song Contest, folks! Later in the month than usual so I have no Mother's Day/birthday goodies left.
[Exits hastily to the chocolatier's shop and liquor outlet, tunelessly murdering Abba's "Waterloo" :-)]

annpan, you get the Eurovision Song Contest on Aussie TV? OMG I hope it carries a health warning. :-)
Although on the Abba theme, the Aussie film Muriel's Wedding is always good for a laugh. And I'm coming to Porpoise Spit for my next holiday.

Here is a link that might be useful: Muriel's Wedding

I'm reading my first Cynthia Harrod-Eagles mystery, and am not liking its characters nearly so much as those of Susan Hill. I think I got a bit spoiled by the latter....

Vee, it is broadcast on the SBS station which was set up for this kind of special interest program from European networks. We get ESC a day late with Aussie commentators (miss you Terry!) so we know the results and can skip the judging unless we want to see the contestants' reactions when the points are allotted! We didn't get translations of the words last year, just a caption "Sings in ....(Language)" Perhaps no loss with some of the lyrics, anyway. We have just had an SBS program about Eurovision and apparently there is a drinking game played at the parties which are held by people who love to watch this feast of music and fashion. One sip for key-change etc and a gulp for something outrageous, like Buck's Fizz skirt-rip. With luck one is blotto by the result announcement and reprise of the winning song!

Finished up "Good Evening Mrs Craven" by Mollie Panter-Downes, a WWII-era writer about life in England during and after the war. It's a collection of columns that were published in "The New Yorker" and was quite interesting, although sometimes the end of the column would come quite suddenly, and I'd be left there thinking "isn't there more story to come?" Still, that's the nature of short stories, I suppose.

Then moved on to a collection of ordinary people interviewing each other (usually a family member) in the StoryCorps project (heard on NPR sometimes). That was sweet and there were some rather poignant conversations in there. It's called "Listening is an act of Love".

Just started "People of the Book" which everyone in the world seemed to be reading last year, but I have only just picked it up. Good so far so I can understand what all the fuss is.

BTW, two things OT:
* Did anyone catch "Small Island" on PBS recently? I saw it and I have to admit that it was just as good (if not better) than the book (which doesn't happen very often.) Thoroughly enjoyed it.

* I am looking for a portable bird watching/identifying book that I can carry around with me when I go for a walk. Do any of you have any recommendations? I know that birds will vary by region, but perhaps there is a well-known series out there or something? Thanks in advance.

I loved Small Island - I was afraid to say so. I actually didn't care much for the book. But in the film, Hortense took on dimensions that I didn't pick up from the page. She was so wonderfully strong and yet so vulnerable, her prickly manner and pretensions a veneer over a tender heart and steely resolve. Really terrific. And everyone in the cast was wonderful. The themes are so difficult, but I felt I understood everyone's decision in the end.

I would recommend the Sibley guides. David Sibley is a great ornithologist and artist.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sibley Guides

I purposefully didn't watch Small Island for the reasons you gave, Siobhan. My daughter, who has not read the book, reprimanded me for not watching it, saying it was wonderful. I'll try to catch it on a rerun.

Finished Mary Stewart's Nine Coaches Waiting. Atmospheric mystery/romance with a governess taking a somewhat mysterious position at a French chateau. Handsome suitors, murder, counts, high fashion, the whole package. Stewart, being so elegant with words, pulls it off without schmaltz. One thing that struck me was how innocent it was - no sex, nothing like that. Really good.

Siobhan, I have always enjoyed Mary Stewart's novels. Have you noticed how the books that are well written and don't feature sex scenes, just delicate references, seem to last well after the sex-and-shopping ones become out of fashion?

I agree with Ann about well-written, delicate-reference books being the best. My daughter and I went to see the movie Letters to Juliet Saturday afternoon. It is a chick flick, light and fun, and it had NO sex scenes and NO bad words. Amazing!

Lemonhead,
As Siobhan said, the Sibley field guide is excellent. It shows the birds in different plumages, according to season. It is a bit heavy, you'll need a large pocket to carry it. The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America is also very good, though heavier and slightly bigger than Sibley's, not convenient for carrying. This guide has ALL the birds of North America (Sibley has one for eastern North America and another for the western part).

If what you want is to identify just your local birds, a local field guide for your area will be smaller and more specific. Local bookstores should have them, or you can always call your local Audubon chapter for a recommendation. Texas has a wonderful variety of birds, some of which are not seen anywhere else in the country.

RIT -

I found an awesome guide, exactly what I wanted (a portable plastic fold-out guide w pics), but they don't do my region. I even wrote to the publishers asking if they were planning on doing one for this area, but they said (I quote) "Don't hold your breath!".

So back to the bookstore to see what I can find there...

Thanks for the info. I don't want a huge coffee table book - just something I can put into a back pack or pocket and grab out when I need it...

Lemonhead,
After I wrote the post above, I checked online, and found 5 field guides for the birds of Texas. The one with the best reviews is by Stan Tekiela. It is color coded (lists birds by color) and is probably a pocketbook. The advantage of a book field guide over the plastic fold-out one is that it gives you some information on bird behavior and calls that helps with the identification (do they feed on the ground or catch insects in flight? is the tail often uptilted?). Nothing beats though the plastic fold-out for portability. Let me know which birds you find!

That was v kind of you, RIT. Thanks a lot, and I will do some searching tonight. I did buy a Sibley "how to bird watch" book, as I have never done it before... I know it can't be THAT hard, but I like to do things right. :-)

Regarding identifying birds. I saw a new bird in my bottle-brush tree and as it was too early for blooms, went out and bought a deluxe bird feeder and wild bird seed mix to encourage it. Bird was not interested, so I rang the Zoo for advice and found it was a common singing honeyeater which only drinks nectar. Plant some Grevillia, I was told, which I have done and now get a lot of them. Common indeed!
I should have checked it out first! Canary breeding son was pleased with the gear which was so unnecessary!

FWIW - I thought the film of Small Island was pretty good, but the book was miles better.

Finished The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. I liked it very much - I think it's one which will reward re-reading. Put your money down for the Booker for this one!

So I'm now re-reading Cloud Atlas. (Treated myself to an e-book copy to save my wrists on the tube...)

Lemon, if you are just getting started in birding, I strongly urge you to seek out a group to go out with. The Audubon Society is of course well-known and probably has a chapter close by; there are many excellent organizations. Most have regular outings of two or three hours. They are invariably very welcoming to everyone, most especially beginners and in general are very nice people. The only thing I miss from Massachusetts is my birding group - they are a bunch of people not unlike we have here at RP.

Today I finished Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' most recent Bill Slider mystery called Fell Purpose. As usual, the puns were wonderful, as were the chapter titles, and several lines had me laughing out loud. I did guess the murderer, but it all came together neatly in the end.
I have read just a few pages of Stuart Macbride's new one, Dark Blood.

I just finished The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier. It's her first novel and she has done well. The protagonist is a "spinster" professor of literature, who leaves Columbia University and NYC to move to Amherst to be part of a new program that focuses on women and interweaves all the disciplines in its approach. While somewhat a novel about feminism, it is a feminism that embraces all the strengths of women...like being able to circle the wagons to help friends make it through a horrible ordeal...and all land on the other end, safe and stronger for what they have done. I loved it as I haven't loved a book for a while...in that way of wanting to get in the car to visit, to see the completely restored Victorian, and to enroll in the college. To reassure and be reassured. To be reminded of the two kinds of family: the one we are born into and the one we choose.

Just finished Then It Came to An End by Joshua Ferris. It was hard at first to get through as I saw it only as little anecdotes but eventually there was somewhat a plot. I found it entertaining to say the least.
Now reading, and don't laugh, it's been a rough few weeks at work and needed something very very light. Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Horbison. Ahhh what a relief!
Also, I did finish the third book of Stieg Larsson. THe hornet's one and it's just so disappointing that there won't be anymore.

Currently reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton for a book club. Ms. Morton is also the author of The House at Riverton. It is a twisty turning plot with new passages and new puzzles at every turn. It is a big book - over 500 pages. The story is interesting and puzzling. I am enjoying reading it but at the same time, I can put it down. Does that happen to anyone else?

PAM

I've read surprisingly few books this month - or lots and lots, depending on how you count.

When you come across omnibus editions, how do you count the books? Specifically, when you come across something like Amphigorey (by Edward Gorey), which is only 200 pages long but contains 15 short books previously published separately?

(By the way, I loved it, and plan to get the other Amphigorey books from the library).

I devoured Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir, a fictionalized account of the short and tragic life of Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen. Really wonderful book but tragic beyond words. So now I am back to Seasons in Basilicata by David Yeadon, a lovely memoir of time spent in this often-overlooked region of Italy. These are both RP recommendations, thank you very much!

PAM, I find if I put a book down for too long I can easily forget the plot. ;-)

I have just finished The Flight of the Maidens by Jane Gardam found on the TBR pile. Rather a mixed story of the lives of three girls between school and university in the summer of 1946 and how they spend the months of the holidays. I took issue with the descriptions of the bare-footed children in London and tipping the telegraph boy 10 shillings (6d was the norm) but JG seems rather casual about facts.

Carolyn, earlier I had mentioned The Man in the Wooden Hat by JG and had wondered that Betty had worked at Bletchley Park though an inmate of a detention camp in China.
By chance I just read an article about the staff at B. Park (the very hush-hush wartime establishment where cyphers were decoded, especially the 'Enigma Code'). The staff all left immediately after WWII and nearly all the records were destroyed. The very clever young people working there (up to 10,000 of them) were under the strictest code of secrecy and all had to sign the 'Official Secrets Act' and none of then ever revealed what they did or even where they had worked. So Gardam should have chosen another 'job' for Betty as she would never have told anyone about her Wartime work; even assuming she could have been both in China and England at the same time.

Pam: I too find myself enjoying books and being able to put them down - my trouble is another book may catch my eye and the other book gets left in the dust so I really have to force myself to concentrate, or go the upstairs/downstairs/subway book route and try to have three or four on the go so none get forgotten. At least my wandering eye pertains to books only and hubby has nothing to worry about!

Of course, every so often one comes along that cannot be put down. 'Olive Kitteridge' is coming close - I think it may be the new ereader format that is holding me back. Still getting used to it and I had to re-download it after the library lending period ended. (Yes, it went 'poof' off my reader!) Sarah Canary - It is darker than I was expecting, I love how each individual story kind of sneaks up on me and what an interesting concept to make O.K. a peripheral character in some of the stories.

I am also reading "Island of Lost Girls" by Jennifer McMahon. I am just a few chapters in but cannot wait to see how it turns out. A young lady who lost a childhood friend witnesses an abduction of a young girl while on her way to a job interview - the abductor was dressed in a white rabbit outfit. I would not classify this as just a straight mystery novel as there is more to it than that; I cannot wait to see how the story ends.

I tried reading "Too close to the Falls" by Catherine Gardiner but it was not the right time for me. It is a memoir about growing up in the 50s in a small town near Niagara Falls where 'everything is not as it seems' apparently. The first part of the memoir starts off when she was four years old and, with too much energy to burn, she works full time at her father's pharmacy. That much seemed interesting and believable but I just wanted her to tell her story from an adult point of view rather than pretending to or trying to tell it from a four-year old's perspective: e.g. 'that policeman seemed grouchy when he spoke to my co-worker/friend Ron, I wonder why?' and you're supposed to figure out it's because Ron is black and he's got a four-year old white girl in the car and it goes on - I don't know,it just seemed all too 'clever' for me. Sometimes I find "tell, don't show" works a bit better than the other way round. I guess I am just not in the mood at the moment and found it patronizing. Did anyone here read this book?

stoneangel, I read Too Close to the Falls some years ago and, like you, took a while to realise what the fuss was about 'Ron'. I can't remember if she actually mentioned that he was black, or maybe I missed it, but there was quite a to-do when they get stuck away from town in a snowstorm and were forced to spend the night together. As he took good care of the child I couldn't see what all the worry was about.
I remember thinking had I been a customer at that drug store I might have been a bit worried to know my pills/medicine had been made (in the days before they came pre-packaged from a pharmaceutical giant) by a four/five year old. ;-)

Finished up the lovely "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks. Even though I really enjoyed it, I found that it was a book that was difficult to put down but then it wasn't always calling to me back to read it. Still, I enjoyed the alternating POVs and learnt some things about a topic about which I knew nothing.

Now on to "Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life" by my favorite book critic/reviewer Michael Dirda. I am only a little ways into it, but I can tell it's going to add my TBR substantially. That guy is so well read, I feel like a kindergartner next to his reading life....

I am reading a very rare book - one that was not recommended by my friends here at RP. I heard a program on the radio (public radio here in the U.S.) featuring the author, Richard Holmes and his new book, The Age of Wonder - How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science. I immediately requested it from the library, and it is just as good as it sounded on that program. The book is comprised of a collection of stories about scientists who changed our perception of the world, and along the way inspired poets, philosophers, artists, and challenged the religious beliefs of the day.

Soibhan, that sounds like it would be a great book for my DH. I checked out the reviews at Amazon UK, and 27 out of 29 gave it 5 stars. I then looked at Amazon US, and was surprised to see two 1 star reviews! However, when I checked, one was a whinge about the price of it as an ebook, and the other a whinge about the ebook formatting.
This is something that seems to be happening more and more - Amazon reviews that don't address the content of the book, but merely the price or service offered by Amazon. I wish they had some way to delete reviews like that.

Astrokath - I agree with you about whinging about the price of the book - if you don't like the price, don't buy it.

But something I have discovered to my regret is that ebooks are generally very poorly proofread, and the formatting is frequently dire - poetry is often unreadable. Science books often refer to diagrams or equations - if the formatting is shot, the book is useless. In these circumstances, it is acceptable to give the book a low mark.

Granted, formatting issues are tricky, as it depends on the reader as well as the ebook - but Amazon don't really have that excuse, as their ebooks are for their own Kindle.

Still reading Cloud Atlas on my Sony Reader - a few silly proof-reading errors, and an annoying formatting problem with page numbers at the side overwriting the page - but generally pretty good by eBook standards.

Dancing around the living room as I just finished the last of 3 nearly co-incident writing commissions and now have 14 days before my next deadline and can pick up a book without fearing that it will be one I can't put down...I have actually been driven to choosing books with the feeling "well, it looks like it will be okay and I won't care if I only read 6 pages and fall asleep and then don't read again for 24 hours." HORRIBLE feeling!
Anyway, I am going to peruse the TBRs and pick out the most seductive title there. Pour a large drink and "go away" for a day or so!
I'll send a postcard.

Yes Astrokath, I think your husband would like The Age of Wonder - it is what you might call a 'man's book.' I have been thinking it would be a good book for a book club to read if they have both men and women members. And there are many lovely pictures included, wouldn't want to miss out on those with the ereader version. Those reviews get me too, I don't know why they can't put them in a separate category.

Finished Bill Bryson's "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" about his return to life in New Hampshire, after 20 years of living in England. Although the book is now quite dated, having been written in the 1990's, it is still very funny and insightful.

Just picked up "Eat, Love, & Pray" at a thrift store for only 98 cents. Not sure I will like this one or not....

Hi all.
Ten minutes ago, I finished The Forgotten Garden. There was so much going on in that book that a synopisis is rather difficult to formulate. At first, I was interested in the book but could definitely put it down. Then slowly, it grabbed hold of me. I found myself out in the garden and having to stop my gardening to grab a quick chapter. How do I rate it? An enjoyable read but not a book I will keep or re-read. I will be getting it in the mail to my aunt tomorrow morning.

Next up? When I figure it out I shall let you know. As I sit here typing, I can count my downstairs TBR pile... 36 books. And before you ask, yes, I have an upstairs TBR pile, too. I am afraid to count the titles in that pile. I have come to terms with the fact that I shall always have a TBR pile (Or two, or three) so rather than worry about their sheer volume, I am rejoicing in the fact that I always have so many choices at my fingertips!

PAM
P.S. to both AnnPan and Woodnymph,
Thank you both for your dog breed suggestions! I had friends who had Samoyeds. I always felt that they were lovely dogs. But the long coats have me wondering about grooming and bathing. Scottish deerhounds! Never heard of them before! I will look into them because I don't even know what they look like. Sadly, I am still a one-dog person. The good part is that my black lab, Captain Nemo, is really bonding more deeply than he had before. He was always second fiddle to Snoopy. Without Snoopy here to guide him, Nemo is becoming more confident, and more protective of the family. It is nice to see him growing up! I will keep you all posted on my doggie status. My daughter (12) has petfinder.com memorized. She was ready to jump in the car and have me drive her to Indiana for a puppy just last week. (If the puppy had been within a five-hour drive from me, I would have jumped in the car and consented. But Indiana? That's a bit too far.)

I raced through Heyer's "The Grand Sophy" -- a fun read, but I think I liked "The Corinthian" better. I'm now struggling through "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" for my book group. I loved the title, but it's a bit of a slog so far.

I'm also still reading "Mockingbird," a bio of Harper Lee. I find it interesting to hear about her life and see where her ideas and characters came from, but it's easy to put down.

I really need a fun book to squeeze in somewhere.

Started East Lynne last night on my iPhone because it was getting dark outside, the house was warm and the deck was cool, and the iPhone is backlit. So far so fun, although Anne Hereford grabbed faster.

Also reading Elizabeth Peters' newest book A River in the Sky-which is fun, but annoying because it is out of sequence so the characters are younger, relationships that I know will happen haven't....not sure why this one was written. When I sit down in the future to do a full read of all of them, I will definitely put this one where it should be in time.

Having been on vacation for a week, I was finally able to sit down (besides gardening and housework) and read a few books.

I listened to Whittington by Alan Armstrong. It's a children's book, written from the point of view of the cat Whittington, a direct descendant of Dick Whittington's cat. He narrates the story of Dick Whittington and his cat to the other animals in the barn and to the children who help take care of them. There are some sub stories for each animal and the children but the tales of Dick Whittington ties it all together.

I also listened to The River Between Us by Richard Peck. It's the story of a family during the beginning of the American Civil War, framed at the beginning and end by the narration of a grandson fifty years later.

Besides listening to these, I read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman and Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. The last one is the true story of a blind cat she adopted as a young kitten. As most true pet stories end with the death of the pet, I was happy that she chose to write this one while Homer was still alive and well.

I am slowly reading Le Fanu's The House by the Churchyard, at long last available in an affordable paperback. The book begins with a clandestine, midnight burial, so I was hooked from the first chapter.

ccrdmrbks, East Lynne is more of a family melodrama, so it is a much different book from Anne Hereford. The former was a publishing phenomenon, scandalizing a huge audience of readers. I preferred Anne Hereford because there were so many sinister and frightening elements. I don't want to give away the plot, but I will say there were scenes which gave me a good, old-fashioned scare!

Re: "Brat Farrar" - I re-read it last summer. An unusual story for an English novel, w/a hero who spent time as a cowboy (breaking in wild horses, rodeo performing, etc.) in the American West!

BTW: Did you know -- One of P.D. James's favourite five mystery novels of all time is Josephine Tey's "The Franchise Affair". I also re-read that last year, and it's a real doozy! About two women living alone and being (almost) totally undone financially and legally by a 15-year-old girl. Creepy to think that it's based on a crime that really happened.

One of you (sorry, I tried to find the entry so I'd know your name, but couldn't find it) was reading a "New book by Melvyn Bragg". I like his writing and TV appearances. How was the book?

What were the other four of James's favourites, please?
I am currently reading "Consigned to Death" by Jane K. Cleland. This was supplied by my library in response to my request but I cannot recall from whom I got the recommendation. Must keep notes in future!

I do realise it is now June! I tried to post messages several times at the end of last month but could not get through for some reason.

To Annpan:

Sorry, I can't remember all 5 of P.D. James favourite mysteries. That article came out about 3 yrs. ago. Don't know what publication it was in, either. Someone at another Website posted it. Think it was at Pemberley.com. Maybe you could look it up in their archives. Anyway, here's another one from that list:

The Flying Toy Shop - Crispen ? (not sure of author)