This came highly recommended but did nothing for me. Hopefully, others out there will think differently.

On its way to a tree-hugger in York.

Thanks so much for thinking of me maid-of-kent! This was waiting for me when I came home from a weekend away, which was a lovely welcome home. I've been wanting to read it because it had good reviews and because I really admired one of the author's other books recently. I'll let you know what I think.

Really loved this book, thanks so much maid-of-kent. What a wonderful combination of qualities it has - it’s intriguing, hilarious, touching, warm and clever.

I love the fact that you can’t really trust a word anyone says: the 30* narrators are flawed in such a wonderful variety of ways. And I love that they each have their own distinct voice (including one who rather fantastically refers to a breast as a brisket).

I laughed out loud at the farcical passages – the escaped lunatic and the Sex Hex especially. So funny. I thought that the love stories, both Nick & Nina and Roger & Tilly, were just gorgeous. Roger and Tilly were a fine hero and heroine, I utterly fell in love with the pair of them, and I liked that their fabulousness was so subtly put across. It was like that with the touching moments too – similarly subtle - there was a dispassionate half sentence about cancer towards the end which reduced me to tears. And as I seem to be listing my emotional responses I should mention that as well as laughing and crying I think there was an audible gasp in there too - Astrid’s second letter, didn’t see that coming, blimey. What wonderful writing.

The strange thing is that I really enjoyed another Nicola Barker book recently too, but it couldn’t have been more different. So I’m keen to try some more now.

Note to other readers - at first I expended too much energy trying to file away every name & detail in my memory in case I needed it later, but I recommend that you don’t get hung up about that, just go with the flow.

(*I think 30 is right – I’m including the translator and the transcriber)

My friend (Tree-Hugger) lent me this book briefly before she passes it on to her Mum (Nu-Knees). She strongly recommended it, so I was quite surprised to find that it had nothing going for it at all! I persevered to the bitter end but found that it got worse instead of better. I didn't like any of the characters and can't think of a single thing I enjoyed about it. Judging from all the glowing recommendations it seems that I must have been missing something. I'll be interested to hear what Nu-Knees has to say about it.

Thank you very much, tree-hugger! I'm well aware that you'd like to take this to the Dublin Convention, 13 - 15 April 2012, so will make every effort to read it in time to return it to you when we next meet, which should be on Easter Monday, the 9th. 10 days gives me plenty of time .... doesn't it? (LOL!) It was good to see you today while enjoying the Spring sunshine in York. What a lovely day out!
I've been looking forward to reading this since first hearing of it, was disappointed that there wasn't enough enthusiasm in my reading group for it to be one of our choices, so was very pleased when you offered it to me! But what an interesting variety of responses this copy has already generated! I wonder what I'll think ....
Thanks again!

What can I say? I don't think I can be particularly coherent, so I'll just make a few random comments, in no particular order!
First, it is my considered opinion that, without exception, the residents of Burley Cross are all barking mad, stark, staring bonkers! What an alarming collection of head-cases!
The final two letters, where all was pretty much resolved/revealed, were my favourites. I especially liked the bit of sleight-of-hand re-direction to manipulate one possible outcome!
Unfortunately the one I liked least, and that by a long chalk, was the first, the introduction, the original memo setting the scene, so much so that I could have quit reading before I'd started, if it hadn't been for tree-hugger's enthusiasm!
All others came somewhere in between, in more ways than one ....
You definitely need to go with the flow, letting the river take you where it will, whether drifting lazily in the shallows or battling through the rapids!
What was it George Formby used to sing about Cleaning Windows?
"For a Nosey Parker, it's an interesting job"?
Yes, well, for a Nosey Parker (like me LOL!) Nicola Barker's BCPT novel is an interesting read .... :-)
Thanks, tree-hugger - back to you next!

Returning this to tree-hugger as planned, with my thanks for the loan! With hindsight, I'm enjoying it more than I think I did at the time - it's growing on me as I remember bits of it! I trust t-h and the book will enjoy their trip across the Irish Sea :-) I only wish I was coming with you :-(

I'm finally going to let this one permanently leave my hands now! I'll be taking it to the Dublin bookcrossing convention this weekend. I'm hopeful that it'll find a new reader as I'm going to evangelise about it (even though the last two people I bullied into reading it didn't like it as much as me, evidently!).

You really did a good job selling this novel at the bookswap and I was happy to keep it when the game was over. When I've read it I'll send it to:

MissMarkey
CaterinaAnna

I'm sorry it took me som long to finally read this book, but it was totally worth it. I love when books are told in this way and you can´t be sure what has really happened. Most people in Burley Cross (I was confused at first when it was shortened to "BC" - kept reading "bookcrossing"...) are indeed mad, but I'd love to visit a place like this...

Off to MissMarkey!

Received today. Thank you so much. I'd forgotten about this bookring/ray but I do remember trying to win it at the Bookswap Game. Looks quirky and I lovvve quirky.

I read and enjoyed this book. Now going to the Leeds Uncon in September to give to CaterinaAnna.

My huge apologies, MissMarkey, for missing your PM. I think it arrived while I was in Italy in May and had got buried by the time I got back. Then there was the Australian aunt who meant I didn't make it to the Uncon, and nordie-the-courier not realising I would be at the Birmingham meet-up in October. However we finally managed to be all in the same place at the same time this weekend. Looking forward to reading this one at last.

Meet-up day and I'm as organised as ever: just enough time to sort out some books, but not enough to do proper journal entries. I've rated this to give you a clue what I thought of it, but if it's not been edited to add more detail by the time you let it go, give me a nudge.

At the last BC Birmingham meet-up of 2013.

I'm about two thirds of the way through this, hoping to finish in time for this afternoon's BX meet in Birmingham. It's quite an 'in your face' sort of read, am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the cast of characters right now but very funny and poignant in parts, looking forward to see if/how it all gets tied up at the end!

I am bringing this to the BCBrum meet up this afternoon. https://www.facebook.com/groups/243069614126/

If this is your first experience with BookCrossing, thanks so much for picking up this book and coming to the BookCrossing website to find out what it's all about. Welcome to the addictive world of BookCrossing!

I look forward to hearing what you thought of this book, and of your plans for it.

Picked this one from the bookshelf of Yorks Bakery, Birmingham whilst on holiday, going to wild release etc.

Welcome to bookcrossing and thank you for picking up this book.
Please make a Journal Entry to let me know that it has found a good home with
you.....then read and release for someone else to find!!