The Book Nook

rustledjimm

Hannah_Scope It's very much it's own made-up world. Based off the authors own tabletop roleplaying games (think Dungeons & Dragons).

The author is an archaeologist and anthropologist and that really shows in their work. There's very much a theme of the cycle of civilisation and ancient, lost history in the plot.

One thing that's quite refreshing is that the author purposefully created the world's societies with no inherent sexism or gender-based hierarchies.

CountryMimi

@iza

That sounds interesting! Yeah, that would be great getting your friends to chip in!

@Hannah_Scope

I've just finished 'The Visa'! I wasn't really expecting the ending to end the way it did, kind of threw me off a few chapters prior 😅

I'm not sure what colour glitter, I'll have to have a look 😆

Awww bless her, I'm sure she will love that! Gosh, would love it myself right now! 😂 To be honest though, I don't actually mind the heat, I just get really bad sun stroke

Oh yep, my mum is definitely the same! She said she had an inkling about the tickets as we were with her when we booked them and my sister pretended she was taking her bf to see Harry Styles 😂 rookie error! 

That is hilarious! It's good to know for future reference!

Marketstalls are great! I particularly love the German Christmas markets the best; though I haven't been to one for a few years now - once over I was studying in Manchester and it was nice to have a wander around them as often as I wanted! Ooo I will try find the photos of my dad dressed as Welephant then 😃 oh wow! Gosh, that is a small fire station

To be honest I rarely ever review, but I might make the switch though 🤔 nice and simple sounds good! 

I dread to think 😅 oh wow! That is so interesting - are you a fan of his work? I do love a bit of name dropping 😂😂😂 where to start 😂😂😂 no but, interesting like you say with family - my Mum's Grandad and his brother were entertainers and made it in America! Then my Uncle worked at what was Granada TV back in the day on Corrie and was really good friends with Bill Roache! I can never work out how to do my ancestry - you've inspired me to try again though! I'd love to do one of those Ancestry DNA things

Hannah_Alumni

@Wilshyboy Thank you so much I was hoping to visit this year, I have been trying to get my confidence up with driving again. I have heard they have lots of lovely things across the Cotswolds around October for the fall / Halloween? Will add the Case Histories to the list! 

@rustledjimm Oh that's cool. I like reading how authors create their own worlds. Will definitely keep an eye out for Erikson's books. How many are in the series? Any standalone's they've written you'd also recommend? 

@CountryMimi

Woohoo! what have you started on next? Did you still enjoy the ending? 

I think rainbow glitter, just so you don't have to pick a colour! Haha. Gwen wouldn't get in the paddling pool 😂 ended up following her around the garden with the hose 😂

I hope you didn't get sun stroke this week! Hahaha, that's a good cover! It's always hard buying tickets and having someone keep the date open without ruining the surprise a little.

I love when the German Christmas markets come around too. Do you think you'll go to one this year? Can't wait to see the photos! 😃 

I've been umming and aahing about giving Goodreads another go but love the app so think it'll be a "if I'm bored one day" task, haha 😂

Yeah, I was really shocked. The funny thing is, you forget how many descendants there can be! I am a fan of his work! That's so cool! I bet he has so many stories! I use Ancestry to build my tree as I find it more user friendly. I have done a 23andme and an ancestry DNA test. Both gave really interesting results! I mean, I knew I was mainly European 😂 but the family connections I've found are amazing. 

Wilshyboy

If you do go to the Cotswolds, you are quite near to Stratford upon Avon the home of Shakespeare that is well worth a visit, also Chipping Norton a lovely old market town, about three miles away is the Rollright Stones At Great Rollright see if you can count the same number of them twice, I never could! Also Blenheim Palace near the town of Woodstock, Everywhere you go in the Cotswolds I've heard that a local Bylaw means you cant leave without having Tea and Cake!!!!

Hannah_Alumni

I live in the West Midlands so we visited Stratford upon Avon a lot on school trips, although would be lovely to go back as a more with it Adult... just slightly more  

Haha! I will always stay for cake! I would love to spend a couple of weeks travelling around and stopping for a night or two in different villages. You've given me lots to add to the list, thank you  

CountryMimi

@Hannah_Scope

I'm currently reading 'What's Your Vibe' - Craig David.... Not to name drop or anything 😝 but I met one of his backing singers years and years ago in Swansea and she was so so lovely, she gave us complimentary tickets to see Craig David in Manchester, 2 nights before my 13th birthday. Then a few years later, she was backing for Will Young and she gave us complimentary tickets to see him. I managed to grab CD's book at Waterstones in the January Sales and get this.... The copy is signed!

Yeah, I did enjoy the ending of 'The Visa', it's one of those where I'm like 😫😫😫 but I need to see where this is going! Give me more!

Ooo good call re the glitter, I'll have to do some digging around!

Aww hahaha that's so funny! Did she like the hose? So strange as Lottie would definitely independent jump into a pond, but give her OWN pool and she's not interested! Poor little poppet hasn't been well, think her tummy's upset and she's been quite sick since last night, so hoping she's feeling better tomorrow 😪

I didn't get sun stroke 😅😅 I kept popping in and out though, giving myself little breaks and drank like a tank, so that probably helped.

It really was hard to keep it a surprise haha. Super excited to take her!

They're so nice the German Markets aren't they! I'd like to go, but we are possibly moving and will be an extra further away from the nearest German Market if we do. I'd love to try some of the food, so hoping they'll have some gluten free goodies available.

Haha! Completely get ya, I'm always procrastinating about trying something again! This is like my billionth (4th or so) time on good reads! The first time I was really in the swing of it, but then my reading slump sort of kicked in and I gave it up

Ahh wow, that is so cool! I did quite a lot of Shakespeare when I was studying performing arts, but I think I was too young to really appreciate it at the time. I'm not sure I'd understand it now though 🙈 how do you find it? It's so interesting isn't it! I'm literally having to prize myself away from it tonight 😂😂😂 just wondering, how have you managed to find out legitimate links? Do you sort of have access to family history? I haven't heard of 23 and me, I'll definitely look it up! I'm gonna save up for a DNA kit! Would love to learn more about my ancestry!

Popped to the free little library today for the first time! It's so so cute! There's a floor mosaic of Matilda 😍 I managed to pick 3 books up, funnily enough all ones that I've considered buying in the past!

Faceless - Alyssa Scheinmel
Where She Went - Gayle Foreman
The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood

I'd say I'm a good 2/3s into CD's autobiography. Can't be sure though as when I try and log it on good reads, it says there are 0 pages 🙈

CountryMimi

Thought I'd update my list whilst I'm on

Current Reads:

What's Your Vibe - Craig David

TBR:

Faceless - Alyssa Scheinmel
The No Show - Beth O'Leary
Where She Went - Gayle Foreman
The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Finished:

The Switch - Beth O'Leary

Becoming Mila - Estelle Maskame
The Visa - Lizzie O'Hagan

Backburner:
Fragments of the Lost - Megan Miranda

Wish List:

The People on Platform 5 - Claire Pooley

Can't We Just Print More Money - Jack Meaning & Rupal Patel

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard - Megan Clawson

Hannah_Alumni

@CountryMimiThat's amazing! I know @Cher_Scope would have been very jealous as she is a Will Young fan! Is Craig David's book good so far?

Haha it left you with more questions, I wonder if she'll ever do a sequel to it? 

Remember to put a sealant on the glitter! 😃 Gwen hates the hose, she barks at it 😂 That's my Gwen, she swims in the stream but won't go in a paddling pool. Oh bless her! I hope she feels better soon!

Yes! SPF and drinking like a tank is the way to go 😂 I am going to pinch that "drank like a tank". 

You'll have to keep us updated, I bet you'll all have a great time! I love the smell as you go around the markets, it just feels comforting 🥰 Fingers crossed they have some gluten free goodies! It may be nice making a day of it and jumping on the train to a bigger city. May have more to choose from too 😃

I think it's almost become a competition for people on goodreads which is what I think puts me off. 

I studied performing arts too and was gutted when my drama class decided to change the curriculum and not study Shakespeare. We had gone to see Othello and the class were really confused. I loved it! 

There are many ways with ancestry research to find legitimate links but then there is that question of are they always? So you use things like marriage certificates, birth certificates and census's but sometimes the information can be either taken down wrong, transcribed wrong or even given falsely.
As an example, my great grandfather lied and said he was one year older than he was to enlist. Something commonly done, but it made finding those service records a little more difficult. I would say, if you are interested in your ancestry composition then 23andme has a bigger database to give you more accurate results. But, with an Ancestry DNA kit you can link it to your tree and then link to other people's trees and DNA results and basically, find more family. I found cousins on one side through the DNA results and was able to find out so much more!

Oooo! that sounded like a great day out 🥰 You'll have to take a photo of the floor next time you visit! I'm glad you were able to find some that were on your list, bonus! I think good reads can play up sometimes, maybe just log it as finished once you are? 

Hannah_Alumni

To update mine:

Current Reads:
- The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina.

TBR:
- Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards.
- The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk.
- Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland.
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron.

Finished:
- Happy Place by Emily Henry.
- Murder at the House On The Hill by Victoria Walters.
- Murder at the Summer Fete by Victoria Walters.

Wish List:
As mine is so long I'll pop down what I have just ordered.
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
- Murder at the Village Church by Victoria Walters.
- The Illumicrate Bridgerton Series 😍 a belated birthday gift from me to me 😂

CountryMimi

@Hannah_Scope

I actually wanted Gareth Gates to win Pop Idol.... Not to name drop or anything yet again 🙄 but we went to the same Church as him for a while! Regardless though, wouldn't pass up a free opportunity to see Will Young! 

Yeah, I'm really enjoying CD's autobiography! Though I haven't done any further reading since Friday. Will probably try and catch up with it tomorrow though!

Yes!!! So many questions!!! Hmmm 🤔 time to pester a certain author for a sequel 🤪

Thanks for the reminder! 😆 She barks at the hose?! 😂 Haha they are so picky it's unreal!

😂😂😂 Glad you like it!

Oh I absolutely get the smells 👃 fresh bread 🤤 Would absolutely love to make a day of it. Manchester is my favourite UK city, so any excuse 😆

Such a shame if they're turning it into a competition as it's not about quantity and if you're rushing through book after book, how can people ever take the time to enjoy the words of the book, the narrative and the characters

Oh wow, that's so cool that you studied Performing Arts too! I do completely understand why they were confused though, as I was thoroughly scratching my head! But like you, there were other people who really enjoyed Shakespeare. I can remember, one of my first essays was on Kiss Me Kate and my mum, who can understand Shakespeare even struggled with helping me! I think it was within the first 6 weeks of our first year that we were handed that one and I was sooo glad to see the back of it!

Ooo thank you, I'll definitely look at 23andme! I've managed to connect with people on Ancestry and there is definitely some false information on there like you say i.e. my paternal Grandma was called Henriette, but it comes up as Henriette. Gosh, it must have been challenging to find the correct details for some of your ancestry with that information being incorrect. It's been really interesting so far - I've found that there's a common theme of 'care' on my Dad's side i.e. A distant cousin of mine works at a school specialising in SEN. My Dad and Uncle were both firefighters and their sister was a mental health nurse. A few of us have worked in childcare and my brother is training to be a paramedic. Then on my Mum's side there's a lot of performing. My Great Grandad and his brother were acrobats and performed Punch and Judy shows - a couple of my 3rd cousins have done acting, one of them having performed on cruise ships and my mum's brother was something like head of the camera crew for coronation street back in the day and then I studied performing arts and then dance. Definitely going to get myself a DNA kit though! Will likely save up for it as today we found out we are definitely moving.

I think there's a picture of the mosaic online somewhere, so when I find it I'll post it, but if I go again I'll definitely take one so you can see the entire library. Yeah, I think it does play up. Sometimes I find half the books I add aren't even on their database!

I'm intrigued by your current read! It sounds so interesting! 

CountryMimi

 I want one 😍

rustledjimm

@Hannah_Scope I think he's up to 13 books now. It's a very heavy read and series, I don't think it would be to everyone's tastes but I love it. He's an author who especially rarely connects dots for you, he places the dots of the story and the world all around. The reader is expected to make many of the connections, so it can be quite a lot to hold all at once. Part of me loves that though, it's like solving a puzzle while I read.

I've been meaning to pop to the library recently to take out a few classics though, Fahrenheit 451 and To Kill a Mockingbird are two specific books I'd like to read. It's honestly a shame I haven't read them already.

Hannah_Alumni

@CountryMimi

Haha I did too! 😂 That's amazing, I love when someone whose talent is finally recognised was just a lovely member of their community.

I love that the weather has been a little more miserable as I tend to want to grab a book more. I'm glad you are enjoying the autobiography. 

So you'll be preordering so fast if there was a sequel 😂 A day at the markets in Manchester sounds perfect 🥰

Exactly, in my opinion it feels like it's become a social media page, having the most reviews, most followers...etc. Just want somewhere to read a book review, haha. 

When I was studying we had choices over out performance pieces but for exams it was set. I always felt we didn't do enough and kind of wish I took English. They did more play scripts than we did! Kiss Me Kate sounds like it would have been such fun, I love a musical. But for an essay, yeah I can see where you'd be happy to see the back of it! 😂

I had a similar name issue, My aunt 'Win' so here I was searching for a Winnie or Winifred and her birth name was Constance! 😂 I think it's amazing how our ancestors lived and how you can find they had the same loves as you. Have you found many records with their services? I know the British Newspaper archive and Newspaper.com is great for articles too if they made the papers. I loved doing my DNA kits, the results are also ever changing as databases grow too!

Oh I love that Mosaic! It's so sweet! 🥰 I want one too! 😂

I'm having a hard time with my current read. It's a translation so I feel like some part is missing, but I am only a few chapters in so it may be in relation to storyline. 

@rustledjimm Oooo that does sound up my street as I love a mystery book or mystery element to a story. I felt the same coming into the new year! There are so many "classics" that I haven't read or haven't read since school. I always reread Pride and Prejudice as it's a favourite. I took advice from @chiarieds who said think about what other countries would consider "classics" and I read Siddhartha and have a few more on my list that I cannot remember off the top of my head. 
You'll have to let us know what you think of Fahrenheit 451 and To Kill A Mockingbird 😃

Hannah_Alumni

I just put a post up about Stuff Your Kindle Day! 

Hannah_Alumni

I spent the month in Dedley End. I read all 3 Murder at the... books by Victoria Walters. Love them, cannot recommend them enough! They are cosy murder mysteries if that is what you are into! 

I have now started Fourth Wing, the book that is everywhere. I am 10 chapters in and it is already living up to the hype. I'm itching to get back to reading it 😂

Hannah_Alumni

Ooo nice! I laughed when you mentioned the greasy finger prints  I was umm-ing and aah-ing about a Kindle, then realised I have a tablet! 

I keep googling though, then window shopping, then actually shopping and it's just more physical copies of books, haha. 

rebel11

Good news, scientists think they have underestimated the number of books the human memory can store.

 https://metro.co.uk/2016/01/22/your-brain-can-store-4-7million-books-yes-really-5639051/

Hannah_Alumni

@rebel11 That's an amazing article! thank you for sharing I wonder if I could reach it.... 😂

rebel11

Hannah_Scope said:

@rebel11 That's an amazing article! thank you for sharing I wonder if I could reach it.... 😂

@Hannah_Scope

Or you could read the one book 4.7 million times!! I know genius!! 

CountryMimi

@Hannah_Scope

So sorry for the late response, a lot has happened these past few weeks!

I completely agree, it's nice to see local talent - I don't know about anyone else but I absolutely love country music. (hence the username) and a major part of country music is all about community.

You'll probably know of S Club Juniors? In lockdown, one of the band members did an Instagram series where he interviewed everyone and it was amazing to hear that Stacey was introduced to singing by going to a £1 choir each week and her voice is 😇 so it was lovely to see that it wasn't just theatre kids that were chosen

I think it's lovely when you can snuggle up indoors, but I am missing the lovely weather 🌞

I really will be ordering a sequel 😂😂 that reminds me, I read Paige Toon's Ya series about a girl called Jessie Jefferson a number of years ago and enjoyed those books so much that I asked for a sequel ✏️ must pester again ✏️

You're completely right! I think there could be a gap in the market for something like a social media version for books, but definitely not good reads!

That's so strange that they did more play scripts! Do you ever have any regrets about studying performing arts? I have to say that in one sense I do - not all my courses. My performing arts course laid a sort of foundation for my personal confidence growth as I was so shy back then. And I couldn't ever regret doing my first dance course - my only regret in those terms was not getting myself stuck into it in first year. I'm so with you though, I love musicals too! Last September my sister took me to see Mrs Doubtfire the Musical for my birthday, but about 10 minutes in I started with shivers, sweats, feeling really poorly and had to get checked out by first aiders... 3 days later was in hospital with a kidney infection. The staff did say we could go back when I was feeling better, but by the time I was feeling well enough they'd finished their run

I'm wondering how Constance came to Win / Winnie / Winnifred 😆 yeah, it's really interesting! My cousin's father in law has done a family tree for our side, but my auntie said a lot of it is inaccurate. Though, having said that, I think some of it could be useful and rather interesting as it looks as though some of my ancestors lived really close to where I currently live, where as younger generations have relocated to the opposite end of the region! Ooo thank you, I'll have to have a look at that as I have a few newspaper clippings of articles that were written about my great Grandad and his brother. I'm definitely going to start saving for a kit! I want to make sure future generations know about their history

I love the mosaic too! Have you watched the musical adaptation of matilda yet?

Oh no, hope you've managed to make some good progress with it now?