Anfinwen, I've read a few of Georgette Heyer's books, but my thoughts ranged from finding them okay to hating them. I keep thinking I'll find one I love, but no such success yet...

They're not everyone's cup of tea They're very novel-y novels. The only one I've read so far that isn't is "The Spanish Bride." It's interesting, and I enjoyed it as it was an audiobook. I don't know if I would have had the patience to plow through it otherwise. It's much more like a Henty than a Heyer.

I ended up binge reading both A Civil Contract and Laddie after they were mentioned here and (no surprise on the latter) really enjoyed them both. Now I want to read another Heyer, but my to-read stack (it's an impressive pile ) of actual books is looking at me accusingly--and I just checked North and South out of the library. It'll be my first time through, and all I know is that Richard Armitage plays the love interest in the mini-series.

So glad you liked them! I have to say that "North and South" may be one of the rare books where the movie (well, mini-series) is better. I haven't seen the mini-series all the way through, but it felt like one could really connect to the characters and their struggles more when one could see them.

Some of my recents are "Summer Lightning" by Wodehouse, "A Tangled Web" by L. M. Montgomery, and "Light on the Hill" by Connilyn Cossette. I really liked "A Tangled Web" though it was a slow start and I really wanted a family tree to sort everyone out. "Summer Lightning" definitely doesn't rank among my favorite Wodehouse, but it was interesting.

Has anyone else read anything by Connilyn Cossette? She is a current favorite right now, and I can't wait for her next book! I started with the third book of her "Out From Egypt" series because I was intrigued by the premise. I really liked it, so I read the others. Her new series picks up where that one left off, and she's on Hoopla!

AJ, it's great that Swallows and Amazons is a third-generation series in your family! My favorites were always the Walkers; I actively disliked the Pirate Blacketts, but I think I just wasn't all that interested in the D's. I'm hoping to do a full(er) reread at some point and see if my opinions have changed - I definitely appreciated them being new to sailing in The Picts and the Martyrs. I again have a desire to learn sailing now.
Is Early Riser part of the same series as The Eyre Affair? One of my coworkers loves Jasper Fforde's books, but (oddly enough) we've never actually talked about books, so I know little beyond the general premise of the series. And that Shades of Grey is excellent, though with an unfortunate title and with a terrible cliffhanger...

fk and AJ, you'll have to let me know what you think of the Earthsea series as you read it. I read the first four, and thought the first was well enough, the second really good, the third okay, and the fourth I rather disliked. I was recently urged to finish the series, so I may consider trying the fifth and seeing if things improve or not...

Mel, I hope you enjoy North and South! I read it ten years back or so and loved it. I have been meaning to do a reread for ages, but alas, not yet. *eyes stack of library books, books to read, and books to reread, not to mention recommendations*

Anfinwen, thanks for the note about Georgette Heyer - she may just not be my cup of tea.
Interesting that you think the North and South miniseries is better than the book. Other than a slight change in ending, I thought the miniseries was a pretty faithful adaptation of the book, but not necessarily an improvement.
I remember being surprised by liking A Tangled Web; it's another one I'm overdue for a reread on. Though I'm still more likely to reread The Blue Castle instead...

I forgot to mention in my last post that I'm reading The Inextinguishable Symphony by Martin Goldsmith. The author tells the story of his parents, Jewish musicians in 1930s/1940s Germany, and the Kulturbund (Jewish theater, opera, symphony, and other cultural organizations - created when the Nazis banned Jews from German cultural/public life; it gave the Jewish artists and public a way to create and share music, etc. but also allowed the Nazis to keep tight observation and control). So far it's been fascinating.

I also read Court Duel by Sherwood Smith over the weekend. It's the second part of a duet, the first part of which I read a number of years ago. I remember being rather unimpressed with the first book, but I enjoyed the second one more than I thought. A lot of threads were obvious and a few unanswered questions in the end, but the biggest flaw seemed to be the world-building - despite how powerful magic seemed to be, that aspect seemed to really be tacked on like an afterthought. It's entirely possible that the magic was better explained and integrated in the first book and I just don't remember. That said, the heroine annoyed me less than I remember her doing in the first book, and I really liked some of the new characters - I really liked Nimair, and had a special appreciation for Linet. All in all, I didn't love it but I have a somewhat better idea why so many people seem to love the books.

AJ, it's great that Swallows and Amazons is a third-generation series in your family! My favorites were always the Walkers; I actively disliked the Pirate Blacketts, but I think I just wasn't all that interested in the D's.

Did you know that the Walkers were a real family, whom Arthur Ransome met, and that Titty was still living somewhere in the Lake District as late as 1997? There was a boating museum just out along the road following Lake Windermere, out of Bowness on Windermere, where they had one of the boats in the museum and also a motor boat set up like Uncle Jim's boat complete with a little cannon, a birthday cake and a parrot? Apparently Titty was a family nickname after a book called Titty mouse, Tatty mouse, and the real name of the third of the Walkers was really Mavis.

That particular museum was just past the Beatrice Potter display, dioramas for some of the books for people to see. All the favourites were there, including Mrs Tittlemouse, another possible source for the nickname. We've had copies of the Peter Rabbit books, and also some of the Swallows and Amazon books for my own children for ages, but I don't remember reading any Beatrice Potter books when I was still a child.

There was another series of books that I do remember reading as a child which wasn't written by Beatrice Potter. It was about a flying rabbit called Pookie, befriended by a little girl called Belinda. I never owned them but the teacher we had at the time used to allow us to read them at our desks every now and then. Has anyone heard of them, or who wrote them?

FK, I hope you enjoy it!

Valia, Early Riser is a new standalone book, so not a part of the Thursday Next series. Fforde has three main series (Thursday Next, Nursery Crime, and Dragonslayer) as well as Shades of Grey and Early Riser. Everyone is hoping for that elusive Shades sequel ... though I would also really like to see another Nursery Crime book. I love the nursery-rhyme littered world - the first book, The Big Over Easy, deals with solving the murder of Humpty Dumpty.

I also like the Walkers but I think I was somewhat put off both them and the Blacketts because they would have thought me a landlubber. My one comfort is that Nancy gets seasick, which is exactly what happened to me during my one sailing experience! I would like to learn to sail. I now know a friend who has a very small boat, so it's possible I'll get the opportunity now.

wagga, I did know that about the family. I never went to the museum, but I've been to the Lake District many times and have been to the Beatrix Potter museum. My family also has a few books about the author and the area. I recommend Arthur Ransome and Captain Flint's Trunk by Christina Hardyment, which explores the Lakes and elsewhere to find the real places that inspired Ransome. My mum and I used it to find Swallowdale!

I haven't heard of the books about Pookie, but Google says the author is Ivy Wallace - does that sound right?

North and South - I prefer the TV series over the book, but mainly because the series cut down the final third of the book where, for some reason, Margaret and Mr Thornton don't see, write to, or speak about each other. I also like the TV series because a lot of it was filmed in Edinburgh. There are some shots where you can tell they've digitally erased Edinburgh Castle!

I picked up Diana Wynne Jones' last book, The Islands of Chaldea, in a charity shop on Saturday and finished it yesterday. What a lovely read. It had everything I wanted in a story. I didn't realise until after I'd bought it that it had been finished by her sister, but though some of the ending felt a bit rushed I don't think it was all that noticeable.

Did you know that the Walkers were a real family, whom Arthur Ransome met, and that Titty was still living somewhere in the Lake District as late as 1997? There was a boating museum just out along the road following Lake Windermere, out of Bowness on Windermere, where they had one of the boats in the museum and also a motor boat set up like Uncle Jim's boat complete with a little cannon, a birthday cake and a parrot? Apparently Titty was a family nickname after a book called Titty mouse, Tatty mouse, and the real name of the third of the Walkers was really Mavis.

I got interested in the Swallows & Amazons series after a Californian couple of Anglophiles began to talk about them on another forum. I bought and read the original book while in the Lake District, and enjoyed seeing some of their haunts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2005/07/26/swallows_and_amazons_feature.shtml

I'm sorry the BBC changed Titty's name.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/23/family-of-swallows-and-amazons-titty--furious-as-bbc-film-change They made a mess of several 20th century classics in the 21st century, including the ridiculously-cast Ballet Shoes (all three girls much too old to play children). Bring back the good old days, I say!
Try to find the early 1970s film of Swallows & Amazons that was beautifully made with authentic RP posh accented children... I have it on DVD, so you may well find it. I will look for the old BBC followup serials too.
Here are some stills on pintarest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/437271445040584714/. In fact, I have just signed up on pintarest for the first time, to find more. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/178666310191594718/
I see that the oldest child was called Tacqui, and was a girl. She became a published writer, so if you are really keen, and here is a talk given by her at age 77.
https://www.allthingsransome.net/literary/sevens.htm
Now I want to read her work!

My favorite author might be Charles Dickens. But from I what I remember from being a lurker on this forum, he isn't particularly popular here.

Dickens is popular with me. My dad is probably one of the biggest Dickens fans in the world, and has thankfully passed on his love of that great story-teller to us kiddos.

I like Dickens, and I’d actually rank “A Tale of Two Cities” among my favorite books.

Ditto, Anfinwen. I would put A Tale of Two Cities as my top Dickens' book, with A Christmas Carol as a close second. But I don't think there is a Dickens book I have read that I have not appreciated. I still want to read some of his lesser known writings, all of which my dad has, so it may be time to borrow from him soon.

Books I have read (and loved) lately:

*The Radium Girls by Kate Moore: this is a must-read for those interested in little-known history of the early 20th century. A tragic tale in so, so many ways, but heroic too, as these young ladies exposed to radium just kept on fighting. What is devastating, though, is how the radium company responded to their cries for help. Denying truth is never a good thing.

*Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith (2017) by James Warner Wallace. This book is a follow-up to Cold-Case Christianity (2013). In Cold-Case, Wallace investigates the claims of the gospels. I have yet to purchase his God's Crime Scene (2015), in which he examines the evidence for a divinely-created universe. Wallace is quite the apologist (a defender of the faith) and these books are of excellence! You can find clips of his talks to mainly high school and university students on youtube. Wallace is very passionate (having only become a Christian at age 35, after years of outspoken atheism) and knowledgeable, loving the Lord God with all his heart, soul, and mind.

*the first two hefty journals of Lucy Maud Montgomery: she writes the same way she wrote Anne, etc. But much of her life is very, very hard and sad, and the ending, which I am not anticipating, is even harder. Fascinating reads, though, and full of history (her almost daily thoughts and distresses during the terrifying years of WW1, for example). These are not small books, but so worth the read! My friend has loaned me LMM's last three journals, so I will begin #3 sometime this fall.

*Sophie Scholl and the White Rose by Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn. This is a re-read for me. This young lady is one of my greatest female heroes, as she and her brother and his friends rose up with tremendous conviction in written and verbal resistance to the horrific Nazi regime. These young people had much more insight and wisdom and bravery than many. She and her brother and a friend were charged with high treason and executed when Sophie was only 21 years of age, on February 22, 1943.
In a more trivial note, I am so honoured to share the same birth date as Miss Scholl.

I have begun my 24th read of The Lord of the Rings. ♥ I try to read this beloved tale biennially, and this year is the year, so ... ♥. I would even like to read it annually, but don't want it in any way to start becoming old. Besides, as there are so many other books to delve into, I need to space it out a bit. This story becomes more wondrous to me with every read, as do the Narnia Chronicles. I just read the A Knife in the Dark chapter before bed last night. And shouldn't have. Terrifying! What a powerful, epic story-teller Tolkien was!!! And his humour, oh my, how I love his sense of humour!

I'm always surprised to hear that someone isn't familiar with Beatrix Potter. Her books were some of the first ones I read that weren't movie tie-ins. She was the first person to inspire me to want to write books. (Of course, I've only written one short book that probably won't be published so that arguably wasn't a big deal in my life.)

My favorite Dickens books are Great Expectations, which is kind of a you-love-it-or-you-hate-it thing, and Nicholas Nickleby which hardly anyone has read.

wagga, I did know that the Walkers were based on a real family. The museum sounds interesting - hope you enjoyed it!

AJ, fair enough about the Walkers and Blacketts considering you (and me) landlubbers - though I tend to think the Walkers would have more tact about it than the Blacketts. I hope you get the chance to learn to sail!
Thank you for the information about Jasper Fforde's series and Early Riser! His books do sound interesting, though my impression has always been that his style...can take a bit of getting used to, maybe?
Then again, I realized I have actually read one of his books - the first Dragonslayer, I think. I picked it up some years ago at the library; I have a vague memory of it being fun enough, but the library didn't have the rest of the series and it stand out enough for me to go looking elsewhere.
Oooh! I've only seen the North and South miniseries all the way through once or twice, but I'll have to watch again and pay attention to the locations.

Jo, your reading list always looks interesting, but The Radium Girls especially stands out to me! The uni library has it, so I'll try to keep it in mind when I do my next great book checkout from there.

I just finished The Inextinguishable Symphony by Martin Goldsmith. The author did a pretty good job of holding a tension between the very personal world (a little too personal, in a few instances!) for his parents and their family members and the larger world of the Kulturbund and Nazi persecution. The last few chapters, in particular, were hard to get through but not unexpected. I recommend the book, especially to those interested in that period of history and/or with an especial musical appreciation (...Jo, for one).

I haven't decided on my next lunchtime book yet; unless I make a trip to the library, probably whatever I find when I dig into the boxes under my bed.

I'm always surprised to hear that someone isn't familiar with Beatrix Potter.

Such great vocabulary for "mere" childrens' books. And very funny, especially The Roly-Poly Pudding. Plus all the others.

My favorite Dickens books are Great Expectations, which is kind of a you-love-it-or-you-hate-it thing, and Nicholas Nickleby which hardly anyone has read.

Nicholas Nickleby is great, though I'd have to say that my favourites are Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend. I have yet to read the real Great Expectations, and I think this is because I read an abridged version of it. Not really recommended for Dickens--they're much better in the original. Someday I will, though, as well as the others I haven't tackled: Oliver Twist, Old Curiosity Shop, and Hard Times.

Among the lesser known Dickens, I read Hard Times in the 6th form, and Our Mutual Friend in final year English (my major). The year after I graduated I read The Pickwick Papers, which took a few chapters to warm up, but was quite charming after that.
More recently I read the unfinished Mystery of Edwin Drood - and cannot recall anything - and the depressingly sad Bleak House (long drawn out lawsuits to get one's inheritance from the government fund known as Chancery).
Also in school years I read A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations. I don't recall if I read Little Dorrit or The Old Curiosity Shop.

What's interesting about Dickens is that his books that I find most interesting aren't my favorites on the whole. Like I'd say that Little Dorrit is a more interesting book than Oliver Twist. It has more original characters and thought provoking themes. But Oliver Twist is much better paced and more engaging. Similarly, Bleak House and Hard Times have more intriguing and original ideas than David Copperfield but David Copperfield is much more consistently enjoyable. I think Great Expectations may be the only Dickens book that is equally interesting and competent. That's part of why it's a favorite of mine.

Interesting that you think the North and South miniseries is better than the book. Other than a slight change in ending, I thought the miniseries was a pretty faithful adaptation of the book, but not necessarily an improvement.
I remember being surprised by liking A Tangled Web; it's another one I'm overdue for a reread on. Though I'm still more likely to reread The Blue Castle instead...

I haven't actually watched the mini-series all the way through, but what really stood out to me was how much more I liked and cared about the Higgins family. Mr Higgins was cast younger than I had imagined him, and just seeing them made me feel for them more. I thought some of the social type commentary took up too much of the book, but the more boring parts of a book always seem longest on a first read. I'm listening to it again and hopefully knowing the story will help with the slow parts.
I LOVE The Blue Castle! I devoured it the first time I read it and got a migraine in return. There's a nice non-professional recording of it on Youtube that I really like.

I have begun my 24th read of The Lord of the Rings.

I wish I had kept count of how many times I've read/listened to it, or maybe it's best not to I've been listening to it about once a year, but last year I re-read the actual book. When I did that I realized how much I missed hearing the sound of the the words. LotR has an almost musical quality to it sometimes.

The year after I graduated I read The Pickwick Papers,

It's a favourite around here! I mentioned my dad is a huge Dickens fan, so much so he names inanimate object after Dickens characters: his computer is Mr. Pickwick (The Pickwick Papers); his unusual antique clock (it can strike many times at one go ) is Mr. Micawber (David Copperfield), and there is another object in his home he has named, but it has escaped me right now. Will ask him and edit this post.

He has charmingly detailed busts of a number of characters from the novels on a prime wall that he purchased at "The Old Curiosity Shop" in London, England when he was there on business decades ago. He also has gorgeous framed silhouettes hanging up near the front door of some of the more famed characters.

Anyway, that is slightly off-topic, but ... Dickens characters and writings are just so memorable.

But in other news, I finished "The Council of Elrond" chapter last night ... one of my favourite chapters in all LotR. So much fascinating and intriguing info is given therein!

Edit on Sept. 27: My dad's other household item that he has named after a Dickens character is his printer, Sam Weller (Pickwick's devoted servant).

Re-reading the whole seven Narnia books was a welcome change of pace for me... I've pretty much spent all of August hunting on the Internet articles like that because the company I'm working demanded a complete survey of the latest news in the luxury real estate market... I may have dived to maximal depth for 2 entire days which I spent binge-reading books I had already read over and over again over the course of the last 12 years, but man, I needed that!

Fortunately enough, now, I've picked up Edward Rutherfurd's Paris, which is a masterpiece of historical references!

SnowAngel: I haven't read anything by Klassen since The Painter's Daughter. The more popular she became, the worse her style, which might have something to do with her publishing contract (X books per year). Haste makes waste.

I would like to reread her early books and see if they are worth it or she's just a read once author. But I have so many other books I want to read or reread that I probably won't touch any of Klassen's books.

Oh, I love North and South the miniseries. A friend recommended the book ages ago, but I never did pick it put although one of my sisters started reading it. She hasn't finished it yet.

I have seen Connilyn Cossette books a number of places on the internet and in the library catalog, I haven't yet pick one to read. What do you enjoy about her books, Anfinwen?

Oh, I need to read some more Wodehouse. I read Do Butlers Burgle Banks? last fall, what a fun read.

The Raven by Mike Nappa is awesome, and I need more Coffey & Hill. Unfortunately book three doesn't have a release date, just a maybe in 2019 or 2020.

The Tox Files are still epic. And Thirst of Steel...shattered my heart and put it back in pieces. Yes, it was epic and it made me cry in front of my siblings, I couldn't help it we were on vacation there was nowhere to hide. It was totally worth it, I just didn't want the character that got killed to get killed. But the rest of the team, Tox, and Haven made it through and I am happy with the book. Now I think I need to reread The Quiet Professionals series.

In the last couple of weeks, I also read the Roland March Mystery series by J. Mark Bertrand (It's awesome, top notch suspense/mystery fiction.), Formula of Deception by Carrie Stuart Parks (Doesn't compare with the Gwen Marcey series, Murphy wasn't a likeable main character. I hope CSP's next book is better), and most of Called To Protect (Blue Justice #2) by Lynette Eason.

Today Ronie Kendig revealed the cover for Storm Rising (The Book of the Wars #1) and it looks amazing. I can't wait to read more about Leif Metcalfe, he first appeared in the Discarded Heroes as he is Canyon's little brother and then reappeared in The Tox Files as Runt. And now he's getting his own series.

I currently reading Called To Protect by Lynette Eason, I should go finish it when I get off here. My next batch of books to read is The Patriot Bride by Kimberly Woodhouse, A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter, and Hidden Peril by Irene Hannon. I also want to read Keep Holding On and All This Time by Melissa Tagg (bought Keep Holding On while on vacation last month, been wanting it for ages) and then With Love, Wherever You Are by Dandi Daley Mackall.

Oh...I just remembered I have two Susan May Warren books to pick up at the library, add them to the list after The Patriot Bride. And I have one non-fiction from the library that I haven't started Ghost Army of World War II by Jack Kneece.

SnowAngel