50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Four

Remus - for that you need These Old Shades / Devil's Cub (well, not literally doublets, but still). The Grand Sophy is definitely more comedy than romance.

Does anyone have strong feelings on whether we can count listening to all the Radio 4 Book at Bedtime episodes for a book as an (audio) book?

I've recently spent approx. 140 mins listening to Behind her eyes by Sarah Pinborough...

I won't be offended if you say No!

Goodreads is telling me I'm 2 books behind schedule! Oh dear, I'm not quite sure why I'm so slow this year, I just can't seem to drag myself away from newspapers I guess...

Anyhoo I did manage to finish Imperium by Robert Harris. Book 12 for me . Historical fiction starring famous orator Cicero, his slave Tiro and Ancient Rome. It was educational and well written; the first third and final third were pretty gripping but the middle bit really sagged for me. I'd read the next 2 in the trilogy but only if I managed to get them for 99p!

As for Aperol Spritz, DH and I had one in Austria last year - we were a bit meh. Nice colour though! I'll stick to g&t for my pre dinner cocktail .

Have bought The Grand Sophy. Bet there are no dirty doublets in that. Shame.

So pleased I am not the only one to 'appreciate' Jack!

That is the more likely scenario

I wouldn't mind him in a dirty doublet, to be frank.

Oh he's a fine figure of a man in a clean doublet.

And, of course, the lovely Jack ensures that the Shardlakes from 2 onwards offer a certain something too.

*mentionitis - not that it's a word to begin with, but we must have order.

I don't love the Shardlakes but they're quite good as easy reads as I'm not into chick lit they're my beach read type books. The subsequent ones are better than Dissolution in terms of his back SPOILER he does some exercises and it seems to cure his mentionitus Also things don't "stink" quite as constantly in book 4.

22 The Essex Serpent - Much reviewed on this thread so won't rehash old ground. Suffice to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its beautiful prose. It took me a bit longer to read than some others as I felt I didn't want to rush it and have time to enjoy it properly.

23 Everybody Brave is Forgiven - Chris Cleave I ordered this from the library after reading the rave reviews from other posters on this thread and so glad I did. I enjoyed, if that is the right reading, discovering how the main characters were changed by their experiences during the early part of World War 2.

Just starting Elena Ferrante - The Days of Abandonment for my book club. Not an author I have come across before so I really do not know what to expect.

I love Georgette Heyer, but never been a particular fan of Friday's Child. Not a patch on Cotillion or The Grand Sophy I'd say.

Remus Agree about the leg! Almost a character in its own right!

I don't know whether it was because it was an audiobook, and that I had to relisten to it a fair bit, or just whether it really did bang on about it.

I had high hopes for this, but I enjoyed the Cadfael and Falco series a lot more. They might grow on me.

Hunchback thing definitely not as laboured as Cormoran Strike's leg.

Fortuna The Hunchback element is mentioned a fair bit in the others but I didn't feel it was laboured. I suppose that in the Tudor period it would be a big deal because people saw such physical issues as signs.

OMG, I finished a book. A whole book. Although audiobook format and I fell alseep during it a lot and had to re-listen to quite a few chapters. My fault, not the book.

Dissolution by CJ Sansom, the first Shardlake. I liked it, but didn't love it. I'd be happy to read the next one, but wouldn't rush to do so. I felt it laboured the hunchback element quite a lot, do the rest do that?

Nah tanaqui , another non shardlake lover here too

Tanaqui - Yes, Friday's Child was quite funny, and did make me smile - but I also felt it was a bit too long, and that she over-egged it in places. Good fun in general though. I particularly liked the three male friends and the stuff about a mysterious 'Greek gentleman from Eton'.

Tanaqui, I got Grass in Piccadilly from my local library - ordered from the reserves - so worth looking. Saplings is a Persephone reissue so your library should have a copy.

I am out of place in not loving Shardlake!

Remus, I think Friday's Child is one of the funniest Heyers- allegedly it was her favourite one; although I think I prefer The Grand Sophy.

Thanks for the Serrailleur tip Best.

38. Lamentation. The last of the Shardlake books. Please tell me there are more on the way. Tried to savour this last one. The double crossing reached epic proportions, which actually did slow me down a bit. Have been completely immersed in this series. Mildly grieving for the characters now it's all over.
Have two books to read for book clubs. The Lesser Bohemians and The Keeper of Lost Things. Neither are really calling to me

Oh dear Remus. I've just bought it for kindle, so may be returned for refund.

remus thank goodness it's not just me. I finished it because I've had a bad run recently struggling to finish anything and it was so short.

It doesn't get less flaccid.