Annpan, regarding your 'wishing for something unlikely and getting it" . . . although not a thought-out wish as such. Many years ago when I was at Secondary (ie High) School we had a swimming pool, which borders used on a Saturday, and I still shudder to think about it. Although 'indoors' the water temp. really got above 60F and it was heavily over-chlorinated. I was not a swimmer and during one of my earliest sessions a rather large/well-built girl told me she would practice life saving on me. Not a good idea for me as she hadn't mastered the finer details and held my head under water for what seemed like several minutes, all unnoticed by the supervisor! This totally freaked me out and I hated my time in the pool even more and just hung on the edge at the shallow end. A couple of years later we were told that extra swimming would alternate with gym lessons. That night I dreamed that I was left off the 'list' for the hated sessions and was amazed to find this really happened! My name was not on the list! Much as I dreaded any time in the pool I spoke to the Head Mistress (a scary very tall thin nun) about my 'missing' name. She just looked at me and said "But surely you don't want to do swimming?" I nearly fainted with gratitude and, although not over-keen on gym anything was preferable to putting on that regulation black, prickly costume and dabbling as much as a toe in the smelly cold water.

Ann.....premonitions ? Of course ! Mine are strongest when they come in a dream.

I knew a cousin was pregnant when she had told no one yet. I called her to ask if she was and she was shocked.

I knew when a older friend of my MIL died, having dreamed of her coming into her home while I was there and hurrying past me saying happily " I have to go ! Sorry !! " and she left. The next morning I got a call from her Son In Law saying " Bon, I have some sad news..." and before he finished I said " MaryJane died." He was shocked and asked how I knew and when I shared that dream he was so moved ......he shared it with her two daughters who said it gave them such comfort.

Many more such things.....

I was astonished when I used the Ask AI a question about a book plot and had a reply in seconds. How does that work? However another question gave me an incorrect answer to a different plot query. I commented and immediately got a retraction and better information. There were sources mentioned.

The replies were very polite and complimentary. I liked the service but best to double check.

Annpan, it is necessary to treat AI with extreme caution. It is only as clever as the person who has fed information into any 'system' and open to great abuse.

I have a friend who 'believes' that Covid is a made-up condition and when I questioned her about the huge number of deaths reported said Yes they had happened but were caused by a very bad strain of 'flu . .. but not Covid! But she thinks AI is the best thing since sliced bread and believes everything it tells her. But then she also believes that the World is being ruled/run by a group of evil mega-rich people who dwell in a mountainside retreat/cave/planet/distant galaxy . . . as they say in the US "Go figure".

I can see how AI could become the new Best Friend but I am wary of so much flattery with the replies! I was impressed with the speed but not the accuracy! Just as well my second query was so off the mark with the answer and must have quoted from fan fiction. Buyer Beware!

Yoyobon, there are some very strange happenings in life. I could tell some stories but rarely do!

I have heard so often that departing spirits visit loved ones that there must be something in it.

I have been rereading Margery Sharp's Martha trilogy and checking out online comments about the books. New young readers have some interesting takes on the situations and characters. To some, Martha has ASD, which I had to look up. I would have said she was unsociable, like some of my old family members! Now the young ones are called autistic and are medicated for the condition.

I have always liked Sharp's adult novels and have been able to find some while OOP. Now they are being reprinted by several publishers and I hope to borrow ones I have not read. If not, I may buy but where to put them? I have so little space and find it hard to cull!

I read The Reversal by Michael Connolly, and really enjoyed it. I’ve read all of his Bosch books, but not many of the Lincoln Lawyer series. I’m also reading The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman.

I started a book by Dorothea Benton Frank, but didn’t care for the main character, and there were too many conversations that started with ”Caroline?” or some other name. I found it annoying to start nearly every conversation with a question.

Donna

I finished reading Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh. The book was interesting, but certainly not the best of its genre. Nickle and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich and Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance are both much better examples of "the American Dream gone wrong" books. Ironically, the author herself is an example of the American Dream, having risen from her version of poverty to fame and fortune as a journalist and author. She credits not being a teen-aged mother (as were her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother) as being a major reason why she was able to rise from the financial circumstances of her childhood.

The American Dream is still there, tho harder to achieve. A lot of things have to go right--health, for example. In doing genealogy, I have been struck by how many 19th century immigrants had youth and talent, overcame great obstacles, worked hard--and were struck down by tuberculosis, typhus, cholera, and so many more. Today, it's drugs and alcohol which seem avoidable to me but judge not. And we'll have to wait and see what AI does to dreams in America and around the world.

Sadly, the Australian Dream of home ownership is more like a nightmare.

We were able to buy a house cheaply in 1964 from the State Government after being on a 20 month waiting list. The modest three bedroom single storey places were being speedily built for a fast growing population developing a mineral rich State.

Now the best thing is to inherit as even such places are being sold for eye watering prices.

We later bought a remodelled one near the river for one hundred thousand Aust dollars, sold it two years later for one hundred and fifty thousand when we went to live in the UK.

It has been demolished and is now a two storey with river views and worth ...who knows!

Re American/Australian Dreams. I don't think we have ever had those dreams over here as everyone who 'dreamed' wanted to leave and go to these countries, hoping for a better future Here it is becoming even more difficult to be 'young' ie adult just out of education and looking for a job. Many people in their 20's and even 30's are still living with their parents and taking work in coffee shops etc despite the £££'s spent on their so-called 'education'. Plus our housing market has been out of control for several years making a mortgage almost impossible for younger people wanting to set up home. No wonder the birthrate is so low.

Thank goodness my 'children' are slightly older and were able to find good jobs and buy property.

Just finished an enjoyable whodunnit Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisoning by David Stafford. Lightly based on the trials of the famous KC (barrister) Norman Birkett. Did the woman really murder her violent husband? We cannot be sure but along the way learn much about 1920's Midlands England and meet some colourful characters. There are a further two books in the series but sadly Stafford died not long ago so that will be it.

Vee, I think the situation for young people is much the same in the US. Many adult children are living with their parents, or have several roommates in order to pay the rent. I have heard our birth rate is very low, too.

I am also reading a book set in England in 1920, but in London. The Librarian of Crooked Lane by CJ Archer. ”A librarian with a mysterious past, a war hero with a secret, and the heist of a magic painting.” It’s good so far!

Donna

Aw, Carolyn! I sure hope your grandson finds something soon!

I'm listening to Our Dream House and .......it is one eerie tale !

Donna, you might like this one :0)

As I walk and listen I frequently say things like " Don't go in there ! " or ' NO ! don't tell him that!!" and wonder what any of the neighbors might think about this crazy lady apparently talking to herself !

Thanks, Ms. Meow.

Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers was passed on to me by my DD. Set in the 1960's and dropping back to the 1930's it was an enjoyable read with the idea for the story based on a report found in an old newspaper. A middle-aged man, unkempt and mute had been found alone in a house although the neighbours had no idea he lived there. Chambers gives him a 'story'. She also did this using another newspaper find of a 'Virgin Birth' that had caused controversy back in the '50's titled Small Pleasures. Both are well-worth reading.

Thanks, Bon! We have a neighbor who walks a lot and is (apparently) on the phone most of the time. Maybe she is talking to an audiobook, too!

Vee, those books sound interesting. I will check them out.

I finished The Librarian of Crooked Lane, and it was pretty good. It’s the first in a series.

I just read Remarkably Bright Creatures, a book club choice. Improbable but enjoyable light reading with a happy ending. Speaking of which...Has anyone read Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann? What did you think? Worth reading? I see it's just been made into a movie called The Sheep Detectives with several A-list stars.

I read Three Bags Full years ago and enjoyed it very much. I will watch the movie when it is on DVD as I never go to any place with a crowd. I do not get vaccinated or inoculated and have to keep away from people. My GD is finally clear from shingles and can come to see me now for the belated birthday visit!

I read Three Bags Full some time ago and didn't care for it at all. I like my mysteries to be mysterious, not silly. Different strokes, you know.

Carolyn, I am a long time reader of silly writing! My family's newspaper was the Daily Express with the fabled Beachcomber column. This was an inspiration for shows like Monty Python and other daft British humour skits. Sometimes that type of humour pops up in mystery fiction and I relish it! I am currently reading Once Upon a Crime by Fergus Craig, it is in that genre and features "a character never seen before in modern fiction- a tough but troubled detective with a drink problem and a marriage in crisis" which gives an idea of where the author is heading! Tongue firmly in cheek...

I requested Three Bags Full from the library and will give it a try. Thanks for your replies. There is a waiting list so it may be awhile.

Meanwhile I am reading a biography of the Queen Mother. If you dropped it on your foot, you'd be in a cast--over 1000 pages. I had no intention of reading all of it--just parts I was particularly interested in--but I found myself reading all afternoon and into the evening yesterday. It's an authorized biog so rose-colored but very detailed. The Queen Mother by William Shawcross.

Ginny, I think 'rose-coloured' describes the late Queen Mother very well, along with 'pink/floaty/flowery . . . at least as far as her outfits go. She seems to have had this light-weight exterior but a ring of steel within.

I'm with Carolyn on Three Bags Full. It was too silly for me, and so it became a DNF for me some years back. But I did see the new film, Sheep Detectives, and found it delightful.

Just downloaded the audible book Silver Ladies Of Penny Lane by Dee MacDonald. which I will listen to while doing my daily walk.

I am reading South of Shiloh by Chuck Logan. It’s mostly set in Corinth, MS, where a man and his co-conspirators plan to murder a man during a Civil War renactment. As you can probably guess, the wrong man is killed and the story is now centered on proving it wasn’t an accident and finding the killer.

I’m also reading The Disappeared by CJ Box, one of the Joe Pickett series. A British woman went missing after she left a luxury ranch in southern Wyoming and the governor has sent Joe to find out what happened.

Donna

I finished Dancing with the Virgins and have downloaded but not started Clown Town by Mick Herron.

I've been on holiday in Italy and didn't do much reading while I was there, just listened to an audiobook on the flights there and back. I did pick up a book on ancient Roman history while I was there, A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women by Emma Southon and look forward to reading it, or I might first read Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient World by Mary Beard that I bought on last year's Italy trip. I found out about both through an excellent history podcast I listen to, Betwixt the Sheets. I have quite a list of books about various nooks and corners of history I have gleaned from it, but have promised myself to first read these two.

Right now, however, I am continuing getting reacquainted with Miss Marple and am reading A Pocket Full of Rye.

I just took a break from the Queen Mum to re-read Nemesis by Agatha Christie. Always a treat. The Joan Hickson TV version took some liberties with a main character but I think they were well done.

I am re-reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It's been at least 25 years since I've last read it and I am definitely seeing it through different eyes. Last time, I was young myself - young enough to still be swept away by the idea of a penniless young girl marrying into landed gentry and being intimidated by the staff and the house and the life. But now, with plenty of glitter (gray) in my hair and a lifetime of experience, I would have just sacked Danvers (after kicking her down the "sweeping staircase") and moved on.

Also reading The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura. It won the 2010 Oe prize (but I admit I am not familiar with that honor). So far, I like it. Basic premise with no spoilers: a pickpocket gets rounded up to take part in the burglary of a well-to-do man's home. Instructions are to tie up the occupants, open the safe and steal the money and the papers. No one gets hurt... the ringleader "only wants the papers". Job goes off as planned. However, in the next day's news, that same homeowner has now been murdered.

PAM

Ginny, the version of Nemesis in the TV series "Marple" completely changed the plot!

I loathe it when that happens. I realise books have to be tweaked but rewritten? NO!!

Pam, I'm with you on disposing if Nrs, Danvers! Wretched woman,

I had to act as Mrs. Danvers for a drama class exam.

The speech where she tries to get "I De Winter" to kill herself. I chose to do it in a quiet normal voice, not threatening but logical and when I rehearsed this in class my teacher said it raised her neck hairs and gave her goosebumps.

I was so pleased!

OT......ever have one of those days.........

LOL, Bon!

Ducks! What ducks?

I have been having bad sleeping patterns recently and don't know when I wake if it is day or night! I need a 24 hour bedroom clock to put me right. My late husband had one for shift work but it broke and I never replaced it.

I have to stagger into the main room to check the TV recorder 24 hour clock so I know that I should make breakfast or supper!

Clown Town is slow going, but then the characters are failed MI 5 agents and are called Slow Horses because their offices are in Slough House.

Annpan, that must be horrible. The husband of a friend also suffers from poor sleep quality and she says she smells cheese on toast being cooked at 4 in the morning. I think indigestion would make sleeping even worse! He then stays in bed until late morning and so the 'pattern' of bad nights continues.

Here we are being kept awake by unusually hot nights (and days) the hottest temps in May ever recorded in the UK. This is when I would like aircon an almost unknown luxury here except for large stores etc.

There was a heat wave in the UK in 2003 and I used the old trick from Aussies who put a wet sheet in front of a fan to cool a room if they did not have an air conditioner. We draped damp cloths over the babies cots to cool them down in the mid 1960s.

Nowadays getting an A/C is cheap and we have two-way ones installed. I have mine in the main room and it blows temperate air through the open door of the bedroom too. It is nearly Winter and I have mine on even at night, set at 22C/70F.

I would not make cheese on toast but do make a quick packet porridge in the early hours if I cannot sleep. A hot meal sometimes helps me to get off.

I’m reading Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It alternates between 1939 Louisiana, when five children were stolen off their parents’ boat and sold for adoption, and the present day when a young woman, Avery, meets an elderly lady who calls her Fern and claims to know Avery's grandmother. The grandmother denies it, but slips up and calls Avery, Rill. Now Avery is working to unravel the mystery.

I’m also reading Letters Unposted by Lynne Hutchins, who is a local author and friend of mine. It’s the story of Alexander Dromgoole who lived during the Revoluntionary War. It’s fiction but based on historical records about Alexander.

Carolyn, isn't it interesting? The entire premise of Rebecca is built around NOT firing an employee? Strange and fascinating what 25 years of living can do to one's perspective and confidence.

PAM

Ginny, Rebecca isn't the one having a problem with Mrs. Danvers. It is the second wife being overwhelmed and she has not enough experience in running a house to change the situation.

It is a while since I read the book but I think that the husband did not realise what was going on.

Susan Hill wrote a book called Mrs. deWinter that carries on where Rebecca left off. She is still as namby pamby as ever, so you just want to shake her.

Here's something odd......I ordered a copy of Theo of Golden and when it arrived I was shocked to find that the entire book is printed in dark boldface print. I'm assuming it is defective and am returning it to the seller. Has anyone else ever had this experience with a book ?

yoyo the only experience I have of this is when my younger son (who has Down's S) was at our library and the assistant found him a book with similar print and slightly yellow pages. She said it is meant to help young people/children with various disabilities. I don't know if this actually 'works' and son doesn't seem to notice any difference.

As I am still contact-lens-less (while awaiting eye op) I have been trying to read Large Print books. I picked up When the Curtain Falls by Carrie Hope Fletcher and tolerated it for some 60 pages. Fletcher is an actress (or must we say actor?) mostly in 'musical theatre' and obviously supplements her income by writing blogs and running a Youtube channel. The 'story' about theatre ghosts is cliché-ridden . . . beautiful red/golden/raven haired women with heaving breasts. Leading men with huge biceps and floppy hair (what is it with all this hair?) But . . . when she wrote "She was sat next to him" and "They were stood at the back" I could take no more. Our English language is on a down-hill slide. But many folk on Amazon loved it and needed a box of tissues to deal with the romance/tragedy/happy/sad ending. I will await Fletcher's Lady Macbeth with interest.

I read Dark Horse by Felix Francis in two days. I always liked the Dick Francis books, and his son is following in his footsteps. I haven't thought Felix as good, but this one was great with an ending that surprised me.

Vee, with my decreasing eyesight, I would probably like the dark print. I enjoy downloading to my laptop because I can increase the font size. I just got a couple of large print books from the library that were not available as ebooks, and I'm enjoying reading them.

Vee, I would have given up on that book, too!

Yesterday I finished Before We Were Yours. I went into it thinking it would be ”chick lit,” kind of emotional fluff. I was pleasantly surprised - the story was well-written with a lot of depth, and I enjoyed it a lot. And it was emotional at the end.

Still working on my friend’s book, Letters Unposted.