Carolyn, I, too, have just started Walsh's "A Desert in Bohemia." It will be interesting to compare notes, when we both finish. Have you read "The Serpentine Cave"? Walsh has also written YA books. I plan to find and read her "Unleaving."

junek, I had not known "The Stone Angel" had been banned. There seems no end to those books certain "Christian" groups want to see vanished from libraries, even classics, such as "Huckleberry Finn." And the Harry Potter series is another, as well, sadly, because of the said "sourcery" in them. These folk hate Halloween, too, for similar reasons. So pathetic....

I'm finishing up Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach (she of the amusing one word titles: Stiff and Bonk - both good). She's easy to read and manages to dig up all sorts of interesting odds and ends for these books. Quite enjoyable.

I've also started How To Be A Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood by William J. Mann. I'm not sure if I'll really read this or just skim. I picked it up on a whim last time I was at the library.

My reading time of late has been very limited, but I have a long-ish flight coming up in December and I've saved Byatt's The Children's Book for that nice chunk of uninterrupted reading time ;)

Finished up "The Homemaker" by Dorothy Canfield Fisher 0 very good novel observing the roles played by men and women back in the 1920's (and in some families today), and what happens when you inverse those roles. Brings up the question of happiness and where you find it vs what society thinks etc. Good one.

Then read "Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife" by San Savage, which is the life story of a rat who lives in (and above) a bookshop and the "relationships" he develops with the people he comes in contact with. It's funny in places, and sad in others and I really enjoyed it. It was the author's first novel and is written from the rat's perspective - poignantly funny.

Now reading "Tom's Midnight Garden" by Phillipa Pearce, a book I have read mentioned around here. It's fun so far and seeing as it's a YA or even kids' book, it's easy reading. Looking forward to picking it up again soon.

(Not tonight -going to see Michael Jackson's documentary (!). I'll let you know. :-)

Lemonhead, I remember reading Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher several times as a young teen. I had forgotten her, but I really liked that book.

Woodnymph, the only other Walsh books I have read are three mysteries featuring the character of Imogen Quy who is a nurse at Cambridge University. I have enjoyed them, but they are certainly different from this book.

Lemonhead, I loved Tom's Midnight Garden (recommended here by Vee, I believe). It's a delightful book that I thought was just near perfect. Enjoy!

Another vote for Tom's Midnight Garden. One of my all-time favorite books - thank you, Vee!

Currently reading Jane Smiley's The Greenlanders and enjoying it very much. She does a good job of evoking the spare emotional tone of the sagas and the way in which the settlers lived. I think this would appeal to those who read and enjoyed Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter. Most of it takes place in the latter half of the 14th century.

Just finished The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller a powerful and poignant true story, about a young boy growing up in Wyoming and all he ever wanted was to be just like his dad, who worked on the oil rigs. He loved the mountains, hunting and fishing, and spending time outdoor with a few friends of him.

Next is The Dark Labirynth by Lawrence Durrell It is set just after the war, on Crete and more precisley in Corfù , is about an odd assortment of English travellers who come ashore from a cruise ship to explore the island and in particular to examine a dangerous local labyrinth

grelobe

Rouan's and my mother was a big fan of Dorothy Canfield Fisher's writing. More than once I heard her express regret that this author's style of writing had gone out of fashion. I myself never read any of her adult books, but I compared her in my mind to Edna Ferber, only on a smaller canvas. I wonder if I am right.

As for Understood Betsy, we were just fascinated by the story of falling into the wolf pit. There was a path worn up the side of a steep bank by our road that we called 'the wolf pit' when we were kids, and we used to act out the story of falling down the pit. Stories we read inspired many of our games.

Rosefolly

I read "Thrones,Dominations" which is by Paton Walsh some years ago. This is a very good book and a must for Lord Peter Wimsey fans.
I am rereading Simon Brett's Fethering mysteries as I recently got the latest and decided it was time to refresh my recollections!
The library has just got the new Dalziel and Pascoe "Midnight Fugue" for me.

I am in India, travelling for 5 weeks, but I still find time to read. Mostly I am reading my guidebooks, but to while away the time on trains between places I have William Dalrympe's The Age of Kali. It really enhances the reading experience to be in the place you are reading about. I just finished R.K. Narayan's Swami and Friends, which is a great book about a young boy in southern India in the turbulent 1930's.
This place in a book lover's paradise - books are so cheap here.

Just finished "A Desert in Bohemia" by Jill Paton Walsh and was thoroughly engrossed and fascinated by the setting and the characters. Very interesting depiction of the former Czech area when it was behind the Iron Curtain, before the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall. I love the work of this author and want to read everything she has ever written. Am having some issues just finding her books.

Next on the TBR pile: "Iceland."

mary/woodnymph, the only Paton-Walsh book I have read is Knowledge of Angels and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I am sure it would 'press all the right buttons' for many of you. It was a Booker Prize runner-up some years ago and is still for sale (very cheap) at the 'Book Depository'.

Here is a link that might be useful: Knowledge of Angels

Netla, if it is possible I would love to hear some travel stories from you. Do you keep a journal? RPers make a wonderful audience!

I have started on Wolf Hall at long last!

I, too, have finished A Desert in Bohemia and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a little trouble getting into it, but it is a very good book with a very satisfying ending.

As I said earlier, I had only read Walsh's Imogen Quy mysteries, but I will look for the rest of her books now.

After finishing Wolf Hall yesterday I read Love and Summer by William Trevor. This is a most beautiful book and I highly recommend it. The author paints pictures with his words. This book was long-listed for the Booker and while I don't see how judges ever can select one book over another when they are so different, this book certainly deserved consideration.

Now I'm moving on to read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest that I so impatiently ordered from amazon.co.uk.

Frances - I entirely agree with you about Love and Summer - I thought it was near-faultless. In another year, it would have been a cast-iron certainty for the Booker shortlist (along with Brooklyn by Colm Toibin - another book I was surprised not to see on the final list). Perhaps there's just been a bit too much Irish literature in the Booker recently?

Still, it was a first class shortlist this year (apart from one...) and I for one have no complaints about the winner.

Finished Wicked. I thought it was an interesting idea, but I found it all a bit unconvincing. (I enjoyed the show, mind!)

Re: chalk and cheese - it hadn't crossed my mind that it was not common parlance across the pond. Personally, I tend to use it to indicate that two things are very different when you might have expected more similarity. So if two brothers were very unlike each other, you might well say that they were as different as chalk and cheese.

After the recommendations above, I will now find my copy of Knowledge of Angels. It's been on my shelves for several years and I've never quite got round to it.

I read "Midnight Fugue" very quickly and am now reading a whole lot of Christmas catalogues :-) and looking forward to the new Sue Grafton which we get here soon. Hooray for the plethora of books brought out for the Christmas market! My wish list is simple, Belgian chocolates, tins of fancy biscuits and book tokens!

Finished 9 Dragons by Michael Connelly over the weekend.
Am now attempting to "wade" into Herman Melville's Moby Dick
So far I have found the style of writing very interesting, but somewhat difficult. Hoping I get used to it and enjoy the book.

I have just finished Ugly by Constance Briscoe; a memoir about her terrible childhood at the hands of her cruel mother. From an large immigrant family from the West Indies living in South London, C B was picked out for 'torture' by her sadistic Mother, initially because she was a 'bed-wetter' and then because she answered back and stood up for herself. The authorities and school were no help to the child (her teachers suggested she pray for guidance) and despite the rest of the family upping sticks and leaving her on her own for several years, CB, while doing part-time jobs managed to do well at school and eventually went on to University and qualified as a barrister. She is now the first black woman judge in England.
After she wrote Ugly her Mother sued both her and the publishers but lost the case.
The book is written with very little show of emotion/feeling so there are passages that read along the lines of "Had three sausages, chips, peas, jam tart and custard for school dinner, went home and my Mother kicked me in the head."
Not a pleasant read but certainly compelling.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Ugly'

OK....it seems I was mixing Knowledge of Angels - which I don't have after all - with Gate of Angels by Penelope Fitzgerald - which I do have.

So, I'm now reading House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.

Finished up Tom's Midnight Garden - really enjoyed it and will be passing on its recommendations to the readers of my book column that I do.

Now on to "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns - quite a culture shock going from Victorian times in England to the American South in 1906 (or whatever it is). Once the switch had been made though, I have been sucked into the book and am loving the story. I haven't been sucked into a story for a while and had missed it. Has anyone read the sequel to this?

Also, finishing up my lessons on becoming a "Model Wife: Nineteenth Century Style" - wow. You had to have a hard heart and be fairly superficial about lots of other things. I'm not sure I could have done it quite right back then...

I was extremely disappointed in the sequal to Cold Sassy Tree, as were a couple of others who read it. Just didn't work for any of us,I guess.

I am reading and so enjoying "Rose" by Martin Cruz Smith.

I suddenly got sick of House of Mirth about half-way through. Everyone seems so damn superficial. Edith Wharton is a lovely writer, but it's a shame she chose to write about such shallow people.

I may finish it, one day.

But I'll have to look for something else. I think a re-read of something I really loved is in order - I'll have a check through the bookshelves tonight to see if anything springs out at me; and I'll read Jerome K Jerome on the train home tonight. (Now THAT's a good thing about e-books - I've always got something, even if I suddenly go off the book I'm reading.)

I'm about a third of the way through "Ice Land" by Betsy Tobin and am enthralled by the characters and the plot. It is fiction, but infused with information about the Pantheon of gods and goddesses in Norse mythology. I feel as if I am being transported into another time, another world.

Mary, I enjoyed Ice Land when I read it. It's one of the few examples of a book written in the present tense where it really flows and seems natural, and the switch from 1st person to 3rd person narrators flowed naturally too. I thought she did a lovely job with the voice of Freya.

I've started The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver's new book. I like it so far and hope she doesn't get as preachy as she did in The Prodigal Summer.

Just about to start "Inside the Victorian Home" by Judith Flanders, which is a room-by-room tour of Victorian life and seems a natural follow-up to the Model Wife book I have just finished.

Also starting a fiction book called "The Tortoise and the Hare" by Elizabeth Jenkins, the story of an unraveling marriage during the 1950's. Interesting and might be an interesting contrast to "The Homemaker" that I read the other day.

I've been reading about Dorothy Whipple. Has anyone here heard of her or read any of her books? Are they good?

Martin, are you reading "Three Men in a Boat"? I love that book and I thought the film with Laurence Harvey was a good translation but the recent TV modern trip was a bit blah! (I cannot think of a suitable word!)
I am reading a reprinted P.G.Wodehouse "Frozen Assets" which is a bit odd as there is a reference to Brigitte Bardot but the story has a nineteen twenties or early thirties language such as mentioning 'Marcel waves' and 'Marconigrams'.

annpan - I just happen to have Three Men in a Boat on my sony reader, so yes it passed a pleasant 3/4 hour on the train. But I've read it over and over again. Haven't ever seen a film - not sure I'd want to.

My other favourite JKJ is The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow. "It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty to do."

Finished "Ice Land" which I really liked. It would be interesting to hear what Netla, who actually lives in Iceland, would have to say, should she read it....

Now I am reading "Unleaving", the companion to "Goldengrove" by Jill Paton Walsh. It is labeled for YA, but I don't think so. Much too deep and philosophical. Contains marvelous descriptions of Cornish landscapes and folklore, as well. Why have I lived most of my life without discovering this marvelous author until now???

Roseflly,

I remember the wolf pit! That depression in the bank is still there, but it doesn't look quite so hollowed out as it used to... Is it because we're grown up now or has it just filled in a bit I wonder.

I have't posted for a while because I've been listening to The Count of Monte Cristo (36 hours!) on my mp3 player. It takes a long time to listen to something like that! LOL

I have taken several books out of the library for when my ears are too sore from the headphones, but nothing has really grabbed my attention enough to finish, so I re-read an old favorite yesterday, The Curse of the Pharoahs by Elizabeth Peters. The main character, Amelia Peabody, makes me laugh even when I'm a bit down in the dumps.

The foodie books thread, made me wish to take in my hands again "The devilÂs cup: a History of the World According to Coffee by Stewart Lee Allenn

grelobe

I'm enjoying re-reading Barbara Pym's Excellent Women. It's just the ticket for a super-busy week! I'm also reading a very old favorite, The Swiss Family Robinson, out loud to my kids (technically, I'm reading to my 10-yr old, but I've noticed the teenager makes it a point to be within earshot when I read *G*). I'm enjoying it just as much as I did when I read and re-read it as a child.

The postings this month have greatly increased my TBR list, even more than usual.

I love Pym's Excellent Women, my favorite of hers.

Still plodding away at Wolf Hall. I'm finding the last 100 pages to be very tedious. Maybe because I already know what is going to happen? I have enjoyed it, but I wish it was shorter - a lot shorter. And I swear this is the last book about the sixteenth century that I will EVER read.

Also reading books about homesteading, goats, cheesemaking. Spent last weekend at a workshop and was happy to discover I am not the only person out there who enjoys these things. Of course I knew that, because no one would be publishing books if there wasn't a market. But it was nice to hang out with my 'tribe' for awhile.

IÂve changed my mind, during my lunch break I entered a bookshop , just to kill some time, and I couldnÂt help buying DreamÂs of River and Seas by Tim Parks about a guy called John James that flies to India to join his mother to mourns his father death.
I like novels where western people have to cope with really different culture

grelobe

Got bored at work on Friday so read "Tom Sawyer" on line and then finished it up over the weekend. I had not read this before, and did not realize that Twain could be so funny - there were parts where I literally laughed out loud and Twain definitely has the mind of a young boy down to the last detail.

I had this book in my bookshelf when I was a child in England, but didn't ever get around to reading it. I am not sure I would have "got" it all, so am happy that I have now only just read it. Truly, it was really funny.

Now about to start "Huckleberry Finn" and finish up "The Tortoise and the Hare" novel I've been reading but is not that rivetting. I also went to the library and went a bit wild in the Victorian section. Hoping to get lots of reading done during the Thanksgiving holiday, but DH has had to send his PS2 to be fixed so that means it's difficult to get time to read (i.e. quiet time) without hurting someone's feelings.

But fingers crossed. I got this interesting book of pics and original text of Victorian street sellers so want to immerse myself in that.

Also watched the PBS/Channel 4 series called "The 1900 House" about a modern family who volunteers to go and live in a house converted in every way to how it was during Victorian times. Interesting. Needless to say there was crying involved.

What with riding a busy wave at work, taking spanish lessons and working for a friend for a project which must be wrapped up by the end of the year, my reading time has taken a bit of a hit - including my hopes to attempt audiobooks. However, I did manage to speed-read "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich, the first in the Stephanie Plum series which I believe has been read by others here. I really enjoyed it; the witty dialogue, funny situations didn't seem forced or overdone - although I was surprised at how dark/suspenseful it got at times - and I actually laughed out loud. Another great series which I came to late!

As ever, this month's postings have increased my TBR pile too!

Recently read O.E. Rølvaag's Giants in the Earth. I didn't realize when I picked it up that it is book one of a trilogy. Has anyone read the others? Also just finished Selma Lagerlöf's Gösta Berlings Saga, and will be interested in reading more from her. I've read and highly recommend her wonderful children's book The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.

I finished The Lacuna yesterday and really liked it--far better than Prodigal Summer or The Poisonwood Bible, IMO.

I'm continuing my Barbara Pym re-reads. Finished Excellent Woman and am now reading Jane and Prudence. These are the perfect books for a busy holiday week.

Just finished Sue Grafton's "U is for Undertow" which is so new I cannot find any comments on it on the net! Has anyone here read it yet?

After finishing East of the Sun and enjoying it, I had to order the Water Horse and have just begun that.

Took a detour from my Victorian kick for a day or two and read "Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic" by John de Graff et al. Very interesting book about the (mostly) American culture and how it has developed into more of a materilistic culture than it was. This was written in 2000, and so it has prophecies of what life would be life ten years from now (i.e. next year). He was right about a recession and also by how many people would be influenced by or hear of the Voluntary Simplicity movement (basically buy less stuff, have less stuff)....

Very thought-provoking esp as all the ads on tv and in the mail are about "get, get, get" or "give, give, give". I am certainly going to heed their counsel on not buying so much rubbish. :-)

Then read a series of stories and essays by David Sedaris (including the memorable SantaLand/elf story) - funny stuff.

Now onto "Hucklebery Finn" and another visit to the Victorian times: "Victorian London Street Life in Historic Photographs" by John Thomson printed in 1897 and reported to be the first photographic evidence of how the people who worked on the streets lived their lives (i.e. flower sellers, shoe shine boys, chinmey sweeps, etc). Very interesting...

I am only a short way in with Dark Places by Kate Grenville, it has captured me, this author so far is in the mind and body of a fat misfit of a young man coming into pubery.It is written in the first person, so unusual knowing that the author is female and knows so much of the way a young male thinks. I am looking forward to seeing how he develops into manhood.

Finished a biography of Lord Byron, poet, by Edna O'Brien. Also just finished "Love and Summer" by Irish author William Trahern, which was a bittersweet, well-written story. I am now half-way through "Three Cups of Tea" by Mortenson and am finding it fascinating. At the same time, I have started Anita Shreve's latest novel, which is about mountain-climbing in Africa, Kilamanjaro, the Rift Valley, set in Kenya of the 1970's. I am a fan of Shreve's books.

Finished Three Cups of Tea now reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan."

woodnymph2,
I have an Anita Shreve waiting for me on tbr shelf
A Wedding In December, have you read it?
I did enjoy Sea Glass and Light On Snow.

I have finished A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd. It features a new main character who is a nurse in WWI, and I can hardly wait for my daughter, a nurse, to read it. We both like the Todd books a lot, and this is a successful departure from the Ian Rutledge series.