Winter I am awake late again (3am and not surprising after a long post-dinner nap!) and replying to your comment about director's choices. I don't always agree with the author let alone the casting of the character on TV or film! I suppose that as long as the character stays close to the intention of the author, the looks shouldn't matter too much. Perez is supposed to be dark like his Spanish ancestor but on TV he is fair. Ah, well!

I am not at all artistic but did enjoy flower arranging at one time. I found a new artistic outlet in writing lyrics when I turned eighty so never too old to begin a new hobby!

Have you seen the Vera series on TV?

re Shetland on TV. This is the final series, some of which I watched although very late to the party. My brother has a place up there on Mainland and has been asked by several people if he has seen any of the 'activity' of the detectives/police. He has tried to point out that it is a work of fiction. Apparently some folk really believe the islands are a hotbed of murder!

Ann...I flatly refuse to acknowledge age...mine or anyone else's'...as a definitive qualification for new interests in life. If I did...I'd long ago have undertaken the visual appearance of a huge gelatinous blob. I have an enormous, insatiable curiosity and I'm always delighted by new "things" both of my own making and those of others.

I love flower arranging and I personally believe that it's a very artistic outlet for one's appreciation of nature's beauty. Flowers have a language all their own that allows us visual expression that, often, far exceeds our spoken words.

No...I've never seen Vera on TV. But I'd like to. She's a delightful character. I'd love to see how she's portrayed.

I checked my membership account with PBS and found nothing related to Shetland so apparently they haven't carried the series. That surprised me. I searched on line and found a few video sites for Shetland but I feared I'd spoil my reading experience if I opened the sites now so I bookmarked them for a later time.

Vee...That's a tickle! Present life is so often distasteful these days that fiction is far easier to accept. Your brother is a kind, patient man to take the time to explain the difference. I wonder how many of the fictional believers walk off shaking their heads in disbelief of the reality.

Ann...You piqued my curiosity when you asked if I'd seen Vera on TV so I went looking. I found several photos of Brenda Blethyn aka Vera and I'm not disappointed. She's a perfect Vera. Now my reading is enhanced. Thank you for bringing the visual to my attention.

Vee, my husband loved children and thoroughly enjoyed the TV production of Anne of Green Gables. When we visited Prince Edward Island as a part of a tour of eastern Canada, he was so disappointed to learn that Anne was not a real little girl.

Winter, I watched the early series of Vera on DVD and later ones on TV. They are well done and some episodes are taken from the books.

Apparently visitors to Ireland expect to find the places where Maeve Binchy has set her stories and are dismayed when set straight by the Tourist Board!

Seven am and still awake! (Sighs!) Bad sleeping patterns, the curse of old age...thankfully the i'net never sleeps either.

I have finished reading Essex Dogs by Dan Jones, who is a historian with many non-fiction books under his belt. It is set in the time of Edward I and the Battle of Crecy, and I enjoyed it, although it should come with a language warning. A couple of the nobility were very keen on swearing.

I also read The Cellist by Daniel Silva, one of my favourites. I somehow missed this one, so have another now to get up to date.

The Tilt is the fourth book by Aussie noir writer ( yes, that's a thing ) Chris Hammer. I think this is his best book by a fairly long way, and can recommend it. It appears to be titled Dead Man's Creek in some places, probably the US.

I have now started Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, which seems to have been very well received in general. Not very far in yet, but it is certainly promising.

Carolyn, it wasn't me who recommended Gary Disher. I'm ashamed to say I have never read him, although I have a couple on my TBR shelf.

Vee, I want to say thank you for mentioning Medieval Woman by Ann Baer in the October thread. I read it and enjoyed Marion, Peter, and their surviving son and daughter. This fictional story seemed very believable to me unlike most written nowadays in the modern vein. At least Marion is no proto feminist!

For some reason I've now forgotten the medieval story led me to Malcolm Gaskill's The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World. This is nonfiction about the 17th-century witch hysteria in Massachusetts, so 300-400 years separate the time settings, yet the lives of the people haven't changed appreciably in many ways, even after being uprooted three thousand miles away onto a new continent. Something that never soaked into my understanding of this bizarre situation was how frequently men were accused of being witches -- apparently the word witch could apply to either (or all) genders. The main witch in this history of Springfield, Mass. circa 1651, was one Hugh Parsons, a brickmaker -- a nasty piece of work in many ways but nothing particularly 'abnormal" about him if ambition and capitalism are condoned in a society. Yet Hugh was not hanged as a witch, but his wife was because she admitted to killing their baby son. But did she or was she suffering from some sort of delusion? The baby died however and she accepted blame so what was society to do? -- it couldn't let her go unpunished. I found the whole book thought provoking. I will reread it again soon because there's just a lot to fathom in it.

Edited to correct an erroneous impression I had: Goodwife Parsons was sentenced to hang but she up and died in gaol before it could be carried out. The details are dense so I have probably misinterpreted other parts too, thus a reread is needed!

I've just read in one sitting the very funny book Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson. The bottom line is stay in London.

I have just requested it from the library on your recommendation. It is non-fiction. I thought it was a murder mystery!

I started a book of short stories Pianos and Flowers by Alexander McCall Smith supposed to be romantic stories but the first ones upset me and I don't think I shall read the rest.

I have the new Ladies No I... to be collected and will stick to that series!

Carolyn - I also placed that book on my "For Later" shelf at my library website. And like Annpan, I was surprised to find it is nonfiction. Thanks for the recommendation. A good, funny book is what we all need from time to time.

I hope you all enjoy it. It's perfectly silly but fun.

Two books I have on my side table ready to be cracked open are :

The Love Story Of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey

A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams ( I really enjoy her books )

I have got the latest No 1 Ladies ... ( A Song Of Comfortable Chairs) today and returned all the Trollope books and DVD to the library.

Vee, I asked my son about the interview with Andy and he said that the locals in a small country town run an amateur radio station and asked him for an interview. This wasn't the city radio show with a similar name which explains the awkwardness you mentioned.

He now has a website for kenaustinmusic.com.au which my tech-savvy GD set up for her Dad. He will be 58 next week but age shouldn't be a barrier to trying something again which life got in the way of, years ago!

Thanks Annpan. The one difficulty I had while listening (and it wasn't very clear sound) was when Ken appeared to say he was going to an 'Egg show'. At first I thought perhaps he meant a poultry show but then realised the word was 'Ag' as in agricultural show. Problem solved!

My "what to read next problem" continues. I abandoned Lessons in Chemistry after forcing myself to continue several times after wanting to give up. This despite many rave reviews for the novel on the Internet. It must just be my current state of mind. I can't seem to stick with anything. I have now obtained a copy of Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor, which was mentioned in this month's game thread. It appears to be short and sweet - something I can surely complete.

Thanks,Kathy! You just saved me some coins. 😊 I had looked at Lessons in Chemistry and read several reviews but there was just something about it that made me hesitate. I marked it as a future possibility and moved on. I was delighted when you posted that you were going to read it and trusting your opinions, I waited with great anticipation for your review.

I've now removed Lessons from my "considerations" list and shall continue to meander through Ann Cleeves' Shetland series. Her prose...to me...is so relaxing and enjoyable. It's like sitting next to her while she verbalizes the mysterious tale. Her characters' personalities are well researched. Plus, she's a great one for surprise endings which always challenges my investigative prowess.

I'm reading The Fabric of Sin, one of the Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. Merrily is a vicar in a small English town on the Welsh border with a teen aged daughter who isn't too sure whether she wants to be a pagan or not, and M. is not one of those vicars with whom you don't want to go up into the bell tower.

Winter - In my opinion, you made a wise decision to pass on Lessons in Chemistry. I know there must be something good in there, but I did not like having to read details of a sexual assault to get to the good stuff.

Carolyn - I like the premise you describe of the Merrily Watkins series. I might have to give it a try. By the way, would it be okay to read them out of order?

As I recall, Kathy...that was one of the reasons I didn't buy it. A couple of the reviews that I read mentioned some lurid sex scenes and that raised my suspicions. I did a lot of volunteer work at a battered women's shelter many years ago and such explicit scenes would...at the least...raise my blood pressure. When I come upon them in a book I'm reading that gave no warning a forehand...I skip the entire scene and in many cases...do as you did and scrap the book altogether.

No, Kathy, the Rickman books need to be read in order. The relationships very much build book by book.

Today I have read Catriona McPherson's first book in the Danny Gilver series, After the Armistice Ball. I didn't start it with a lot of hope for anything much, but I found it to be a really good mystery and hope my library has the entire series. Set in Scotland between the world wars.

I just finished The Ink Black Heart. I really like Galbraith’s (J K Rowling) writing style. I enjoyed the book a lot, though I did think it was overly long. 970 pages on my iPad! I think it could have been 200 or 300 pages shorter and still been a good story. Winter commented earlier about not liking the social media exchanges, but they didn’t bother me.

Donna

I also just finished The Ink Black Heart, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have liked the main characters from the beginning and I'm always happy to spend time in their company. Overall, I thought it was well done, addressed a timely subject, and was a page-turner like the last one. I agree it was too long (the hardcover ran to 1,012 pages) but at the same time it didn't feel that long, if that makes any sense. I wondered how the in-game chats that make up a good chunk of the book would be formatted for an iPad, and expected they would be hard to read in that format.

My re-reads of the childhood books were 1 for 3 -- Some things just don't hold up well, so off they went to the donation pile.

Yoyobon, I have not read The Mirror, but I am looking for a copy of Do Let's Have Another Drink, it looks delightful.

Sheri, there was a note at the beginning about formatting for the e-book. They printed the in-game chats as published in the paper copy then printed them again formatted for the e-book. That way you could see when there were 2 or 3 simultaneous chats going on, but also have it printed large enough to read.

I found the quotes at the beginning of every chapter a bit distracting.

Donna

Well...it looks like my opinion of The Ink Black Heart is in the minority. A position I'm well familiar with.🙄😉 But...in my own defense...not only did I find the overwhelming number of 4 letter words added nothing to the story...I couldn't read the attempts Galbraith made to translate internet chat rooms to the book format. The font was too small and even though I have success reading with a lighted magnifying glass to a 5 and 6 power...I could not decipher it.in my printed format.

I agree with you Sheri that her previous Cormoran adventures have been a pleasure to read. I've read them all and looked forward to this latest volume. As is apparent, I was very disappointed. I was, also, somewhat dissatisfied with the overall relationship of the partners. It was rather repetitive. For goodness sake...marry them and get on with the adventures. I think they might be even more entertaining as a married couple. What say you?

Donna...after our previous, very helpful discussion about the benefits of e-readers and the like...I expect you could enlarge the print face to a legible font size. Perhaps if I could have done that...I might have taken a different view. Emphasis on "might"😊 And...I agree wholeheartedly that 200-300 pages could have been cut from the book without doing harm to the main story line.

All in all...I'm glad you both enjoyed the book. I did notice that it didn't stay on the NYTime's best seller list for as long as her previous Cormoran ventures have lasted. But the reading public can be fickle and that could explain that phenomenon.

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, third in the Thursday Club mysteries. I was on the waiting list at the local library when I spotted that some kind resident has donated the series to our Club Room library. Such a joy to read!

Why is it that some authors write so smoothly and others can plot and describe characters well but write in such a poor clunky style? Too much description of food and clothing grates with me. Pad, pad, and more padding!

I've read all of Osman's books, Ann. I just love his style. The Thursday Murder Club is my kind of organization. 😊 Osman certainly assembled interesting/unique characters. I wonder if he pulled them from real life or he just has a very inventive imagination.I hope he continues the series. It's a joy to read.

How's your eye coming along, Ann? Do you have full use of it yet? I often think of you when my own eyes get tired and it's a strain to read on.

This is the 101th entry to this thread. It reminds me of the days of Spike, when threads were capped at 100, and some months we had to start a second one!

I remember those days, Rosefolly. Spike would have a heart attack if he could see a couple of the current threads at the Kitchen Table which both exceed 4800 posts.

I think that I came here after Spike who apparently was a moderator. I lurked for a while then joined in about eighteen years ago. My husband had died and I needed someone to chat about books to.

Winter, no, I don't have full use of my right eye yet as the forehead muscles still aren't working properly and so the eyebrow droops. It is improving slowly.

I have been out to the local shops a couple of times by myself, needing to buy items that I can't expect the Support Workers to choose. Christmas gifts and new clothes for the warmer weather which is coming in fits and starts now. I mention that I have speaking problems to the assistants and they are very kind and patient as I carefully form my requests. I needed to go out and about for short trips as I was getting too housebound.

Winter, I was thinking the same thing regarding Strike and Robin's relationship. It was the same scenario as the last book, and while the will-they-or-won't-they tension does add a little to the story, I'd like to see the relationship change and grow. I do wonder how they would go on as a couple, though. I expect he'd want to keep her safe and she'd hate that no matter how good the relationship was ... or they'd be too much alike and just work 24/7. All that said, and without spoilers, at least one obstacle to the progress of their relationship was removed in this book, so I'm hopeful it might move forward in the next one.

This book may have fallen off the best seller charts more due to the ongoing social media drubbing she's still taking over earlier comments that landed her in hot water vs. any issues with the book. I am staying out of this debate, and I respect her talent and find her books engaging.

I've just finished Hounded by David Rosenfelt. I'm not an animal lover (I know it's a character flaw) and I dislike his first person, present tense writing, so I don't read his books very often; but when I do, I enjoy the stories. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet(s) and finish up the series.

Ann...Spike owned Garden Web in the very early days of social media...before Twitter and all the rest. It became so popular that it evolved into a time consuming burden for him to run it on his own...so he sold it to Houzz for a pretty penny and went on in life. I landed at Garden Web looking for some computer advice. As time went on, many of the internet personalities that I knew had left the groups...and...due to a relentless stalker...I refrained from posting for quite a while. But,eventually,I investigated other Garden Web venues and found RP which has now become a home away from home for me.

I'm so sorry your healing progress is so slow but I'm pleased to read that you're not letting it control your life. Getting out and socializing...if for just a short shopping trip...is so important for all of us as we grow older. I know I don't do enough of it but I'm not as conveniently located to shops as you seem to be. I wish I were.

" ...at least one obstacle to the progress of their relationship was removed in this book,"

Yes, Sheri...I did get far enough into the tale to read that.😊 Finally that book is closed.

And...I've also visited all the relationship possibilities you've mentioned...and more. The creative field is wide open and although I wasn't necessarily pleased with this latest volume...I hope she continues the series. I. too, admire her talents.

For as much of a news junkie as I am...I seem to have missed the issue you refer to that might have affected the popularity of this book. I credited it's short time on the best seller's list to the fact that there were wide spread and unforgiving complaints about the actual printing of the book...i.e. the font issue that prevented my going on with it as well as the overall length. My personal attitude towards life is that everyone is entitled to at least one faux pas. I sincerely hope this is her first and last one. 🙄😊

Winter, I have access to five shopping malls of various sizes all within a twenty minute bus trip. A lot of the shops are the same chains but feature different goods depending on local taste. I used to take my pick and shop daily, finding markdowns for that evening's dinner.

It kept me busy and not stuck all day in my small abode but sadly I have now been stuck for some time, what with keeping free from Covid contacts and then not being able to go out after the palsy hit.

It is good that I have buses going to these malls as I don't drive a car. The Support Workers used to take me in their cars but the Agency found that they weren't supposed to do that, only shop from a list for me. That was all right as I didn't feel like walking around the shops anyway after I couldn't see properly with my right eye taped shut!

I got rather reliant on them and liked being home in the wintery weather anyway. The warmer days are luring me to go out again though, even by myself.

I have contacted another agency and might get driven again. I like to check out the flower nurseries for fresh stock to go in my raised bin beds and going to shops outside my area.

Winter, thank you for that background info on Spike. I too have been a member since Spike's days but never knew the back story except for the pervading fear of being sent to Disney :) --which I never was. I was extremely active on a number of garden forums in those days and for many years thereafter til I became unable to do the heavy work gardening requires. In those days, I posted only occasionally here but am enjoying the chat with such nice people very much.

Winter and Ginny my DH 'found' RP/Garden Web by chance where someone was discussing the books by Betty MacDonald. He knew | had read a couple so pointed me in this direction. I was very new to the computer so it took me ages to know what to do and how to do it. I thought I had made some terrible error when the screen was filled with fair-ground rides of Disney-esque teacups, apparently a punishment by Spike for the acrimonious posts that were being thrown to and fro.

Luckily we were soon allowed back into the site and I'm glad I stuck with it as I have found so many new authors/books and an interesting and varied group of fellow readers. It is my go-to read after breakfast.

I only wish there were more of us as so many people have left or, in some instances, defected to the Kitchen Table threads . . .of course they may on the various gardening places but I don't 'visit' them . . . unless there is one headed Gardener's Dogsbody/Weeder/Compost-Heap Turner/ Flowerpot Washer.

I hurried through The Bullet That Missed which I enjoyed very much. It was hot out today but I wanted to return it to the Club Room library and pick up the first book to read again.

I forgot it was Bingo afternoon so I had to wait in the lobby until the game was finished but I was glad to sit for ten minutes and cool off.

In the Acknowledgments, Osman mentions being guided about the use of That and Which. Are there rules? I write the one I feel suits best in a sentence. I should check with Google!

Ann, I was taught that is used for things and which is used for people.

Ohhh....I'm having one of "those" weeks again.🙄 My visiting step son brought me a gift that keeps on giving a week or so ago...a severe case of bronchitis. It took about 2 - 3 days to fully kick in but when it did...it landed like a ton of bricks sending my daily life and my energy level into a tail spin.

Ann...the rural area in which I live has no side walks and no bus system. They once did provide bus service upon appointment to elder citizens but since the Covid pandemic the service has been greatly reduced. Add to the inconvenience the fact that I'm continually concerned about contracting Covid even at this late stage...I've now become a recluse far beyond my own intent. I totally rely on internet shopping services and the occasional attitudinal generosity of my step son. It's a rather expensive and unintentional isolating way to live. I wish I could enjoy your freedom. To my knowledge, there's no system of supporters here that I could call upon. It would be an ideal solution to my travel needs if there were such a service. Enjoy!

Vee and Ginny....You both reminded me of Spike's dreaded teacup reprimand. And you, Vee, finally solved the mystery of what it involved. 😊 To my then knowledge...no one that had been sent...in any of the few groups I visited...would tell about the experience. Thank you...thank you...thank you. That's one less life mystery I have to think about. 😉

I'm glad you survived the journey and returned to RP. I don't wander around much as far as groups are concerned. I do read the book forum at the Kitchen Table but rarely post to it.

Winter, my support services come from local agencies and are subsidised by the Government. As a pensioner I pay about 30% of the hourly fee and have up to 20 hours a month I can use. So far I have requested 2 hours a fortnight for shopping and light vacuuming and wet mopping of the kitchen and wet areas like the bathroom and laundry.

The in between weeks are for an hours shopping. Home deliveries are available but I don't need enough to make it worthwhile so opted for the S/Ws shopping from a list instead.

I have also stayed indoors a lot these last two years. I opted for that rather than vaccination as I am prone to ill effects from medication. I sanitise when I go to the shops and there is always a bottle provided at the entrances. Some people are masked but I can't breathe comfortably wearing even the best ones.

The Woman On The Train by Lindsey Jayne Ashford

Hoping to make a clean break from a fractured marriage, Agatha Christie boards the Orient Express in disguise. But unlike her famous detective Hercule Poirot, she can’t neatly unravel the mysteries she encounters on this fateful journey.

Agatha isn’t the only passenger on board with secrets. Her cabinmate Katharine Keeling’s first marriage ended in tragedy, propelling her toward a second relationship mired in deceit. Nancy Nelson—newly married but carrying another man’s child—is desperate to conceal the pregnancy and teeters on the brink of utter despair. Each woman hides her past from the others, ferociously guarding her secrets. But as the train bound for the Middle East speeds down the track, the parallel courses of their lives shift to intersect—with lasting repercussions.

Filled with evocative imagery, suspense, and emotional complexity, The Woman on the Orient Express explores the bonds of sisterhood forged by shared pain and the power of secrets.

I finished Elizabeth Taylor's Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont last night. It was a delightful little novel, both calming and amusing, which I think is exactly what I needed to get through my reading slump. I think I'll try a Christmas-themed book next, just not sure which one yet.

Just read a yellowing paperback bought in a charity shop Thursday Afternoon's by Monica Dickens, Great granddaughter of Charles. Written in 1945 but set just before the outbreak of war in 1939. The title refers to the day of the week when a successful doctor holds a clinic at a hospital near London.

MD had a light touch in painting 'character studies' of the patients both 'private' and 'on the panel' (this was before the NHS had been introduced) and, as she had trained and worked as a nurse she knew the drill and the hierarchy in the nursing system from the starchy Ward Sisters to the put-upon trainees.

Of course it is dated with its references to servants and the 'below-stairs' chatter . . .but again MD had worked as a cook-general in the 1930's so knew of what she wrote and had used these experiences in One Pair of Feet and One Pair of Hands. Both well worth reading.

Vee, I used to read her books and they reflected the social scene very well.

In My Turn to Make the Tea, When Monica was a newspaper reporter, the housing crisis was so accurately portrayed.

During and after WW2 my family had to share accommodation with other families until the mid 1950s and thought ourselves lucky in 1950 to only have another family sharing a purpose built Council house with two kitchens. In the previous house there were cooking facilities (one four ringed gas stove) shared by three families!

My mother was on a waiting list for a Primus cooking ring for making tea in Summer. We could boil a kettle and make toast on the sitting room fire in Winter.

Annpan and Vee - It's fun to hear you ladies talk of the "old days." I can't even imagine sharing a stove with other families! And to think of being on a list to obtain a cooking ring - my goodness.

Kathy, another 'olden days' reminiscence, although I was too young to know anything about it. By 1945, as Annpan mentions, housing was in very short supply due to large urban areas having been bombed and an acute shortage of bricks and other building materials.

In a small country town in my area a family were without a house and the husband was still posted overseas. The wife had made herself and children a home of sorts by 'squatting' in part of the disused accommodation of the near-by RAF base. Meanwhile she visited the 'housing department' of the local Council but with no luck and in desperation wrote a letter to the then Queen (who became Elizabeth the Queen Mother) explaining her plight. Within a very short time the housing people having received a copy of this letter pulled their collective fingers out and a house was found for the family. It pays to persevere!

I think it took many years to get the housing situation in the UK sorted out. A friend's parents had to go to court to evict tenants who were renting a house they had bought for their retirement. The tenants pleaded that they had nowhere to go and were given six months to move!

We are having the same difficulties at present in Australia. The rental situation is very bad with would-be renters offering more money and payment for months in advance to secure a place. My D recently had to move when the house she was renting was sold and she was lucky to be offered a smaller place for a higher rent by the sympathetic agent who had to remove her.

Vee - That's a great story about the Queen intervening on behalf of the homeless family. I've not been a good student of history over the years so I'm rather ashamed to admit that it took reading The Gown by Jennifer Robson to make me realize that the English populace continued to live through very difficult times for some years after WWII ended.

Annpan - I was not aware of the current housing shortage in Australia either. Do you know what is causing it at this particular time?

Kathy, I don't know what has caused the shortage. I just know that there is one so I googled!

Quite a lot of different reasons are contributing, people are selling rentals in a good market and now other people can't afford to buy in this good market so need to rent.

Builders are going broke, leaving unfinished homes. The population are living longer etc.

As a young couple in 1963 we had our name down to buy a house from the State Government and there was a waiting list of 18 months or 5 years to rent one.

We decided to buy but had to borrow the modest deposit from a family member!