It's Tuesday so it must be time for Tam & Diane.

It’s 3 or more Tuesday over at Tam’s The Gypsy’s Corner and so today I’m going to share with you some of the books that I have read this year and the novel (pardon the pun) way that I acquired some of them.

Because you see, apart from one, I didn’t actually buy these books, so I’m also linking into Diane’s 2nd Time Around meme too.

These ladies do an excellent job gathering us all together to share stories from our daily lives, please do go and visit them and the other participants and say “bonjour”.

Like many of you, I am an avid book reader and it’s quite difficult and also expensive to find English language books here in France.

My practice for many years was to stock up on reading materials when visiting family back in the UK and when on vacation in the States.

My sister K.E. also feeds my habit by bringing me books when she visits me here in Normandy. This year she brought me the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. At first I didn’t expect to enjoy them but by the end of book one I was hooked, just as she said I would be.
One of my favourite pastimes is to spend time browsing the shelves of a book store, especially if it’s a quaint second hand bookstore in the village of Uppermill, which is located either in Lancashire or Yorkshire, UK. (It all depends on whether you are a Lancashire or a Yorkshire lass).

However, about 18 months ago I discovered the world of “bookmooch”. This is a place where people swap books. You simply list the books you wish to swop and receive points to “spend” when “mooching” a book from someone else. It is a simple idea and a godsend for someone like me.
So far I have received 84 books and mailed out 76!!
This is a list of mooched books that I have enjoyed so far this year.
The Wedding Officer - Anthony Capella.
The Weight of Water – Anita Shreve.
Stone Creek – Victoria Lustbader
Where the Heart is – Billie Letts.
Until the Real Thing Comes Along - Elizabeth Berg.
The Other Queen – Phillipa Gregory.

One book that I tried to mooch, but couldn’t as there were no copies listed, had been recommended by a friend. “American Wife” by Curtis Sittenfeld, so I bought it on Amazon.

I just finished reading this book yesterday, Joanne Harris’ “Gentlemen & Players”.

Mary @ Across the Pond wrote about this book in a blog last month and mentioned that she thought it would appeal more to British tastes than American, set as it is in an English Boys Grammar School, St. Oswalds.
When I commented on the post that I would try and mooch the book Mary very graciously offered me her copy and lovely lady that she is mailed it straightaway so that it was waiting for me here when I returned from my vacation.

I really enjoyed Gentlemen & Players, it has a cracking story which I think most people would enjoy but the “Englishness” of it made it a pleasure to read. The twist towards the end took me by complete surprise, although in retrospect the clues were there and I felt slightly foolish for not having spotted them throughout!

So, although she probably was unaware of it at the time, Mary started a “Pay It Forward” meme, but with a twist.

If you would like to “mooch” Gentlemen & Players from me, go ahead.

I’ll mail it to the first person who asks and then let’s watch and see where the book goes next.

à bien tôt
Maggie