Of Mice and Maltesers - chat thread for round three.

[AgentProvocateur]

First posting date - 1 August.

Please email the initials of your book and author by 20 July to ali41w at googlemail dot com.

oh yes, meant to say that I think the book pages are a good idea. I like it when they get discursive!!

Is this the time to admit that I didn't have any nearly-runs?? It isn't that I am sure of my choice, just that I don't think I could have chosen a worse book than I did the last round ! (or am I setting myself up??)

What was your book in the last round, itsjusta? It can't have been that bad if I can't remember it...

Glad to hear that it didn't make too much of an impression !!

It was Prince of Tides (Pat Conroy)

I remember it now. I'd already read it years ago, but I enjoyed it very much at the time. Crap film, though.

Lolaladybird, your book and chocolate have just arrived. I was literally raking through the cupboard, looking for something sweet when the postman came. Great timing. I have read the book before, but it was years ago, so I'll re-read it.

I loved The Prince of Tides!

Oh no, a shame you'd already read it AP. I hope that nobody else has. I'd never heard of it until I'd read or seen something about the particular condition so didn't think the book was that well-known. When I've mentioned the book to others, nobody seemed to have read it (although one mentioned the film).

Aah, Prince of Tides {backs guiltily away from thread as she recalls Itsjusta's copy still gracing her bookshelves ....} Although I think I could still claim the prize for most rubbish book of first round with my House at Riverton debacle (in my defence, DS was only months old and I was very much into 'accessible' books at the time!)

Have just started a thread for my book (as in my own choice not the one I've received).

My also-rans are all fairly recent reads (in the last year or so) as I find it really hard to recall books from years ago:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (a cracking, rye observation of life in modern-day rural England)
We Are All Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka (I remember trying to stifle my laughter reading this on a train)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Marie Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.(a lovely lovely book)

:) This is good! I love having the feeling of lots of good books to read (I do wonder why I didn't do a degree in Eng Lit given how much I love reading. If only I could have a word with my 17 year old self!)

My book and choc arrived this morning from the very cheery postman.... :)

I think I can honestly say I have enjoyed every book that I've had from M&M at some level - some more than others, of course, but none were a waste of time or anything like that (certainly don't need to be called a debacle!!). This is not to say I have never put aside a book in disgust... Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter I never finished. Utterly disengaging. And the one that came free with that Radox offer a while back. Stupid women in that. So just to prove I'm not mindlessly enthusiastic

and have also started a page for my book choice, when you're ready Arti...

Hi Artifarti -your book arrived today - all I can say is YIPPEE!!! My mum has not stopped telling me to read it as she enjoyed it so much - I am really looking forward to getting my nose in to a book and let the children entertain themselves ... and chocolate is well hidden in the fridge!

I honestly wasn't fishing with my posting - glad that you enjoyed it, but the pressure of choosing a non-bestseller, good read is hard!!

Happy reading everyone

thanks Dysgu book and chocolate arrived today

will hopefully start reading asap

Glad book arrived aristocat - glad you hadn't already read the book as I was a bit worried that it may have been too obvious. I ended up de-selecting several as they had too many reviews on Amazon! I will try to hunt out some more interesting chocolate for next month. Very limited, shopwise, here on the island so will have to try harder!

I have yet to receive anything but it looks like JohnWorf is posting to me and I think I recall reading that someone was on holiday, perhaps her?

Need to read 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison for RL book club so will make a start on that instead...

Has everyone got their new book now? I'm heading off to bed now to finish mine.

nice book Dysgu enjoying it

I've finished mine - thanks slf, I really enjoyed it. Will post on your thread.

The ones I nearly chose were:

Beijing Coma by Ma Jian (all about the 1989 student's revolution and Tiananmen Square massacre) but then I thought it was quite long and maybe I only liked it because I recently went to China!

Puffball by Fay Weldon but then I thought it might be a bit freaky and gynaecological...

I think I've chosen one for next time though...so hurry up everyone!

Bookj received - really enjoying it. Blast the school holidays and having children to entertain !

Dysgu i have finished your book - can you start a thread so i can post my thoughts please

Johnworf thank you for the book - collected it from the sorting office today. Looks interesting. Have only read one book by that author - and that one was said to be very different from his others so looking forward to starting yours.

aristocat off to start a thread right now!

Back off hols and have finished your book Aristo - didn't take long, I like a good page turner! Will post my thoughts on your thread.

Hi Ladies. How are you all? And how is everyone getting on with their books? I'm eagerly awaiting the next posting date (being on holiday helped me get ahead with my reading!).

Would be interested to know what else you are all reading at the mo. I managed to fall off a horse at the end of my hols and badly sprained my ankle so have been spending a lot of time with my foot up on the sofa - has certainly given me some extra reading time.

I have just ordered a copy of What the Nanny Saw. Read some reviews on another thread which were v positive, apparently more than just your average chick-lit (which was what I was expecting from the cover).

Lola, sorry to hear about your ankle. I went on a horse this summer for the first time in over 20 years, and I was terrified. It was a huge horse, and I didn't enjoy it at the time at all (although, now that some time has elapsed, I'd love to do it again!)

Anyway, to answer your question, I'm reading The New Confessions by William Boyd, and thoroughly enjoying it.

Here's a confession of my own - I somehow totally forgot that we had posting dates, so I've already sent next month's book on to stickylittlefingers.

Lolaladybird, if you want to send the next one early to me, feel free.

Hi AP. It was the first time I'd ridden in a few years - I used to ride a lot before I had the DC's but it's one of those things that had gone by the wayside. Annoying thing was I went out on the same horse the morning before and had a completely uneventful ride but then the next day it all went wrong! I don't know if I'll feel differently in a few weeks/months time but at the moment, I can honestly say, I have no interest in getting on a horse again!

Will send my book on early if I can get myself to a post office - mobility a bit of problem at the mo as can't drive but have fingers crossed for a quick recovery!

oooh, my book's coming already! What a bonus!! Thanks AP! I guess there's no reason why I shouldn't send Arti's on early too.

lola - poor you! I hope the ankle gets better soon. I did much the same thing on my 21st birthday. The party wasn't quite spent how I'd imagined (tho cue lots of jokes about not having so far to fall over, or starting early in the day etc...). I'm reading Robert Harris's "Lustrum" - about Cicero. It's very jolly, typical Robert Harris, if you like that sort of thing (which I do!)

Hope all is well with the chocolate-eaters...

Hi all - Johnworf - I have posted the book and choc off to you today - hope it arrives.

Sorry to hear about your ankle Lola - sounds horrible! I have just finished the second part of the Ibis trilogy - River of Smoke all about the Opium Wars.

Hope the ankle gets better soon..