The audio version on audible is what sparked my interest in Evelina: three amazing voice actors on that production. I saw you make this comment on another Christie book and realised it's why I loved Christie books back 'then' too. Some of them just don't stack up so well now. Thanks VC ... I'm hoping I like her too. Before I sign out for the weekend, a quick book update: I noticed that others on BaW get to enjoy a quick re-scrambling of books that suddenly ‘need’ to be read too - thanks to library loans becoming available. I’m not sure if I’ll get through them all in time but these titles hit my to-be-read basket in the last few days: Frozen in Time ~ Mitchell Zuckoff N/F (audio) No Shred of Evidence: Inspector Rutledge Bk18 ~ Charles Todd A Red Boyhood ~ Anatole Konstantin N/F And There Was Light ~ Jacques Lusseyran N/F France WWII (audio) I’ve just completed this county harvesting read, and am listing them all for others that have it on their TBR list The Red Door: Inspector Rutledge Bk12 ~ Charles Todd (3) (epukapuka) (Suffolk/ Lancashire/ Essex/ London/ Lincolnshire/ Kent/ Durham/ Cambridgeshire/ Dorset/ Worcestershire/ Cheshire/ Hertfordshire). And have finally got back to Yorkshire with A Death in the Dales: Kate Shackleton Bk7 ~ Frances Brody (3) (audio) . I wasn’t happy with the twist the author gave to Kate’s courtship. Content extra, for others who appreciate knowing things in advance: a violently abusive father forces his daughter to live as his incestuous “wife’ – she ends up in an asylum.

My Dh gifted me with a copy of Evelina ~ Francis Burney (pub. anon 1778 p.455 ) for Mother’s Day. I’m quite looking forward to going through this book and wonder if anyone here has read this?

I know if I don’t get here and post something during my Monday, it becomes more and more challenging for me to get back to post or chat. I’ll be following along via email updates, so please, do, share LOTS of good books (-: One of Dds English courses, as expected, has morphed into a subject area that she wants mum involved in – a silver lining to that, clunky English course, is Dd and I are getting to spend time together discussing Fahrenheit 451 ~ Ray Bradbury this week. My current Brit Trip reads: The Silent Pool: Miss Silver Bk24 ~ Patricia Wentworth (audio) Herefordshire. Even though we don’t need to go via that county anymore ( grinning) I’m still carrying on with this one. The Confession: Ian Rutledge Bk14 ~ Charles Todd epukapuka Sip Reads that I’m making slow n steady progress in: How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger The Book of Psalms (KJV) Elizabeth the Queen ~ Sally Bedell Smith N/F London/Scotland/Norfolk/Berkshire (just started) Completed (Brit Trip rebel bus): 92: The Case is Closed: Miss Silver Bk2 ~ Patricia Wentworth (4) Bedfordshire 93: Tom Brown’s School Days ~ Thomas Hughes (book & audio) (5) Warwickshire/ Oxfordshire/ Berkshire/ Wiltshire. The narrator, Jamie Parker made this an absolute joy to listen to. If you find it hard to navigate through books that reflect a Victorian era, and Christian-based, worldview you may want to skip this one. For those that might be interested, I’ve posted a fuller review on my book blog 94: A Cold Treachery: Ian Rutledge Bk7 ~ Charles Todd (4.5) Cumbria (Including a sensitive-issue heads up: this story centres around the tragic shooting of a family, parents and their young daughter and new born twins. The oldest child, a son seems to have escaped being shot and the solving of the case brings to light the traumatic events surrounding the mass killing. ) I thought the story ended rather abruptly. 95: North and South ~ Elizabeth Gaskell (5) Manchester/ Cornwall/ London. (a few pages too short to count as a chunkster.. switched between audio & e.book) Juliet Stevenson’s narration is a work of art. This book was a restart as I laid it aside for other reading in 2016, I’m glad and I picked it back up to re-wrestle with this year. It feels rather satisfying to have completed this particular sip read, especially since I ended up enjoying it: the themes in N & S seem to be similar to those found in Pride and Prejudice… though Thornton ‘voices’ his feelings for Margaret with panting passion; something Darcy would never do ? It was nice to find the same portion from one of Michael Drayton’s sonnets, Idea 61: [Since There’s No Help] that I’d first encountered in a Georgette Heyer book - she gifted it to Lord Damarel to quote in Venetia - which Elizabeth Gaskell uses in part 3 of N&S: Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part. Nay, I have done, you get no more of me;

I think it was V.C asking for Buckinghamshire suggestions last week… Wondering if there are any chunkster or classic reads others can suggest that have Buckinghamshire as one of it's settings? Here’s what I’ve read on the Rebel Bus that had Buckinghamshire visits in them: 40: Landmarks of Britain ~ Amy Williams Revised ed. (3) N/F Multiple 83: First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill ~ Sonia Purnell N/F (4.5) Isle of Wight/ Oxfordshire/ Norfolk/ Surrey/ Essex/ London/ Kent/ Buckinghamshire 84: Three Men in a Boat ~ Jerome St. Jerome (3) (classic) London/ Chesire/ Buckinghamshire/ Surrey/ Berkshire/ Dorset/ Oxfordshire 89: The Foundling ~ Georgette Heyer (4) (cosy historical mystery) “Sale Park” "wild card" location / London / /Hertfordshire/ Bedfordshire/ Lancashire / Buckinghamshire/ Somerset/ Gloucestershire 90: A Fine Summer’s Day: Ian Rutledge Bk17 ~ Charles Todd (3) (historical mystery) London/ Kent/ Surrey/ Wiltshire/ Dorset /Cumbria /Yorkshire/ York/ Somerset/ Buckinghamshire/Devon/ “wildcard” = Beecham And, How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger This is a lovely read, recommended by another BaW, which is in my sip reading pile.

This year is the first time I've been through MFaOA and totally agree with your review - a seriously entertaining listen! Here is my take on the Miss Silver titles I've listened to (I listen out of order and with decent gaps between each book so that I enjoy another Miss Silver with a clean palate): The Case is Closed #2 (currently a 4. Thanks to mum2to's list, I'm listening to this Bedfordshire) The Key #8 (3.5) Pilgrim's Rest #10 (2.5) the perpetrator of the crimes is a psychopath … I think that aspect ruined the story for me Spotlight #12 (2) The Case of William Smith #13 (3) Eternity Ring #14 (2.5) one of the key characters is a spoilt brat. Ho-hum story Miss Silver Comes to Stay #16 (4) Anna Where Are You? #20 (3) The Alington Inheritance #31 (3) After 4 or 5 drop and restarts, and then not until Jenny ran away did I feel any real interest in this story. A trivial extra about Miss Silver books, there is about 10 years between the first two books and a reviewer (amazon? years back) noted the growth in the writing and Miss Silver due to that factor.

Hoping you do come back later and let us know what you did listen to ((-: Adding some my favourites to this thread with a disclaimer... books have to suit the mood I'm in at the time, a summertime, super-light, listen can seriously irritate in winter : A Reluctant Widow ~ Georgette Heyer ( absolute flufferton listen. Gentle, cosy, English mystery. Any romance is clean) News of the World ~ Paulette Jiles (BaW recommendation. Loved it!) North and South ~ Elizabeth Gaskell (listening to this now, it's like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen birthed this book. Charming) Gray Matter ~ David Levy (N/F. Medical Memoir/Christian) BBC Dramatised Charles Dickens Scaramouche ~ Rafael Sabatini (the narrator was fine once I settled into the story) First Lady ~ Sonia Purnell ( Biography about Clementine Churchill)

It's nearly Saturday afternoon here and so I'm tossing up my week's progress now, before I get stuck into the weekend. Wishing you all a good weekend! (Thinking of Robin away at her niece's wedding too.) Sip Reads that I’m making progress in: North and South ~ Elizabeth Gaskell (switching between audio & e.book) This book feels so Jane Austen-ish which has ramped up the enjoyment factor and has me wondering, now, why it took me so long to start it, the length perhaps ;-P The Book of Psalms (KJV) I’m counting this as my ye olde “book” written before 1600 - technically it was J, though it was translated and published in the English KJV bible in 1611. Completed: Waves of Mercy ~ Lynn Austin (2.5) ( e.pukapuka ) Netherlands / USA 1800’s If I had known this was the first in a serial I would not have started it – drawn out, serial formatted, historical Christian romance is not a favourite genre for me to usually spend my reading time on. The historical portion of the book was very interesting though. Completed (Brit Trip rebel bus): The Listerdale Mystery ~ Agatha Christie (Collection of short stories) (3) Merseyside The Foundling ~ Georgette Heyer (4) “Sale Park” (wildcard location) / London / /Hertfordshire/ Bedfordshire/ Lancashire / Buckinghamshire/ Somerset/ Gloucestershire. I started out with the audio narrated by Phyllida Nash then, as I had to wait somewhere for Dd, I switched to the book and speed read it which does wreck the enjoyment factor - even when it’s a repeat read. Racing the Devil: Ian Rutledge Bk19 ~ Charles Todd (4) (Eastbourne) East Sussex / Kent/ Surrey A Fine Summer’s Day: Ian Rutledge Bk17 ~ Charles Todd (3) London/ Kent/ Surrey/ Wiltshire/ Dorset /Cumbria /Yorkshire/ York/ Somerset/ Buckinghamshire/Devon/ “wildcard” = Beecham

Thanks for sharing your read list with counties included. Not sure why but settling on a 2nd book that I really want to read, and isn't a repeat, and is set in Dorset is generating a challenge. My first title was The Remains of the Day; I've just read a Charles Todd book that had a brief stop via Dorset, but... ETA: opps. my post got published before I was done. Anyone else having odd issues when they "quote"

I'll side with your DH then (-; The latter is so true, I have an associate is 100% spooked, freaks out, over butterflies and avoids picture books centred around them. If it gets too gross-me-out scary, I'll gift it to my DH and read the Hounds of the Baskerville instead (-: Laughing! Very clever Kareni. That is horrible, your poor son! And, browsing through the site online they make all appear so innocent - but we're not getting a 3D living, breathing, (awful!) smells experience like you've had. There is an earthquake assimulated room at one of our NZ museums - visitors who went through some of the epic shakes down here avoid it: one person's entertainment is another's horror factor.

That's sad (grin) Maybe it will be horrific enough for me though ... I was hoping this would cover that spot as I don't do horror/seriously spooky/heart-pounding suspense titles very well at all and avoid books like that like the plague.

Laughing! Thanks for sharing your Brit Trip progress mumto 2 Mine is pasted beneath. I'm on the rebel bus....... the titles in grey are ones I have not read yet, but have assigned to those counties. With the collection of trip reads I have on the go I'm currently jumping between Manchester, Warwickshire, Sussex, Essex, and, London. Ermine Street London (Scotland Yard) Death in A White Tie ~ Ngaio March (3) Cambridgeshire Sidney Chambers & the Shadow of Death: Bk1 ~ James Runcie (2) Huntingdonshire Persons of Interest: DC Smith, Bk4 ~ Peter Grainger (4) Bedfordshire The Case is Closed: Miss Silver Bk2 ~ Patricia Wentworth Northamptonshire and Rutland A Long Shadow (I. Ian Rutledge #8) ~ Charles Todd Nottinghamshire Miss Silver Comes to Stay: Miss Silver Bk16 ~ Patricia Wentworth East and West Riding of Yorkshire Clouds of Witness ~ Dorothy L. Sayers York Venetia ~ Georgette Heyer Dere Street North Yorkshire A Death in the Dales ~ Frances Brody Langcliffe, North Yorkshire Durham Murder on the Flying Scotman: Daisy Bk4 ~ Carola Dunn (3) Tyne and Wear Alice in Wonderland, and, Through the Looking Glass ~ Lewis Caroll (2) Northumbria The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry ~ Rachel Joyce

Another reviewer, amazon, thinks it could count towards a spooky October read - do you? ? Looking forward to your review on Caroline..... it's in our (Dd & I) highschool reads basket.

I'm enjoying all the links, pictures and book titles being shared. I just did a quick tally up of books I finished reading in April, which doesn’t mean I started all of them in April ; and, most of them were audiobooks ? I was really hoping to read more physical books in 2018, but life’s time constraints just don’t seem to want to pander to that ‘hope’ this year either….. maybe next year ? Listened to 16 audiobooks, read 4 books. Other than using my audible credit each month I don't usually purchase any books for myself again until November, so all my reading from here on out has to be achieved via the library, freebies, or out of my own cache. I do have a collection of titles squirrelled away to keep me occupied ;-p Just started reading: How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger thank you to the BaW poster who shared this title and listed ALL the counties visited in this book. It’s a lovely read, and one that needs my phone or computer handy so I can look up the books and authors Joan is mentioning. A Fine Summer’s Day: Ian Rutledge Bk17 ~ Charles Todd (audio) London/ Kent/ Dorset ?? /Cumbria /Yorkshire/ York/ Somerset/Buckinghamshire

Hope you're feeling better soon. Books seem to "taste" better when you're well.

Sharing a bit of my day down here: It's Monday lunchtime and I'm off to soak up some autumnal sunshine and my audiobook (Tom Brown's School Days. Really enjoying this!) while I collect the walnuts and feijoa's that have fallen. The author makes mention of the Great Western Railway in chapt. 1 and then proceeds to take us on a small portion of the historic Roman Road and scenic tour in the first chapter. Counties ‘visited’ (White Horse Hill) Oxfordshire/ ( Battle of Ashdown ) Berkshire/ (Seven Barrows) Wiltshire. Tom has just gone to school so I'm currently in Warwickshire Good to see you on the Rebel Bus Sandy . My Isle of White read was First Lady ~ Sonia Purnell.

Sending all good thoughts your way!! (Computer 'illnesses' are very debilitating - thank you for the effort put in to keep us BaW-ing)

Ooo, yes!! I do enjoy Cadfael! But have only ever listened to Stephen Thorne, or Derrick (sp?) Jacobi. Patrick Tull is not a narrator I've encountered yet.... off to 'search him up". Thank you. Kathy, that is such a good review of Morton's writing style.... <ducking and running> not a fan here either.

There are certain authors I have to read too Jane Austen is one of them. This! And yes, it's nice to have those titles on whispersync, or as a printed book, too so I can pause and reread certain portions. I like certain fluffier books on audio more than in printed format (Mrs. Pollifax, Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, Miss Read) but most other books I like printed format to skip the swearing, if any, for the same reason Laura mentioned! Babylon's Ark ~ Lawrence Anthony on audio was seriously jarring for me.

Venetia spent an hour in York signing documents with a Mr. Mytchett, before travelling on to Sussex and then to London. She also stopped in York on her way back home and rested at the inn. (I've been through Venetia a few times ) Thank you rule consulters ♥ DS said to encourage you, "that setting up games, with rules that cover all eventualities takes effort" - he's a serious board gamer. I'll have to do a bit of title shuffling to keep what I've done so far, as it was fun.... being a Rebel Bus-er I'll endeavour to realign from here on (Rebel Bus is going to be a term used here too).

That is such good, good, news! I've been hesitant to ask as we are on our second lot of builders, they are so good to work with, but the process to get there was very stress generating. Hoping you can work well with this contractor. Counting it as Tyne and Wear then Where a book has more than 1 county I could use, especially for more difficult counties, I've been reading an extra book, from any county, to count towards a total of 45 books read. Is this too Rebel Bus-ish ie: using the five counties mentioned in Three Men in a Boat, I've gone on to read/listen 4 other books set anywhere in Britain.

Me too! If anyone else is interested in the audio, I found purchasing this kindle edition first allowed me toddle over to audible and buy the Jamie Parker narrated download for $8.67 NZD (about $6 USD?)

If we are able to count more than one county per book, you may not want to, Venetia went to York too. Counties visited in this book: Yorkshire, York/ East Sussex/ London. I can't find anything that looks appealing, for me, yet with Tyne and Wear. Like a pp mentioned, it may end up being covered with a Wild Card village. Q: I think I remember this being discussed before, sorry for the repeat..... Perhaps Amy or Sandy could help with this: Are we able to "count" all the counties mentioned in a book or just 1 county per book? It's been on my want to read list for years for that exact reason - I've just started it, switching between book and audio, and I'm enjoying the (lengthy and rather Charles Dickens-ish) language usage so much. I'll update enjoyment progress with the story next week. Sharing this wee snippet, which relates to Tom Brown's lineage: This family training, too, combined with their turn for combativeness, makes them eminently quixotic. They can't let anything alone which they think going wrong. They must speak their mind about it, annoying all easy-going folk, and spend their time and money in having a tinker at it, however hopeless the job. It is an impossibility to a Brown to leave the most disreputable lame dog on the other side of a stile. Most other folk get tired of such work. The old Browns, with red faces, white whiskers, and bald heads, go on believing and fighting to a green old age. They have always a crotchet going, till the old man with the scythe reaps and garners them away for troublesome old boys as they are.

The DC and I started listening to Dragnet late last year with a few episodes each day - DS deselected himself from the listening and it's definitely become a pause-until-next-Christmas-holidays listen for me. it's so looong. In regards to Brit Tripping, Northumbria has been visited and I'm busing along elsewhere. (I could have used The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry but just slipped a wild card into that county for now.) I've just completed two sip reads this week - which feels like an achievement as one book had lost it's charm, I just haven't been in the frame of mind for that genre (1800's humour): First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill ~ Sonia Purnell (4.5) Isle of Wight/Oxfordshire/Norfolk/Surrey/Essex/London/Kent/ Buckinghamshire. Started out with a library book, switched to audio. Clementine passed away at 92yrs of age having lived a very full, highly pressured life – it’s not until reading this biography that I was even aware of her as anything other than Winston Churchill’s wife. If you don’t want to read the book I’d recommend listening to the interview with Sonia Purnell here. Three Men in a Boat ~ Jerome London/ Chesire/ Buckinghamshire/ Surrey/ Berkshire/ Dorset/ Oxfordshire. Now that those sip reads are finished I'd like to try and complete North and South before the end of May. Just started: Tom Brown’s School Days ~ Thomas Hughes Warwickshire The writing style is beautiful!

Confession time :D I appreciated Barbara Rosenblat's narration of Dorothy Gilman's books so much more than reading them - I've only read one Mrs Pollifax book, all the others were enjoyed via audio. For me, Thrush Green books are what another BaWer, I think it was Jean, referred to last week as a palate cleanser. Kathy, thanks for linking the audible 2 for 1 sale.... I can't seem to find anything I need to purchase ;) Violet Crown, your slowing down on Chaucer comment made me laugh. In my book reading world, I finished a sip-read yesterday. Having initially seen the movie first – not a love match for me - I was a little resistant to reading the book. I’m so pleased I did, the book is a gem! The Zookeeper’s Wife ~ Diane Ackerman (4.5) & my review. Ignore this link if you’re blogphobic

My daughter, like yourself, prefers to read series in order too :-) It depends on the series for me and Miss Silver is one that doesn't bother me to read (listen to actually) out of order; for me it keeps the story in each book feeling fresh and newish otherwise the lack of growth in Miss Silver - she's mostly static in personality, the same from book to book, not unlike Miss Marple - starts to feel magnified, sans Ian Rutledge. She's not like Mrs Pollifax who develops a romantic interest and gets married, now that series I tried to listen to in order. The other characters in Patricia Wentworth's books I'm happy to encounter at any stage of their development, even out of order, and haven't noticed any major holes. I do like it that Miss Silver knits and that Wentworth gives details of the garment being knitted.