Anyone fancy joining me in a new swap club?

[artifarti]

I love reading and now that DS can entertain himself for a while trashing my lounge is 8 mo I am finally getting back into the swing of things. But I always read the same kind of books and so would love to have something different sprung on me!

Here's the basics of how it works (thank you Flamesparrow)

How it works

[ Arti sits back and waits for the flood of recruits, hoping that she doesn't end up looking like a no-mates...]

Itsjusta: I hear you about too many sweets. I have come to the (unbelievable) point of actually feeling sick to my stomach when I think of sweets / desserts / chocolate etc (won't last for long, I'm sure).

Girls, this month I'll be very late in sending books as I'm in Greece & won't be back until the 10th. In fact, I haven't actually received december's book. FlyingMonkey was late in sending it to me due to a family emergency (from what I understand) & I didn't receive it because by the time she sent it I was already in Greece...Arti, any ideas of how we can arrange things for january?

Hello everyone - hope you had wonderful Christmasses!

Can I start the Happy New Yearing, as we'll be off down to Yorkshire and away from t'internet for a couple of days. I hope 2010 brings you all much luck, health and happiness - and of course lots and lots of books and chocolate!

With being away, I won't be able to post til Jan 4th, so hope that works OK... off to find its thread...

LadyBee
I posted the book this morning. FWIW it is my favourite so far!

Hope you all have a good new year.

*lolaladybird" I posted your book and (perhaps nice, perhaps odd!) chocolate this morning, so you should get it on Monday. Happy Hogmanay everyone!

Happy New Year ladies

it is also my birthday tomorrow, so sending you all best wishes in case i dont MN tomorrow

Lolaladybird - sorry, my chocolate addled brain atr fault - you post to me - sorry!!

Pooter - book was posted on Weds - hope it arrives

Happy New Year y'all. It's me Whinegums by the way - fancied a name change.

Stickylittlefingers, your book is ready to post, but I haven't been able to get to the post office because of the weather - bah!

TheBugger (any particular reason why you changed your name to this? ) - don't worry, last month's is still with me. I'm planning on taking it to work tomorrow to post but:
(a) it keeps on snowing;
(b) dd2 has a streaming cold (as does dp but I don't have to look after him. Alright, actually I do, more so than dd2 in reality , but I don't have to wonder whether I can take him in to nursery tomorrow); and
(c) when there was less snow that this last year, dd1's school closed,

so for all of the above reasons, I'm wondering how tomorrow is going to pan out... The BB is showing me all the work I need to be doing too. I'm trying not to worry about it!!

loving the name TheBugger new year - new name

excellent idea

also.....
i am currently reading Michael Connelly - Nine Dragons and its very good so no need to rush arti just send when youre ready.

SLF, no rush to post my book (tis MrsMuddle here - I've also changed my name to something more dynamic for 2010!) I've just started Sea of Poppies, and unless this month's book is exceptionally good, I'll finish it first.

I changed my name because we have moved to deepest darkest suburbia - and it made me laugh in a childish way. I hope I don't confuse everything here though, as my book still has Whinegums in it!

Hi itsjusta - i have received the book and chocs. Oddly the book is one my mum talked about last year, but said she wouldn't recommend it to me as it WOULD make me cry. So i know the twist (if it is a twist - but i know the premise anyway) but am going to give it a go with a big pack of hankies by my side.

muddleduck i will be posting your next one tomorrow - i really enjoyed it - but think i'm in a minority judging by the others' comments.

Hope you had a good birthday aristo

Hello All and Happy New Year! We have just returned from a ridiculous tour of our families (5 different counties in 9 days with a 16 month old - NEVER again!) I've got the day off to try and sort out all the dirty washing/thank you letters/dead Christmas tree etc. but I am missing my boys.

aristocat - I'll be posting your parcel later today. Maria - why don't you email me and let me know what the book is when you get back, in case I already have a copy of it/have read it and we can take it from there. I am currently absorbed by my Book Club doorstop so no worries.

Am loving the namechanges! Below is a list of who we all are/were and whose book we should have this month...let me know if it looks wrong...

artifarti - MrsMuddle's
aristocat - LolaLadybird's
Dysgu - Itsjustafleshwound's
PistachioLemon (previously poshwellies) - pooter's
TheBuggerofSuburbia (previously whinegums) - muddleduck's
stickylittlefingers - LadyBee's
AgentProvocateur (previously MrsMuddle) - FlyingMonkey's
LolaLadyBird - Maria2007's
Itsjustafleshwound - artifarti's
pooter - aristocat's
muddleduck - Dysgu's
LadyBee - poshwellies'
FlyingMonkey - whinegums'
Maria2007 - stickylittlefingers'

AgentProvacateur (did you get some nice undies for Christmas? ) that's great, cos I'm afraid it's still here with me. Can't believe how snowy it is this Christmas! I'm afraid my dds will think this is normal, and will be bitterly disappointed in years to come. I think the only other time I've known a white Christmas was when I was living in Poland - so that's 1/36! The odds are not good for a repeat, I fear...

Gosh - I have fallen behind!

No name change and sorry PistachioLemon* but I have not managed to post your book yet. I doubt I am going to make it to the post office before Thursday either - sorry sorry sorry.

Thank you arti for the latest parcel - have yet to start the book but the chocolate has managed to vanish quickly - despite the amount of stuff that made it down the chimney with Santa for the girls.

We have no snow here but it is cold - but even that may be relative (about -5 according to the temp in the car). We did dash up to see family in Wales just before Christmas so DD1 experienced her first snow - wasn't too sure about it but got used to it with a bit of snowball throwing. Still, unlikely to see it again unless we leave the island so no worries about not liking it much.

dysgu its me who posts to you!

book arrived today thanks arti have finished Michael Connelly so will start asap.
the chocolate looks divine......mmmmmmmm

Hi everyone. I've just finished my book from December and have posted my thoughts on the relevant thread. Maria, I will try and forward the book onto you as soon as I can but the bad weather means that it mighter be later rather than sooner (unfortunately, I don't drive so my only option is to walk to the PO with DS).

Ladybee thank you for this month's book and the bountiful amount of chocolate! I'm going to be a stone heavier by the end of January

Pooter - thanks, book and choc arrived today.

LadyBee - forgot to explain about the chocs that I sent. Hope they are ok - the dss and I got a bit carried away making truffles for their grandparents. Hope you don't mind the homemade approach. I just couldn't bring myself to go out any buy MORE chocolate.

arti i knew my post on the book thread would bring you out of hiding!
.......hahaha

Itsjusta - sorry for book delay. We've been snowed in here for last 2 days and before that, well I just plain forgot (Seems to be taking brain a long time to re-engage after the Christmas break). I think I've been a few days late every month so might try and make it a new year's resolution to completely shock you and post on time next month.

How's everyone enjoying the extreme weather conditions? We've enjoyed a couple of days of socialising with friends and lots of sledging action but the roads are starting to look passable again so may have to return to real-life again tomorrow...

AgentP - nothing received as yet but post has been a bit erratic with the weather so I expect it'll arrive in next couple of days.

No sweat - any time will do! The snow has meant a housebound husband (using our only PC for work - grrr) and two children with a bad case of cabin fever so reading has just not featured!! I hope normal service resumes soon !!!

I hope everyone is well and coping with the snow. My overseas family are very jealous - they are all dying of heat!! This sort of weather makes you reconsider your decision to live in a cold climate ....

Im finding it difficult being snowed in too. Husband is trying to "work from home" but DS is intent on whizzing him around on his chair and saying that he 'needs to work on Daddy's computer'. Nursery - playgroup - martial arts club - everything closed aaaggghhhh!!! Plus being so hefty with child im paranoid about going out on the ice, so have been very boring indeed.

Got to try to head DS off - all he wants to do is annoy DH.....

ladies, my DCs school has been open all week despite lots of other schools being closed locally.
this has given me the chance to read and MN
we have 4-6 inches of the white stuff and no bl**dy gritters!

i have started my book and it its a big one...[thanks LolaLady]

lolaladybird have you got it yet? Hope so.

Since there's so many late books this month due to the weather, how would people feel about holding on to the Jan books for another month, and doing the next post on 1 March? That would give us all a chance to get organised and catch up.

Happy to go with the flow.

Parcel arrived today AgentP - thank you. Roads have cleared here sufficently to get out of the village so I went to work leaving DH in charge of children. Happily there was another light snow flurry about 3pm which panicked my boss enough to suggest we all go home.

I know what you mean about trying to traffic children away from husbands working at home. DH's office is right at the bottom of the stairs which is also DD's naughty spot. I think it makes for an interesting back soundtrack to some of DH's work calls.

Still, I'm not complaining - DH should have been in Shropshire for a conference this week (we are in Somerset) and was quite determined to travel until the state of the local roads made it impossible to leave thankfully. Would have been v worried had he managed to go ...