I had landlords like that, it was fantastic. The rental market was super hot at the time, and finding this flat was like a miracle. Eventually I had to suggest that they increase my rent, lol - it was ridiculously low. I was plied with cakes and fine Polish vodka every rent day. When I left they both cried, and said I was like a daughter to them.

Wheelchair basketball is brutal - they slam around the court like charioteers. Really exciting.

Five books about the Taliban might help: https://fivebooks.com/category/world/asia/afghanistan/books-taliban/

They’re also deeply afraid of women.

This happens with my hearing aids. They cost a small fortune, but the audiologist won’t do anything about it because it’s intermittent - I can never show it happening. “The charging case must be dirty” etc. The manufacturer, Phonak, says any fault reporting must be done through the retailer. It seems to happen mainly when I’ve got something on where I really really need to be able to hear properly, or when I want to use Bluetooth to listen to music.

AAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHH is putting it mildly. My fury knows no bounds.

I just discovered Alexandrite today! It’s very easy on the eye.

Don’t you have public transport? I usually take a bus to a gallery or cafe, and the mechanic phones or texts to say my car is ready. The repair place also has a few chairs and a free coffee machine, so you can sit and wait if you’d prefer. It’s noisy but interesting. Maybe they have a break room where you could wait?

Also usw for “und so weiter” - etcetera.

Creamy, crunchy, fruity? What you want is Eton Mess. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/eton-mess

“I was layin’ out there for two damn hours before anyone came to check on me! Heat stroke, it turns out. Just as well it wasn’t a stroke stroke, I’d be dead.”

Cheese and marmalade, the sharper both are the better. Mmm.

I’m on a combo binge. Recently I read an obituary for CJ Sansom, a writer of historical detective fiction. I’d never heard of him, but the books sounded good so I started reading them. Next thing I see there’s a TV series, Shardlake (Disney+), so now I’m watching that. Pretty well done, and the lead actor is great. (On to the third book in the series now.)

I my (extensive) cookie experience, double chocolate usually means the same amount of chips, but the dough part is also chocolate flavoured. Hard to tell in this instance, but the “double” cookies may be a shade darker.

For me olives were an acquired taste.

The first time I ate in a restaurant I was about 12 I think. It was a fancy Italian place. When I saw the dishes of (green, pimento-stuffed) olives on the table I was excited to try one. I’d only ever seen pictures of them in American magazines - this was mid-60s New Zealand, Coca Cola was exotic. I put one in my mouth, and almost gagged, the flavour was so completely awful. I spat it into a napkin.

Fast forward to today, and I would gladly hoover up the whole dishful and ask for more. My favourite olive is a big fat juicy Kalamata. I also love tapenade made with black olives. The only olives I dislike are the flavourless cardboardy lumps sometimes passed off as olives.

I know a young man who headed back to India for an arranged marriage. I expressed my extreme surprise that he would agree to marry someone he’d never met, and he said he trusted his parents to choose someone compatible. “After all, they know me better than anyone else.” I remain baffled, honestly. He seems an otherwise savvy, modern person. But there you go, happy to commit to a stranger.

I dread to think what kind of bloke my parents would have picked for me…

I do hug my friends (and family when they visit from far, far away), I’m very huggy. Cuddling is another level of intimacy though. I do miss it, a bit.

My farts are so loud you probably heard me earlier and thought it was a car with engine trouble.

Single about 25 years. I’m 71 and I absolutely love my life. I have lots of friends and a very active life, but I love coming home and being alone there. Before menopause I had a strong libido and terrible taste in men, so I had a lot of truly awful relationships, with endless drama.

It’s kind of by choice I guess, though I don’t get offers. A few years ago a guy gave me the eye and I contemplated it, until I caught sight of his bare feet. Oh dear god no. Self-care is important mate, you need to see a podiatrist.

The main con of being single for me is not enough hugs and cuddles. The pros are too many to give up for that though. I get to decide everything and make plans based on what I want. I can fart loudly, talk to my potplants and be lazy without Someone rolling their eyes, it’s bliss.

No, not attractive. That’s a man who spends a LOT of time in the gym, looking at himself in the mirror. He eats and drinks weird stuff and possibly is on drugs that make him angry. Not my cup of tea.

I’ve started reading Hominids already and finding it interesting but the writing is annoying me - there’s some lacivious drooling over the lead scientist’s lacy bra, plus details of her appearance, while her male assistant is merely “gawky”. It seems a quick read though so I’ll hang in there. (Speaking of Neanderthals, the Kim Stanley Robinson novel Shaman is set at a time when we coexisted, very interesting speculation on their mentality and interaction with our mob.)

Next on my list is Leckie - I loved the Ancillary trilogy and am looking forward to more Radch.

Thanks, brilliant list and I love the summaries. I’m taking a few recommendations because it seems we have similar tastes.

Sister Wendy. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QBv0HezlOBw