Currently Reading? Showing 1,701-1,750 of 2,623

[Bionic Jean]

I too like Dorothy Simpson and Cynthia Harrod Eagles - though I hadn't realised she also wrote Sci Fi, and will look into that, thanks!

Simon Brett is a very entertaining and light crime writer. Peter Chambers (also writing similar crime stories as Philip Daniels is a quick light read too, but not as amusing.

[John]

JeanN - re message 1838. Yes, thank you.

I didn't think anyone read Dorothy Simpson these days. About twenty entertaining crime novels with a nice amount of Inspector Thanet's wife and daughter, I think. Finished about 15 years ago?

[John]

JeanG - again, thank you for your message re the loss of one of our dogs. The two remaining still make it difficult to get up from reading, when they are resting on one's feet!

[C.J.]

Carolien wrote: "I'm slowly reading my way through the Aurelio Zen series and...then read [book:A Florentine ..."

Thanks for this recommendation - I've just reserved it @ my local library.

[Leslie]

John wrote: "with dogs we're down to two Border Collies from four (one put to sleep at 15 only two weeks ago)...."

So sorry to hear this John. Even when it is the right thing to do, it is still emotionally hard.

[John]

Thank you, Leslie. Yes, very hard.

[Kay]

I'm so sorry for your loss but admire you for doing the right thing.

[Karlyne]

John wrote: "JeanG - again, thank you for your message re the loss of one of our dogs. The two remaining still make it difficult to get up from reading, when they are resting on one's feet!"

John, I'm doing a re-read of an old favorite of mine, and in it one of the dogs always anchors the feet of whomever seems to need it. I'm glad that you have two of them for anchors!

[John]

Kay, Karlyne: so kind. Thank you.

[Susan]

Have you noticed that most people that love to read always have a good dog or two keeping them company?

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Sorry John. :(

Susan wrote: "Have you noticed that most people that love to read always have a good dog or two keeping them company?"

Not me. I just have a cat who hates me! She occasionally sits on the foot part of my lazy boy while I'm reading - because she likes the chair!

[John]

Carol - thank you.

LOL!

[Karlyne]

Susan wrote: "Have you noticed that most people that love to read always have a good dog or two keeping them company?"

It's been my experience that those who love to read often have a spouse who loves to talk. But only when she's reading!

[Bionic Jean]

With me, it's my border collie who decides to throw himself on his back and wriggle about in the cutest way he can, doing playbites in the air, "Notice me, notice me!" whenever he spots me getting a book and settling down ...

I really could set the clock by him! (And I can't resist either.)

[Susan]

Oh No,you need to give her the chair.

[John]

When we settle down to read, our border collie Oreo insists on going into other rooms, then closes the door behind him. Then scratches to be let back in about ten minutes later. Endearing or annoying, depending on one's mood!

[Karlyne]

Border collies are on my short list of dog-to-be when we get moved to the country. But we have a lot of sticky weeds, so I'm leaning towards a Beagle as a bit less maintenance!

[Susan]

I don't think my breed, Old English Sheepdogs would do well with sticky weeds either.

[John]

But you can get short-haired border collies. Don't give up, Karlyne!

[Karlyne]

Susan wrote: "I don't think my breed, Old English Sheepdogs would do well with sticky weeds either."

I don't think so, either, Susan; we had one when I was a teen-ager, but she never got off the grass! I shudder to think what she'd look like on our property. The area is known for its wildflowers, but that includes a lot of crazy plants that cling like mad!

Short-haired border collies, John? I don't think I've seen one!

[Jean]

We have both dogs and cats to keep us company while we read - friendly, affectionate dogs and cats. We both like to read - I was very picky about a marriage partner.

[Bionic Jean]

Looks like we might need a chat thread in this group ... Jean-Luke?

[Jean]

You mean back to mysteries? OK. I read The Laws of Murder, the latest in Charles Finch's series set in London of the 1880s. I didn't think it was quite up to the rest of the series, but even a slightly sub-par Finch is better than most others out there. I don't think anyone has mentioned Cassandra Chan either; she's American but her Bethancourt/Gibbons series is set in England. There are only four books, so far, but I find them quite entertaining.

[John]

Karlyne - I just googled 'short-haired border collies' and came up with lots of photos and web-sites, but my lack of expertise meant I couldn't copy and paste any of the photos! Sorry.

[Karlyne]

John wrote: "Karlyne - I just googled 'short-haired border collies' and came up with lots of photos and web-sites, but my lack of expertise meant I couldn't copy and paste any of the photos! Sorry."

Thanks, John, I'll google them when I get a minute!

[Bionic Jean]

Jean - Was that to me? If so, not at all! I enjoy both sorts of thread. And I really meant exactly what I said. We might get a lot out of a chat thread in this group ... what do you think as the mod, Jean-Luke?

Tell you what, I'll start one off now called "Off Topic Chat", and Jean-Luke you can delete it if you don't like the idea. Or add an asterisk if you think it would be useful near the top where we have this thread, and the "Welcome" one.

Hope this is OK ... :)

[John]

A sort of 'chat et chien'' thread?

[Bionic Jean]

LOL John! It's here

[John]

Got it. Good.

[Jean]

Jean wrote: "Jean - Was that to me? If so, not at all! I enjoy both sorts of thread. And I really meant exactly what I said. We might get a lot out of a chat thread in this group ... what do you think as the m..."

Yes, I thought I was being told to get back on topic - which is perfectly fair, of course; this is a Brit mystery group.

[Kay]

Yes, it is.

[Kay]

Yes, it is.

[Jean]

Fine with me. You can't find an animal I don't like, except for a few insects - mosquitoes, flies, fleas, ticks, wasps. We have dogs and cats - I've always had dogs and cats, with the occasional bird, reptile, rodent, horse, etc. I'm always happy to hear about others' pets and talk about my own.

[Bionic Jean]

Thanks Jean-Luke.

[Leslie]

I will go check out the new chat thread in a minute. :)

I just finished rereading Christie's And Then There Were None -- what a spooky mystery! A fast read which I recommend to anyone who hasn't read it before.

[Bionic Jean]

You have put me in mind of reading an Agatha Christie over Christmas now, Leslie! I usually have a spate of reading ghost stories around now, but somehow The Dame seems apt too. I wonder why that is.

[John]

I see you read The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding in July. Or there's Poirot's Christmas, which I listened to this year, and is good.

What about Simenon's Maigret's Christmas, short stories incl. The Girl Who Believed in Father Christmas?

[Bionic Jean]

I think I know that one too, John - have read many over the years but not entered them here as I forget which ...

Maigret is a good idea as well, thanks :)

[Kay]

I really like Maigret but have trouble finding the books. I ordered one through Amazon a while back, and it didn't arrive for almost three weeks. It was from some other company. I'll try Amazon again.

[Susan]

I've been watching the old Maigrets on PBS UK, still enjoy them.

[Bionic Jean]

I seem to remember they did some newer ones with Michael Gambon, but never saw any.

[John]

Kay: Penguin Books are re-issuing every Maigret in order, and 14 are now available in paper copy and Kindle.. Plus, the first five are in the first of an annual omnibus edition. So all easily available via Amazon UK. But not Maigret's Christmas, which is no. 39! And Audible are doing the same - now up to no. 11.

You can see I'm a nerd re Maigret - I have 74 of the 79 so far, nos. 18 and 19 will be in Penguin next year. Which will leave me to find nos. 29, 50, 54 via second-hand on-line bookshops!

Jean: yes, 12 fifty-minute episodes with Michael Gambon. I have them in front of me! Best Drama of the Year award 1992-3 the cover says. They are good.

[Bionic Jean]

Oh good, something to look for in the library catalogue, thanks John! I remember the theme tune from the very old TV series - I dreaded it as it always meant it was my bedtime! LOL!

[John]

Yes, I just about remember Rupert Davies' puffing on his pipe in the top/tail of the show, and how Lucas was always at his beck and call (where does that phrase come from - for one of your threads?).

[Bionic Jean]

And was there someone called "Slowly"? Or was that "Callan"? Were they from novels too?

[John]

Starring Edward Woodward. Wasn't that minor character called 'Lonely'? Russell Hunter. Just television, I guess?

[Bionic Jean]

Ah yes! quite right - thanks. Your memory is better than mine :)

[John]

It's remembering where I left my car keys half an hour ago that's the problem!

[Kay]

John, thanks for the information about the Maigret books. I'm starting my search now.

[Jean]

Kindle seems to be really trying to add the older stuff while keeping up with the new stuff. You can get some great bargains too; we got 12 Van Dines for 99 cents.