but that criticism that it has "already been done" is so unfair. It is a rare book that I read that has not already been done. Just because J K Rowling really did do something that had not been done before with the Harry Potter books does not mean that it is fair to criticize her for not being "new" with every book.

Glad that you chimed in to say this book is worth reading.

I didn't intend as criticism the fact that the book "has already been done." My preferred reading genre is police procedurals/crime. Let's face it, they're all pretty much identical. Some authors do it better than others, but there's no question that it's "already been done." The pleasure is in finding writers who do it better, whose facility with the language is such that you look forward to every page, who have the ability to create memorable characters (whether or not they're likable).

The fact that it's "not Harry Potter" is sort of irrelevant to me since I haven't read any of them. I don't know how it's been received critically, but I'm enjoying it. Rowling is an artist with the language and is brilliant at crafting her characters, from toddler to senior.

I will have to try this one....but it is down the list of so many books that I "must" read.

of the Harry Potter books. I read all 7, cover to cover (I'm in my late 50's) and found them well written and rather compelling. Admittedly I read most of them while on a stationary bike at the gym but once I started them I just couldn't stop. Rowling is indeed quite an artist and I look forward to "The Casual Vacancy".

Only reason I haven't gotten to it yet is I've gotten trapped into two different series of detective novels set in ancient Rome: Stephen Saylors' series on "Gordianus the Finder" and Lindsey Davis' books on "Marcus Didius Falco" and when I get fixated on a subject its really hard to break free until I've read everything available.

How could a vacancy be casual, or not casual. It is or it isn't vacant. Whether it's only vacant for a day, or for a decade, whether it's free, under lease agreement, or paid in advance, a vacancy means there's a vacancy, unless there isn't a vacancy, in which case the book's title is a fraud.

Reminds me of the sequester. Never understood that name for what's going on either. Did the author of your book help choose that name too?

Maybe someone could suggest a video game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_vacancy

"In politics, a casual vacancy (casual means accidental or unexpected) is a situation in which a seat in a deliberative assembly is vacated during that assembly's term. Casual vacancies arise through the death, resignation or disqualification[disambiguation needed] of the sitting member."

In the book, a well-known member of the parish (town) council died suddenly, thus leaving his seat vacated according to the Wiki definition.

I am embarrassed to not have had the sense to look it up. I always look up words I don't know when they used are in a context to which I am unaccustomed I kept thinking it was an apartment which made no sense.

I looked up "sequester" and the definition did me no good. I still feel that's the wrong name for what's going on..

Care to help me with that one?

Getting back to the book, you say it was a parish council, so this must have been in Louisiana. All the same, it seems like an unlikely topic for a book because with so many towns and so many councils, this must be daily occurrence for hundreds of people ever day.

Thank you so much for thinking about this and caring enough to help "a goofy puzzled old lady."

This is explained pretty early in the book. I had no idea what it meant, but figured all would become clear. It does.

so far it's very good.

I think too many people have a problem because they wanted her to write another Harry Potter-like book. This is absolutely totally nothing like Harry Potter, all of which I read, by the way, and think are pretty good.

And yes, the title is explained, not just early on, but immediately. It's on the page before the actual narrative begins.