Vee, I went to Chichester Girls Grammar School which was fairly progressive but not to the extent of having Lady Chatterley in their library!

I checked the school out recently and the uniform colour has changed from green to blue and they are in a different location! Take your eye off a place for sixty-five years and look what happens!

Thanks to all who noticed and commented about my absence from RP. Vee, you remember my pet likes and dislikes perhaps a bit too well. ;-) Of course I Capture the Castle will bring me out of the woodwork! I appreciate your forbearance of my repetitions -- I only have a limited number of stories to tell, and I tend to forget how many times and to whom I've told them! With my propensity for long, scattershot posts, I may become even more dangerous now that I can type again with more than one finger.

Kathy, was your mother a teacher? My ninety-six-year-old mother was a music teacher but she's always been a great reader (still is!) and she profoundly influenced me and what came my way in reading material. The only things she didn't get to rub off onto me were science fiction and fantasy, but that was due to my own cussedness. The lacunae in any person's reading habits have their own curious and interesting history to tell; don't you think?

I am currently reading Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. It's nonfiction but is constructed to read like a whodunit. The subtitle is "The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI". I'm about halfway through and I think I've figured out who was responsible, but that may be because I vaguely recall from other reading some things about these murders that commenced in 1921 and lasted four or five years with at least 24 victims, mostly Osage Indians, in Osage County, Oklahoma. In the history of the Osage, Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family make a brief cameo -- not a very flattering one. I'm enjoying the puzzle and the history.

Frieda - You guessed it. My mother was an elementary school teacher (third, fifth and sixth grades at various times), and a voracious reader.

I had X-rays last week and fortunately nothing is broken. The doctor thinks it's a combination of pulled muscles and a ligament injury. I have an appointment with a physiotherapist next week.

I seem to be having a run of bad luck: not only am I dealing with a sore arm, but the fuel injection system in my car is acting up, and early on Sunday morning someone thought it would be fun to shatter its rear window. My neighbors heard laughing and the sound of the window breaking, but didn't actually catch the perpetrators in the act. I can't get the window replaced until the fuel injection problem is fixed, and that appointment isn't until next week, so until then I am driving around in a borrowed car and getting used to driving with a stick shift again and my car is sitting in the parking garage at work.

I finally finished Inspector Hobbes and the Blood. Despite the author's somewhat eccentric relationship with the comma, it was funny and inventive with a wonderfully slapstick climax. I am already itching to order the sequel, but I have about 700 other books to get through first...

Oh dear, Netla, bad luck is said to "run in threes" so let us hope that a lot of good luck will come your way to balance this.

Having hot weather is making me languid in brain as well as mobility so I am reading very light books, preferably in Large Print format. I found a new to me author, Veronica Henry and read two books about people who have beach huts in Devon on the South Coast of England. They are similar to Maeve Binchy and resonate with me as I lived in a coastal town when I was a child and longed to have one of the beach huts on the sands. I used to fantasize that I actually had one and would have Enid Blyton type adventures there.

Bill Bryson mentions meeting people who had one in Small Island.

Netla, I'm sorry to hear of your car issues! Driving a stick with a sore arm is not fun (I know from experience!). I hope it feels better soon, and that the car issues can be fixed soon, too.

Donna

Netla - Hoping your injuries heal fast and your car repairs go well. (May the road rise up to meet you ... and all that jazz.)

I have started reading Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and am really enjoying it. I'm hoping it won't turn on me. I don't think it will because once I realized how much I was liking the book, I checked my "future reading" file to see where I got this title. It turned out to be a recommendation from Reader-in-transit that I made a note of last August. Thanks, Reader!

I haven't read Ordinary Grace but have read several of his Cork O'Connor books that I do like.

You will all be glad to know, I'm sure, that I finished A Column of Fire and have just barely started Season of Blood by Jeri Westerson, the latest in her medieval Crispin Guest series.

Thank you all for you good wishes. I have got to the point where it doesn't hurt all the time, only when I have to use the arm. Even then, I am fortunate that I can type without it hurting, so that's something. What's frustrating about this is that I finally found a type of physical exercise I enjoy (weightlifting), and this is stopping me from doing it.

Netla, I hear you about exercising! If only I could find some activity I really like to do. I like weight training, too (light hand-weights at home), but don't do enough.

Carolyn, glad you finally finished Column of Fire! :)

I'm plodding through Camino Road by John Grisham. It's only 250 pages, but so far I haven't made it to 100 so maybe I will just give up on it. It's very choppy and really just a dull story, IMHO. I keep thinking it will pick up in the next chapter! I haven't read a lot of Grisham but I usually like his writing.

Donna

msmeow, I can confirm what you think about Camino Road, everything happens in the first chapter and in the last one. In the middle....? so if you want to see how the handwriting manuscript are sold, go straight to the last chapter . You wan't miss anything worth reading. I realize I'm maling a little of spoiler, but I had done it to save time for anyone

I, too, thought Camino Island was horrible! The first couple of chapters were ok, but it went downhill fast. I think Grisham is relying on his name. Really surprised to see good reviews of this book.

> I think Grisham is relying on his name. Really surprised to see good reviews of this book.

I think a lot of reviewers automatically give good reviews to famous authors, even when the book sucks.

Thanks, msgt800 and clt3! I think I will give up on it. I didn't like his Skipping Christmas, either, and it got great reviews.

Life's too short to waste time reading boring books, right? :)

Donna

> Life's too short to waste time reading boring books

Donna, this is my reading motto. I am thinking about embroidering it and hanging it up over the sofa where I do much of my reading.

P.S. I am currently reading Persian Fire by Tom Holland. It's historical non-fiction, an account of the rise of the Persian empire and the Greco-Persian wars.

I've been reading and going through my books to prepare for February's Black History Month (in the U.S.). when I really pay attention to what I'm reading, what the topic is about, and who the author is who wrote it. I find that People of Color are woefully underrepresented in my reading choices sometimes, and so I pulled the AfAm-related books from my TBR, and already read one and now half-way through another.

The one that I read was NF about Queen Victoria who temporarily adopted a young African girl who had been saved from the slave ships current at the time. Her parents were killed by warring tribal factions, and a Royal Navy officer ended up looking after this little 5-year old, and in the process changed her life forever. Queen Victoria fits in because the African girl was taken to the palace and introduced to HM, leading to a year-long relationship with the royal and receiving a good education, but she goes back to Africa in the end. It's really a fascinating story, and one with which I was not familiar.

(Plus it matches very well with the new season of Victoria, which we watching avidly. It's made me curious to see just how closely the series sticks to the facts.)

Now I'm reading "Native Son" by Richard Wright (1940) which has been hanging in my bookshelves for quite some time. It's a riveting read, and I highly recommend it. I could hardly put it down to go to bed last night.

Lemonhead - I read Native Son many years ago and yes, I agree it was riveting. I'm surprised how much I remember about it so many years later.

Netla, I seem to have failed to say how sorry I am about your arm. Glad you are recovering, but please do let it heal completely before using it freely again. My son-in-law fell last fall and really hurt his shoulder but being so macho, he keeps on lifting, shoveling snow, etc., and it is still troublesome.

Reading away on Season of Blood and enjoying it.

I've been reading from my Christmas book haul and just finished Michael Perry's Roughneck Grace, a collection of his newspaper columns from the Sunday Wisconsin State Journal. He's a good storyteller and can be very funny. I've read a few of his other books (Truck: A Love Story was terrific) and have at least one more of his in the TBR pile.

Netla, I hope your arm is feeling better and your car gets repaired promptly!

I've got Italian Ways by TIm Parks and Crazy for Italian Food by Joe Famularo in my TBR pile. I love memoirs, especially those about Italy and France.

I finished reading Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and am happy to report that it did not turn on me. In fact, I liked it so much that on my way home from returning it to the library, I stopped at Barnes & Noble and bought myself a copy. Admittedly, some people would consider that a strange thing to do, but I don't think I need to explain myself to this audience <smile>.

I will warn you though that this book has some sad moments which actually made me cry, though I am not generally a crier. Again, I thank Reader-in-transit for recommending it.

I'm reading Settled Blood by Mari Hannah, a murder mystery where the body of a young woman who has been dropped from an airplane is found at the base of Hadrian's Wall and a similar looking girl has gone missing from her rich father's house.

I finished Wired by Julie Garwood today. It was about a young woman who’s a computer genius and gets recruited by the FBI. It won’t win any literary awards, but I enjoyed the story and it was a quick read.

Next up is Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon.

Donna

I just finished re-reading Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner and, as happens occasionally, found that I liked it more this time than I did the last time I read it. For me, it turned out to be one of those books that when finished, leaves me feeling both satisfaction (for a story well told) and regret (that it's over and there isn't any more to read). Now I need to find something different to fill the void.

Here's one for all of you RPers.........Most of those who read Gentleman In Moscow will agree that it was delightful.

I am longing for another book which will make me want to cast off my duties and cares and cozy up, engrossed in the story and never wanting it to end.

Yoyo - I suppose you've already read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr?

Just finished a couple of quickish reads

Gather Together in my Name by Maya Angelou the second of her autobiographies sees her trying to support herself and her baby son in post war LA, taking low paid jobs and getting mixed up with sleazy men.

Bags and Baggage by Piffa Schroder, a book that seems to have been lurking at the bottom of a TBR pile for ages. An entertaining work written by the then-wife of one of the richest men in the UK (of the banking family) She here gives 'advice' about what to wear, how to behave, what not to do if invited to a 'shoot' on some vast Highland estate where 'one' will be surrounded by beaters, ghillies, game keepers, stalkers and possibly 'damn foreigners' who don't know the correct shooting/hunting/fishing gear/what colour of ancient tweeds to wear or how much to tip the above servants. Schroder is originally from Ireland where the county set are born knowing the correct way to handle these situations.

Finished up Wright's Native Son. What a great read. That last chapter (or section, really) was so powerful when his lawyer is doing his final argument, and it took my breath away. In the 70+ years since it was first published, I'm sad to say that things haven't improved for AfAms as much as I'd like (i.e. institutional racism et al.).

Then tried to read a Cameroonian novel, but it didn't go very well, so put it back, and now reading Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains (about an African doc who comes to US with no contacts, one suitcase, and $200.)

And tonight is Victoria. (Rubs hands with glee.)

Got my ankle plaster cast removed the other day, thankfully. Now I'm in a space age airbag cast which really reminds me of the boots of the Star Wars stormtroopers. I must say I'm getting pretty agile with the knee scooter thing. I'm working up to doing wheelies next. :-)

Vee, I used to love reading those type of Society hints books (buy a mink stole and everyone will think that your home-made clothes are couture and your paste stones are diamonds!) but I never dreamed that kind of advice would be needed. Then I went to Australia where all things are possible...

Lemon, good that you are on the mend. My feet swell up a lot in the heat and I too hobble around. I use my two wheeled shopping buggy as a walking aid outside the house!

Annpan, I don't suppose there is much need for a mink in Australia! Saw an interesting TV programme on 'life' down under recently and it showed the crowds going to the Melbourne Cup. Most women were dressed to the nines yet many of their male escorts were clad in baggy short and singlets. I've no idea if this was a true reflection of male v female attitudes to social niceties in your part of the world.

Vee, it can get chilly here, so the mink stole I got (on sale!) came in handy and yes, I did wear it with home made formal evening dresses and paste diamond jewellery!

I haven't been to the races in many years, but here is the interesting thing, I was in the VIP section of a three storey race meeting building and as I went up the escalator I noticed that whereas all the women were dressed up, on the lowest level the men were casually dressed, next level, polyester suits and ties, third level summer wool bespoke tailored suits! I don't recall singlets and shorts. That style might have been worn outside the building...

Kathy......I have that book in my TBR pile but for some reason I have avoided it.

I will read it next !

Carolyn, have you read "Much Ado about Murder" by Elizabeth J. Duncan?

I know you like her murder mysteries and I have a query about it.

Yoyo - I would not have predicted that I'd like All the Light... as much as I did. When I started it, I was a bit worn down by WWII topics and also feeling the "alternating chapters" style of plot organization was being overused. And yet, I loved this book. You never know. I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you.

Yes, Ann, I have read the Duncan book. I like her Wales books better than the New England ones, and it has been a while since I read the one you mention, but I will certainly try to answer questions.

Carolyn, I was wondering why the star actress's sister tried to harm the girl who was playing Hero? Unlike the previous deliberate accident to remove the Peter Pan Wendy so her sister could get to play that part, there seems to be no reason for this.

I finished Persian Fire by Tom Holland. It tells the history of the Greco-Persian wars of the 5th century B.C. clearly and without assuming the reader has any prior knowledge of the subject. More than half of the book goes into setting the scene, giving the necessary background knowledge and introducing the main actors, and there are maps to show the geography and various battle lines. I would have liked to see more detailed maps, including one showing the route taken by the Persian army to Greece, but on the whole I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in ancient history.

My arm no longer hurts all the time, but I still can't lift anything heavier than a book without pain. I have an appointment with a physiotherapist later today and I hope he can help me find the right kind of exercise to speed my recovery. I hate not being able to do any crocheting or knitting.

Edit: Saw the physiotherapist. The verdict was a repetitive strain injury that wasn't helped by the three falls. He prescribed light exercise and physiotherapy and gave me a very painful massage.

I'm sorry, Ann, but I can't answer your question. The notes I keep are just a very brief summary of the books I read and don't help jog my memory at all in this case.

I have just finished Little Face by Sophie Hannah. That is one to hold one's interest--baby substitution.

Jan 31st...I have just received Herring in the Smoke by L.C. Tyler, ordered from the UK, and was going to start it tonight but there is a super blue blood moon to watch. Quite a rare occurrence, so this book will be my first for February instead!

I get a good view from my front windows. We were told that 9.30 pm would be when it is reddest and it certainly is that! I couldn't settle to read but have been peeping out since moon rise a couple of hours ago.

Ann, heard on the BBC this morning that although we will be able to see the 'super blue moon' tonight we wont get the red appearance, but those of you in the US should get a good view. . . of course in the UK it will all depend on the cloud level. We have very few clear days/nights so far this year. :-(

Not everyone in the US had a perfect view of the "Blue" moon. News resports said those in the Western US would have the best view. Here in SC on the east coast, our view was not that spectacular-- no red.

Here in Perth, Western Australia, we had the best view in the world apparently. Clear sky and a load of pix of the event on social media!

I don't know if it was because of this event but I stayed awake until 4am and got to start my new book after all!

It's somewhat cloudy here. The view was prettier last night; it was large but not red.

I'm reading Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood. Ann, have you read any of the Corinna Chapman series? They are set in Australia and are pretty lighthearted mysteries. She also wrote the Phryne Fisher books that were shown on PBS earlier.

Carolyn, yes I have read all of both series and have a few on hand that I bought from library book sales of donations.

I am enjoying Herring in the Smoke which is about a man who returns after 20 years when he was thought to be dead. Is really him or an imposter?

I love those kind of puzzles!

I started reading Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman, but I'm not sure I want to continue with it.

I'm planning a trip to London in March (the week before Easter) and think I may start reading some of my London books to get in the spirit of things. Particularly thinking of Peter Ackroyd, because I have some of his books in my TBR: The Clerkenwell Tales, The Lambs of London, Thames: Sacred River and London Under. I may supplement those by rereading choice chapters from London: The Biography.

I have been trying, for the last 12 years or so, to visit London for a week every couple of years, because while I like to visit new places, I also like to explore places I'm familiar with, and London feels almost like home. This year I'm especially considering some of the outlying areas and a couple of the popular attractions I still haven't visited (the Tower, Hampton Court). Can anyone tell me if Kew Gardens is worth visiting this early in the year?

Netla, I think by late March there should be enough of interest for a visit to Kew Gardens. I notice that there are guided tours held quite frequently which might be worth taking advantage of. Plenty to see at Hampton Court esp. the Tudor part which could be combined with the Kew visit. John's ancestors way back in time had worked 'in the gardens' at Kew and lived in the area that is now so eye-wateringly expensive that no gardeners could afford to live there! He also grew up in Thames Ditton, the nearest station to HC.

Apparently the Tower now has queues stretching several times round the block so it could be rather a scrum.

Have you ever taken a trip down the Thames to Greenwich and made a visit to the Royal Observatory and the old Royal Naval College? The last time I went many years ago the river was still lined with the various London Docks now all replaced with fancy apartments. It can get very nippy on the water but being from Iceland you will be well prepared. I know my US relations arrive in England wearing nothing warmer than light-weight poplin rain coats and wonder at the cold . . .and that's in the Summer

Vee, thanks for the recommendations and the warnings. I never take anything for granted, weather-wise, when I travel to the UK.

I was planning to take the train to Hampton Court and then to take the river bus downstream and visit Strawberry Hill House and Kew on the way down to central London, but apparently the river bus only goes that far up the river in the summer, so it will be the train both ways. I might go sailing downstream from Westminster to Greenwich instead.

I have been advised to arrive at the Tower an hour before opening or take a tour that skips the line, but I have been down there several times (meeting friends, taking a river tour, sightseeing) and have never seen a long queue in the afternoon.

I didn't have to queue at the Tower when I was there some years ago but I was disappointed at the short time allowed up close to the Crown Jewels. We were ushered to walk around so quickly that there wasn't time to absorb all their magnificence. There was a viewing platform further back where we could stand and look for a longer time but I hope the display is done better now.

Netla, just a thought, but most schools will break-up for the Easter holidays on 'Maundy Thursday' ie the day before Good Friday which is always a public (Bank) holiday as is Easter Monday, followed by a further two weeks off. If you are able to arrange your time here to avoid that period things will be quieter!

Vee, I was planning to use Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to just wander around and people watch (maybe go to Hampstead Heath/Telegraph Hill) and perhaps do a bit of shopping, since none of my favorite shops seem to close on those days. I expect museums and sights will be quite crowded then, so I'll finish that part at the beginning of my visit. If the weather is good, I might do a self-guided walk - there are several apps available to help with that.