Kat's Book List

[Lilywhite]

READ THIS YEAR (126)

Trudi Canavan ~ The Magicians Guild (8\10)
Trudi Canavan ~ The Novice (8\10)
Trudi Canavan ~ The High Lord (9\10)
Alice Hoffman ~ Green Angel (7\10)
Minette Walters ~ Acid Row (7\10)
Minette Walters ~ Chickenfeed (6\10)
Martina Cole ~ The Graft (7\10)
Lesley Pearse ~ A Lesser Evil (6\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ Plain Truth (4\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ The Pact (9\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ Perfect Match (9\10)
Lionel Shriver ~ We Need to Talk About Kevin (10\10)
Terry Pratchett ~ Wyrd Sisters (9\10)
Terry Pratchett ~ Soul Music (9\10)
Terry Pratchett ~ Mort (9\10)
Alex Barclay ~ Darkhouse (6\10)
Shawn Michaels ~ Heartbreak and Triumph (8\10)
William Regal ~ Walking A Golden Mile (4\10)
Sir Tom Finney ~ Tom Finney Autobiography (8\10)
Jonathan Stroud ~ Amulet of Samarkand (7\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ Salem Falls (7\10)
Tess Gerritson ~ The Apprentice (7\10)
Patricia Cornwell ~ Cruel & Unusual (7\10)
Terry Pratchett ~ Night Watch (7\10)
Kathy Lette ~ How To Kill Your Husband (6\10)
Tess Gerritsen ~ The Surgeon (6\10)
Tess Gerritsen ~ Vanish (9\10)
Dave Pelzer ~ A child called 'it' (9\10)
Stephen King ~ From A Buick 8 (5\10)
Martina Cole ~ The Take (6\10)
Dave Pelzer ~ The Lost Boy (6\10)
Torey Hayden ~ One Child (8\10)
Torey Hayden ~ Tigers Child (6\10)
Arthur Golden ~ Memoirs of a Geisha (10\10)
Nicole Krauss ~ The History of Love (6\10)
Julie Gregory ~ Sickened (5\10)
Joanne Harris ~ Chocolat (7\10)
Philippa Gregory ~ The Queens Fool (10\10)
Philippa Gregory ~ The Little House (6\10)
Roberta Kray ~ The Debt (5\10)
Mineko Iwasaki ~ Geisha of Gion (5\10)
Philippa Gregory ~ The Virgin's Lover (8\10)
Kevin Lewis ~ Kaitlyn (6\10)
Jung Chang ~ Wild Swans (6\10)
James Meek ~ The Peoples Act of Love (5\10)
Garth Nix ~ Sabriel (bk 1 of The Old Kingdom Trilogy) (4\10)
Joyce Carol Oates ~ Because it's bitter and because it's my heart (4\10)
Alice Hoffman ~ The Ice Queen (4\10)
Raymond Khoury ~ The Last Templar (7\10)
Elizabeth Kostova ~ The Historian (8\10)
Philippa Gregory ~ Zelda's Cut (5\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ Vanishing Acts (10\10)
Martha O'Conner ~ The Bitch Goddess Notebook (3\10)
Sarah Waters ~ Tipping The Velvet (9\10)
Sophie Kinsella ~ The Undomestic Goddess (6\10)
Natsuo Kirino ~ Out (6\10)
Cecelia Ahern ~ Where Rainbows End (6\10)
Ann Cleeves ~ Raven Black (8\10)
Glen Duncan ~ Love Remains (unfinished)
Jim Brown ~ 24/7 (9\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ The Tenth Circle (9\10)
Atiq Rahimi ~ Earth and Ashes (4\10)
Alexander Masters ~ Stuart: A Life Backwards (10\10)
Andrea Levy ~ Small Island (7\10)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ~ Purple Hibiscus (7\10)
Eva Rice ~ The Lost Art of Keeping secrets (7\10)
Tess Gerritsen ~ Harvest (8\10)
Mary Janice Davidson ~ Undead And Unwed (9\10)
Jonathan Stroud ~ The Golem's Eye (9\10)
Jonathan Stroud ~ Ptolemey's Gate (8\10)
Sarah Waters ~ The Night Watch (7\10)
Arnaldur Indridason ~ Tainted Blood (7\10)
Kelley Armstrong ~ Bitten (6\10)
Torey Hayden ~ Ghost Girl (9\10)
Sabine Dardenne ~ I choose to live (8\10)
Joanne Harris ~ Gentlemen and Players (5\10)
Joyce Carol Oates ~ The Female Of The Species (4\10)
Jane Austen ~ Emma (unfinished)
Mitch Albom ~ The Five People You Meet In Heaven (10\10)
Laura Esquivel ~ Like Water For Chocolate (5\10)
Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Innocent (9\10)
Laura Wilson ~ Hello Bunny Alice (2\10)
Jim Lynch ~ The Highest Tide (3\10)
June Hampson ~ Trust Nobody (7\10)
Philippa Gregory ~ The Wise Woman (4\10)
Albert Camus ~ The Outsider (2\10)
Celia Rees ~ Pirates! (7\10)
Michael Owen ~ Off The Record: My Autobiography (7\10)
Jean Plaidy ~ Katherine, The Virgin Widow (8\10)
Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Exiled (9\10)
Neil Jordan ~ Shade (6\10)
Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Beloved (9\10)
Patrick Suskind ~ Perfume (2\10)
Paulo Coehlo ~ Veronika Decides to Die (8\10)
Jane Gardam ~ The Queen of The Tambourine (4\10)
Celia Rees ~ Witch Child (6\10)
Jane elliott ~ The Little Prisoner (7\10)
Christopher Paolini ~ Eragon (10\10)
Mo Hayder ~ Pig Island (7\10)
Kelley Armstrong ~ Stolen (7\10)
Stephen R. Lawhead ~ Hood (4\10)
Valerie Martin ~ Mary Reilly (7\10)
Dorothy Koomson ~ My Best Friend's Girl (9\10)
Elisabeth Hyde ~ The Abortionist's Daughter (7\10)
Simon Beckett ~ The Chemistry of Death (7\10)
The Saga of Daren Shan ~ Vampire Blood Trilogy (5\10)
Mary Shelley ~ Frankenstein (6\10)
Kelley Armstrong ~ Dime Store Magic (8\10)
Anchee Min ~ Empress Orchid (5\10)
Jean Sasson ~ Mayada: Daughter of Iraq (7\10)
Emma Donoghue ~ Slammerkin (5\10)
Mary Janice Davidson ~ Undead And Unemployed (9\10)
Alice Seabold ~ The Lovely Bones (8\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ Keeping Faith (9\10)
Torey Hayden ~ Just Another Kid (9\10)
Audrey Niffenegger ~ The Time Traveller's Wife (9\10)
Jonathan Santlofer ~ The Death Artist (1\10)
Marina Lewycka ~ A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian (7\10)
Lucy McCarraher ~ Blood and Water (5\10)
Benita Brown ~ Her Rightful Inheritance (5\10)
Philippa Gregory ~ The Other Boleyn Girl (9\10)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez ~ Love in the Time of Cholera (5\10)
Paul Jaskunas ~ Hidden (6\10)
Jodi Picoult ~ Mercy (8\10)
Stephen King ~ The Shining (7\10)
Jean Plaidy ~ Madame Serpent (6\10)
Terry Pratchett ~ The Hogfather (8\10)
Jean Plaidy ~ The Italian Woman (6\10)

[Maureen]

WANT TO READ

Kathy Lette
How to kill your husband

Wow! Already?!!!

[Kell]

I really rather fancy the Trudi Canavan ones - I've been eyeing them up for some time now & I'm thinking of asking for the 1st one for Easter off Dale... What did you think of them, Kat?

[Lilywhite]

Trudi Canavan comes highly recommended by me. I just happened upon her books in Waterstone's one day and decided to give them a go (they were 3 for 2 :) ) After turning the page and finding it was the end of book one, I went straight for book two and three. I was engrossed in her easy to follow but imaginative plot and interesting, down to earth (for magicians) characters. I was just a little disappointed to come to the end and leave it all behind.

Hopefully the next books will live up to what she started :)

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

That settles it - I'm going to have to get hold of them. I've been over at Amazon, gazing wistfully at them again - LOL!

[Lilywhite]

blast Amazon and their powers of persuasion :wink:

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

Actually, I've just been over to read it, Swap it & requested swaps for them - Im' a cheeky madame!

[Lilywhite]

How does read it, swap it work then, other than the obvious lol?

[Kell]

You just register (it's free) & put up a list of books you have available for swapping. THen you can look through the library for anything you fancy & request swaps from people. They'll then be sent the link to your list & if they choose one of yours, you just post yours off 2nd class & theirs will arrive shortly too. Of course, they can always refise if you don't have any books they want. And vice versa. I've managed to get quite a few books from there for the price of 2nd class postage. :)

[Inanna]

Trudi Canavan comes highly recommended by me. I just happened upon her books in Waterstone's one day and decided to give them a go (they were 3 for 2 :) ) After turning the page and finding it was the end of book one, I went straight for book two and three. I was engrossed in her easy to follow but imaginative plot and interesting, down to earth (for magicians) characters. I was just a little disappointed to come to the end and leave it all behind.

Hopefully the next books will live up to what she started :)

Kat
:catlove:

I agree totally, I loved the Black Magicians Triology it was sooooooo great and I was sad to see it finish :wink:

[Lilywhite]

Ok, I've done the RISI thingy, I just need another set of eyes to kkep up with the books lol

I'm coming to the end of Darkhouse by Alex Barclay and so far I'm quite impressed. The book itself looks really good, with blood red edging to the pages but the story is developing really well. I lost heart at first because I couldn't keep track of all the characters and the switching back and forth between counties and times but I think I got the hang of it now.
My opinion so far is - a really great first book.

Kat
:catlove:

[Michelle]

Kat, don't forget that some members swap on here too, so check their lists. :)

[Inanna]

Ok, I've done the RISI thingy, I just need another set of eyes to kkep up with the books lol



I now check the latest books added twice a day so I don't miss any books that I really want. I'm always there requesting swaps LOL

[Lilywhite]

Just started reading Jonathan Stroud last night, the first book of the Bartemeus trilogy.

Initial thoughts - very Pratchett

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

i'm half way through this now and I'm loving it. I am having to tear myself away from it to do household stuff :oops:

I'm already looking into the next book of the trilogy so that I don't forget what happened in this one :D

highly recommended for those of you that like the lighter teenage reading but great fantasy plot.

Kat
:catlove:

[Michelle]

I'm already looking into the next book of the trilogy so that I don't forget what happened in this one :D

Yep - I have the second one upstairs, but I need to remember what happened in the first! :)

[Lilywhite]

Finished the Amulet of Samarkand yesterday and i was really impressed. I'm off to try and find the next one now....

Started reading Jodie Picoult - Salem Falls last night, so far so good as with all her books I've read so far.

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

Finished Salem Falls today, another great read from Jodi Picoult that I throughly enjoyed. This one definately rated up near the top of my favourites.

Still deliberating what to read next......

Kat
:catlove:

[Maureen]

She has another one out - Tenth Circle. Anyone read it yet?

[Inanna]

Have reserved it my library, should get it as soon as its in :wink:

[Lilywhite]

it's on my want to read list.... i'll get there eventually :D

Have decided on Tess Gerritson - The Apprentice for my next read.

Kat
:catlove:

[Maureen]

Good choice Kell - we'll see you getting hooked too soon!

[Michelle]

Maureen - you're getting your people muddled up again! Are you on the wine?! ;)

[Maureen]

Oh drat! It's those avatars again - Lilywhite's is similar to Kell's witchy one!! Sorry!! Still I'm sure Kat will be hooked too!!

[Inanna]

Have decided on Tess Gerritson - The Apprentice for my next read.

Kat
:catlove:

Just read that, very good book :wink:

[Anonymous]

Good choice Kat, anything by Tess Gerritsen gets a big thumbs up from me.

:mrgreen:

[Lilywhite]

I started this one last night and I'm enjoying it so far. I can see myself reading more by Tess Gerritsen in the future.

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I really enjoyed the Tess Gerritsen book, i'm keeping an eye out for more.

I started the Gormenghast Trilogy but found it quite difficult to read, it takes a lot more attention than I have right now.
I picked up Patricia Cornwell instead, cruel & unusual. I'm really enjoying it so far. Some parts I feel like I read this book before even though I know I haven't, because it's very similar to her fist couple of books. Other than that a great read.

Kat
:catlove:

[Maureen]

I picked up Patricia Cornwell instead, cruel & unusual. I'm really enjoying it so far. :catlove:

liked that Kat.

[Lilywhite]

i finished it this afternoon. I thought the end was a bit rushed but apart from that an excellent read.

I've now picked up night watch by terry pratchett.

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

Ooh, I LOVED Night Watch! Have you read the other City Watch Discworld books, Kat? You can read it without having read theothers, but it'll make more sense if you've read them first & you'll get all the little "in-jokes" Mr Pratchett likes to sprinkle liberally through his books. Enjoy!

[Lilywhite]

I will have to look out for those Kell, I only pick Pratchett up as and when I see them, which isn't very often in my library lol

I'm all new to the discworld and the world of Pratchett having only picked up my first book this year, but I'm fast becoming a huge fan.

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

Well, if you fancy going back to the rest of the City Watch books later on, you should go for them in this order:

Guards! Guards!
Men at Arms
Feet of Clay

They'll give you a good grounding in the Watch background. You can then follow on with:

Maskerade (they show up in that one, though it's not technically about them per se)
Jingo
The Fifth Elephant
Monstrous Regiment (again, just a cameo, but such a good one!)
Thud! (the most recent one which is definitely a Watch book).

Hope you enjoy them all as much as I do!

[Lilywhite]

Thanks for that Kell, I found it difficult to find his books in order so I now just read what I can find.

I may have just been to the library so my 'to be read' pile has just gotten a lot larger :roll: :D :roll: not to mention Read It Swap It..... nobody said it was addictive..... anybody know where RISI ANON is?? (and id there a computer terminal near by to check the latest books) It's that bad i had two deliveries of post this morning!!!!

It's a good job its getting lighter out now, more daylight reading hours lol

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

This IS RISI anon - we just all fessed up to our names - LOL!

[Lilywhite]

it should be fine as long as the postman doesn't quit :lol: , I might actually have to go out and physically find books then..... oh no :shock:

Just finished Kathy Lette - How to kill your husband.
I really enjoyed this one (can you tell by the reading it all in one sitting??) and in usual Kathy Lette style, it had me girly-giggling away to jokes that the other half just didn't get, no matter how much I explained. :lol:

A great girly read and highly recommended.

Kat
:catlove:

[The Library Nook]

Just finished Kathy Lette - How to kill your husband.
I really enjoyed this one (can you tell by the reading it all in one sitting??) and in usual Kathy Lette style, it had me girly-giggling away to jokes that the other half just didn't get, no matter how much I explained. :lol:

Kat
:catlove:

I just love the title of this book, I am going to have to read it for that alone!

[Lilywhite]

Just finished Tess Gerritsen - The Surgeon

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed the Apprentice but it was still a good read none the less. I like the actual plot of the books but I don't like the 'only female cop on the entire force, so i got to have an attitude' kind of characters. When the lead cop isn't moaning about being female it's a great book.

I may just read Vanish next....

kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I finished reading Vanish today by Tess Gerritsen and I think I've found my favourite so far. An absolutley brilliant read. I still have the 'after book haze' where i've finished reading a book but I've been so engrossed I have to adjust back to the real world :D

Highly recommended.

[Inanna]

I have Vainsh to read, may just pick that up next :mrgreen:

[Lilywhite]

Make sure to put aside plenty of time because you might not want to put it down once you've started :wink:

Kat
:catlove:

[Inanna]

LOL will do :wink:

[Lilywhite]

I started reading Dave Pelzer's - A Child Called 'It' this afternoon as it was just sat looking at me from the table.

So far, an amazing story but not one for the faint hearted. You really feel for this boy and want to read on but a few times I had to put this one down to compose myself again.

Kat
:catlove:

[Tash]

I had to have a break between the first two of his books and I still haven't got round to reading the third.

It's fascinating to read the life of someone like him, who has endured all of what he has and still stands strong but it does take alot out of you at the same time.

[Lilywhite]

I did finish it in the end, and it's a great story although it is pretty harrowing. I think I will read the next ones to see how his life turns out.

Started reading Stephen King - From a Buick 8
I started reading this one last year and never got round to finishing it, so I started it again (because I forgot how it goes lol)

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

I've only read the 1st Dave pelzer book, but I have the 2nd & 3rd ones waiting to be read once I'm in the right mood to cope with them as the 1st one was very, very good... but very, very harrowing,

[Inanna]

I have read them all and yes they are harrowing, what kept me going was a need to know why she did it, there is no excuse for it, but I just wanted to know why!!

[Lilywhite]

I finished From a Buick 8 tonight, it was ok, well written and with Stephen King in general but i found he went a bit too sci-fi in the end instead of horror. He did the same thing with dreamcatcher and it kinda ruined the end of the story.
I still found it a good read though, just not my kind of story.

not sure what I will read next....

kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I haven't had any time to read the past few days :( as we had guests staying over and I thought it a bit too rude to sneak off with my book at the first chance lol

Anyway, my boyfriend is going away this afternoon for a long weekend so it looks like I might be able to squeeze in a few hours reading :D

I managed to get Martina Cole - The Take from the library finally so I think that will be first.

Hooray for Bank Holidays
:alc:

Kat
:catlove:

[Tiger]

Yes, I'm looking forward to Bank Holidays too!

[Lilywhite]

Due to the peace and quiet I was able to read the Take in two sittings. Quite a good read, not her best but still a good read.

Started on The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer last night, so far in it's not as horrible as the first book and it's good to see things looking up for him.

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I finished the Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer. What a heartbreaking story, I'm so glad that it all seems ok for him now. It's a fantastic set of books that really makes you think and I love that in a book.

I did the eeny meeny miny mo thing again and picked up Torey Hayden - One Child.

Kat
:catlove:

[Tiger]

Oooo.. is the Lost Boy good?

[Lilywhite]

it's great Tiger, it's the sequel to A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer and it's his life story about being badly abused by his mother and how he got away. Very powerful and a very moving story. Not one to read without the tissues.....

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I'm about half way through One Child by Torey Hayden and I'm really enjoying it. Torey Hayden works as a special needs teacher and has put a few of her cases into books. This one is about a six year old girl with extreme disruptive and violent tendencies, and Torey's challenge in getting through to her.

A brilliant book, and a real eye opener into the psychology of children.

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I finished One Child today, it does have a very emotional ending but it's a good one at least. A brilliant story made all the more emotional by the fact that it's true.

I have a couple more of Torey Hayden to read in the future and I'm looking forward to them all the more now.

Not sure what I'll read next, we'll see where the day takes me.

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I started and finished Tigers Child by Torey Hayden today, it's the follow up to one child. It answers you questions about the main two characters and ends the whole story on a high note. A great read, especially if you enjoyed One Child previously.

Kat
:catlove:

[Lilywhite]

I've started reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Only a couple of chapters in because of other engagements (football)

I'm really enjoying it though, it's very well written and it's one of those books that doesn't take much to get you lost in it's story.

Kat
:catlove:

[Kell]

I've started reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Only a couple of chapters in because of other engagements (football)

I'm really enjoying it though, it's very well written and it's one of those books that doesn't take much to get you lost in it's story.

Kat
:catlove:
I just read this recntly & loved it so much that I've lent it to my sister (who doesn't usually read) as I think she'll love it too. It reads at such a sedate pace but is absolutely gorgeous. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

[Lilywhite]

So far I am :D :D :D

[Lilywhite]

I'm still reading Memoirs of a Geisha. I feel like I've been reading it a while but not getting through the pages. It's quite deceptive in its size lol.

Still loving it though, I'm completely absorbed.

[Lilywhite]

Finished Memoirs of a Geisha this evening, this has got to be a contender for my favourite book, not just this year but overall. It's just a lovely story told so well that you really feel everything she goes through.

Now I just have to figure out what to follow that one up with lol

[Lilywhite]

Finished The History of Love by Nicole Krauss this afternoon. A really nice read but a bit overrated IMO. Definately a nice summer read.

[Kell]

Finished Memoirs of a Geisha this evening, this has got to be a contender for my favourite book, not just this year but overall. It's just a lovely story told so well that you really feel everything she goes through.
I really enjoyed that one myself. Glad you liked it so much!

[Lilywhite]

yep, I loved it.

I just have to stop myself going on and on about it to people who don't really care lol they want an ordinary conversation.

[Kell]

I did the same. I'm actually waiting on another book via RISI - Geisha by Liza Dalby - as the subject now fascinates me...

[Lilywhite]

I started reading Chocolat by Joanne Harris yesterday. What a great book, loving how descriptive she is. (also having to read with the book away from me to stop my mouth watering all over it..... mmmm lovely chocs :D )

[Maureen]

my mouth watering all over it..... mmmm lovely chocs :D )

Happened to me too! :lol: They sound so yummy!

[Lilywhite]

I finished reading Chocolat today, now i'm off to buy some because it's all i thought about whilst reading..... :D

I'm going to read Philippa Gregory - the queens fool next

[Lilywhite]

So far enjoying The Queens Fool and I am now on the lookout for any more Philippa Gregory books.

[Kell]

I've got The Virgin's Lover in my sale or swap list if you're interested...

[Lilywhite]

That sounds good to me... all my books are on RISI if you would like to have a look next time your on, i have the same name in there. If not just let me know how much you want for it.

[Kell]

I've nipped across to RISI & requested Sickened - I've been considering that one for some time now...

[Lilywhite]

ok Kell, I've put that one aside for you. Thanks for the swap, I will put it in the post asap.

BTW sickened is quite an interesting read, not as horrific as Dave Pelzers book but still quite bad.

[Michelle]

I actually found Sickened to be quite a positive book - I think I preferred it to A Child Called It.

[Inanna]

I have sickened on my shelf to be read. :D

[Kell]

I'm almost finished the Pelzer trilogy & it's been good, but I've been meaning to get hold of Sickened for some time now - I've heard it's a really good, if harrowing at times, read. I'll lok forward to gettnig it. The Virgin's Lover will get posted tomorrow for you. :)

[Lilywhite]

Thank you Kell, it's all packaged up and ready to be posted for you. :)

[Lilywhite]

I've just finished reading The Queens Fool - Philippa Gregory. This is the first Gregory book I've read and I absolutely loved it.

I can't wait to start making my way through the others that are starting to pile up..... lol btw thanks Kell :wink:

[Kell]

I posted it today for you. ;)

[Lilywhite]

I'm loving the library today, usually I can't find anything I want but today I got a whole 5 books in one go!

I love that feeling of walking around with so many books you can't carry any more :D

[Lilywhite]

I started and finished The Little House by Philippa Gregory this afternoon. It's not like her historical books but a good story none the less. I found it a bit tepid but the underlying sinister plot keeps you reading.

I shall read Roberta Kray - The Debt next I think

[Lilywhite]

I finished The Debt by Roberta Kray today, it started off quite good but I was bored by the end of it. She was billed to be as good as Martina Cole but I did find her lacking in comparison. It's an OK read without much depth, as a first attempt at fiction. I'm sure some of her real stories are much more interesting.

I'm gonna start Geisha of Gion tonight.

BTW Thanks Kell, my book arrived this morning.

[Lilywhite]

I finished Mineko Iwasaki - Geisha of Gion last night, I have to say, as interesting as the subject matter is, this book reads very much like a history/geography text. I feel it needed a little more time spent on the telling of the story rather than the little details of street names and directions.

As I said though, very interesting read about the actual life of a geisha, even if a little boring in places.

[Lilywhite]

I'm still reading The Virgins Lover - Philippa Gregory, this is by no means an indication towards the book, I've just been busy.

I'm loving the story so far, as with The Queens Fool.

[Lilywhite]

I finished the Virgin's Lover last night. A great story but I thought the ending was a bit rushed.

I'm going to read Wild Swans now

[Lilywhite]

I finished Jung Chang - Wild Swans over the bank holiday weekend, i enjoyed this one, although slightly long winded, it is a great read about three generations of women living in China. A bit too much politics for me to completely follow, I did get a bit bored at times but the story is still there

[Lilywhite]

Also started and finished, Kaitlyn by Kevin Lewis Supposed to be along the same lines as Martina Cole. I liked the story but unfortunately didn't live up to the Martina Cole rival I thought it would be, it just wasn't gritty enough ;) Still an entertaining enough read.

[Lilywhite]

Been to the library again today and got a few more books (these are ok because you have to take them back - can't get shouted at ;) )

Started reading Sabrial - Garth Nix. So far so good.

[Lilywhite]

Finished reading Sabriel this afternoon, I wasn't that impressed with it to be honest and I don't think I will be looking for the others. He had a great idea but the book was a bit stale, like he had the story the padded it out to get a trilogy out of it. I also didn't like the way he wrote, I couldn't see this book appealing to either adults, teens or children really. Quite a disappointment. :(

May pick up the Joyce Carol Oates book next.

[Kell]

I didn't finish Sabriel - I think I got about 1/2 way through before putting it down, I always meant to go back & finish it, but I never got round to it as there wasn't enough to pull me back from what little I'd managed to get through. I've been assured that it's a wonderful series, but I doubt I'll ever read them now...

[Inanna]

I liked Sabriel and enjoyed Lirael as well, just have Abhorsen to read now :wink:

[Lilywhite]

I suppose you have to bear with them for the whole story, I just got a little bored. If I see the other booka in the library I may get them but I;m not hunting for them if that makes sense?? :)

[Inanna]

It does, they're not everyones cup of tea, I found them a nice light fantasy read which is what I was in the mood for at the time :D

[Kell]

Good to have you back, Inanna - we've missed you!

[Lilywhite]

I've started the Joyce Carol Oates book, because it is bitter and because it is my heart. This one caught my eye as I was wandering the library and I thought I would give it a home for a week or two :)

I can't seem to read it for long though, I've picked it up twice but am only about thirty pages in. I am enjoying the story thus far, I just find myself having to re-read sentences to get what she means....

I shall try and persevere with this one and see how far I get

[Lilywhite]

I managed to get through the first 100 pages now, but I've decided to read Raymond Khoury - The Last Templar instead. A much easier read so far.

[Lilywhite]

Just been to the library again and got myself the following
Elizabeth Kostova - The Historian
Philippa Gregory - Zelda's Cut
Sarah Dunant - The Birth of Venus
Alice Hoffman - The Ice Queen

They should keep me going for a while :)

I was going to start on the Historian this afternoon but the boyfriend has pinched it instead.... will have to be faster next time

I shall read the Ice Queen instead

[Michelle]

Tell your boyfriend to pop into the Reading Circle and share his thoughts. ;)

[Lilywhite]

I can but try lol

[Lilywhite]

Today i finished The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury and The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman.

I enjoyed the Ice Queen even though it is quite a sad read. I love the way Hoffman writes, she can be so descriptive with the simplest of ideas and really bring them to life for her readers.

The Last Templar is a great story. Along the lines of The Da Vinci Code but IMO a book written for film rather than just to be a great book (if you get what I mean???) It was very blockbuster-ish in some parts and I honestly feel the book could have been better written. If you bring it down to the basics though, a great plot idea. I loved the story within :)

I shall now concentrate on the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

[Kell]

I've been eyeing up a copy of The Last Templar - I might have to add it to my TBR pile now (it never ends - LOL!).

[Lilywhite]

it's definately a good read Kell, as long as you don't get hung yp on tiny details and just like the story :)

[Icecream]

Yes. I would like to read that book. The trouble with a memory like mine is that one forgets wat books one has seen that seem super. I now have a list on my computer..

[Lilywhite]

I have the same problem Icecream!! I have a list on the computer and I carry a list around in my bag too..... just in case I 'find' myself in a bookshop or near the market :)

I also have to carry a pen too so I can add to it when I see something else :D

[Lilywhite]

I'm still ploughing on with The Historian, it's really really heavy :lol:

So far liking what I read although it's a bit difficult as it's not a book you can read bit by bit, you really have to dedicate some time to it :)

I'm getting there eventually though, I just have to fit it in around my OU studies at the minute. :read:

[Sarahrob]

So far liking what I read although it's a bit difficult as it's not a book you can read bit by bit, you really have to dedicate some time to it :)

I'm doing exactly the same thing! Hopefully this weekend I will be able to find a good block of time to spend on it.

[Lilywhite]

Just been in waterstones and seen they have a paperback copy of it now :banghead:

Oh well, I managed to only pick up one book today, I'm being good :angel:

I got the Darran Shan trilogy, which I can't really be held accountable for, it was all Kells fault :D

[Kell]

Hope you enjoy the Darren Shan stuff, Kat!

I've failed coompletely to find any nice, big chunks of time to read the Historian properly, so every time I pick it up I have a humourous "what the h*ll is going on?" moment while I try to figure out who's narrating that bit of the story - LOL! Still, I'm managing to really enjoy it, despite taking forever to read it, so that's good. Several of my colleagues have been asking me about it, so it's become quite the coffee-break topic of conversation (althoguh I only found this out by chance as I sit alone & read rather than joining them - LOL!) & am lending it to one of my nicest colleagues when I'm done. I think he may well enjoy it too...

[Lilywhite]

it's become quite popular here too.... I'm having to fight the boyfriend for it lol

[Kell]

BTW, Kat - congratulations on the 10 months & 6 days of being cigarette-free - I know it can be tough, but it's worth it - well done!

[Lilywhite]

Thank you Kell. I only realised how long it had actually been the other day and it felt such an achievment I'm an inspiration to others because if I can do it then ANYONE can lol

[Lilywhite]

I managed to get through quite a bit of the Historian yesterday and although it is heavy I'm pushing through the pain ( :) ) and really enjoying it.

I went to the Library today and picked up a couple of new books and I also managed to get a copy of The Tenth Circle for only £1.99 in the Help The Aged shop. If you buy it in a charity shop, it doesn't count as naughty :D

[Lilywhite]

:cows: :cows: :cows:

I finished the Historian!!!!!

Not sure what I will read next but I know it will be smaller :D

[Lilywhite]

I chose Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. I finished it this afternoon and really enjoyed it. It's a much better story than Salem Falls and Plain Truth IMO. I thought her stories were on a bit of a decline but I'm well and truly hooked again now. :)

[Lilywhite]

The B*tch Goddess Notebook - Martha O'Connor

quote from back of book
'Dark, poignant and only too believable. This is a book that will walk alongside you, and haunt your dreams long after you turn the last page.' Jacquelyn Mitchard

My opinion
Don't know what book she was reading but it wasn't this one. The story was nothing special other than it was a quick easy read. It had very little to do with the plot outlined in the blurb and therefore I felt duped into reading it.

I have now picked up Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters instead.

[Lilywhite]

Yay :star:

Another successful trip to the library where I came back with three books to read, none of which are from my, ever increasing, 'want to read' list!!

Also managed to pick up Eva Rice - The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets for 50p on the car boot.

Happy bunny :D

[Sarahrob]

Also managed to pick up Eva Rice - The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets for 50p on the car boot.

Happy bunny :D

Love it when that happens! :D

[Lilywhite]

I am quite proud of myself for finding that little gem...... :D

[Lilywhite]

I finished Tipping The Velvet ~ Sarah Waters today. I found this quite an enjoyable read, although I was quite tainted at first due to the BBC's 'dramatisation' of it. I was quite fascinated to find that there is a great story hidden underneath all the bodice ripping that they advertised on tv!

Made me blush in a few places, not for the faint hearted but still a great story :)

[Kell]

I've been thinking of getting this one & The Fingersmith for a little while now...

[Lilywhite]

I really enjoyed this one, more than I thought I would and Fingersmith and Affinity are now on my list to be found :)

[Angel]

I have a copy of Fingersmith up for sale if you're interested! It is in very good condition with a crease down the spine and has only been read once :)

[Lilywhite]

Thanks Angel, will keep you in mind. I'm having to be good (well, as much as I can) at the moment but when I've cleared a few of my TBR's I will come back and hope you still have it :)

[Lilywhite]

I finished the Undomestic Goddess last night. I qute enjoyed this book and it was a great light read after the few heavy books I've read recently. :)

Now starting Out ~ Natsuo Kirino

In the Tokyo suburbs four women work the draining graveyard shift at a boxed lunch factory. Burdened with chores and heavy debts and isolated from husbands and children, they all secretly dream of a way out of their dead-end lives.
A young mother among them finally cracks and strangles her philandering, gambling husband then confesses her crime to Masako, the closest of her colleagues. For reasons of her own, Masako agrees to assist her friend and seeks the help of the other co-workers to dismember and dispose of the body. The body parts are discovered, the police start asking questions, but the women have far more dangerous enemies - a yakuza-connected loan shark who discovers their secret, and a ruthless nightclub owner the police are convinced is guilty of murder. He has lost everything as a result of their crime and he is out for revenge.

[Lilywhite]

Still reading Out, about half way through this one now and quite enjoying it. Although I feel the book has lost a little in translation, as it doesn't quite flow like it should, the plot is still there and quite good.

Went to the library again today and picked up a couple more books for when I've finished this one.

[Lilywhite]

I managed to finish Out last night, as it was too hot to sleep. I quite enjoyed this book, although I di feel the author went off topic a bit at the end. Still a good read.

Think my next book will be Where rainbows end ~ Cecelia Ahern

[Lilywhite]

Have been really productive today........

Started and finished Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern, naughty I know. I enjoyed this book a lot, it was a really light and refreshing read. Although you kinda guess the ending, you do start to get worried about when it's going to happen. Lovely girly read, made me smile inside.

Next I am going to read Raven Black - Ann Cleeves

It is a cold January morning and Shetland lies buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Trudging home, Fran Hunter's eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, ravens circling above. It is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour Catherine Ross. As Fran opens her mouth to scream, the ravens continue their deadly dance ...The locals on the quiet island stubbornly focus their gaze on one man - loner and simpleton Magnus Tait. But when police insist on opening out the investigation, a veil of suspicion and fear is thrown over the entire community. For the first time in years, Catherine's neighbours nervously lock their doors, whilst a killer lives on in their midst.

[Lilywhite]

I'm still reading Raven Black, so far it's quite good. I'm not as far through it as I would like to be but that's my fault, as I keep falling asleep :oops:
I'm going to press on with it today though as I am quite intrigued as to whodunnit :)

[Lilywhite]

I finished Raven Black whilst I was in the bath with some peace and quiet :) I really good crime story, not too grisly with the details and enough possibilities to keep you guessing until the end.

Next I will read Love Remains ~ Glen Duncan

Nick loves Chloe. Chloe loves Nick. Their relationship is passionate, addictive and all-consuming, threatened by nothing more sinister than occasional temptaions and a handful of untold truths.
Or so they think - until a brutal, terrifying and apparently random act of violence turns Nick and Chloe's world upside down, changing the emotional landscape between them forever. Now they must literally fight for their lives - and each of them must fight alone.

This one kinda jumped out at me from the shelves so I thought I would give it a go as it was that impatient :)

[Kell]

I just read I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan very recently & thouroughly enjoyed it - I've been thinking of picking up a few more by him...

[Lilywhite]

I might look out for that one as well then, Kell :)

Will let you know what I think of Love Remains when I've finished it.

[Lilywhite]

I don't think I'm going to be able to finish this one. I'm 50 pages in and I just don't care enough to carry on. Nothing really has happened, in between ramblings, he met a girl, fell in love and married. But somehow this doesn't feel like main plot..... I may try again another time but so far I think I will find something else.

[Lilywhite]

Finished reading 24/7 by Jim Brown. What a book!! This is a brilliant plot which kept me turning pages all afternoon. Highly recommended.

[Michelle]

That one's a great page turner, isn't it?!

[Lilywhite]

Happy bunny today :)

All my delayed swaps arrived together (with one overworked postman) ans I managed to get a few books from the library.... they should keep me out of trouble for a while..... you would hope :D

[Lilywhite]

I finished reading The Tenth Circle ~ Jodi Picoult today. I really enjoyed this book, although I guessed the ending, but I think that's because I've read a lot of her books and so was looking for it. Still a brilliantly heartbreaking story that will lead to all it's readers questioning their positions on another moral dilemma.

next it will be Atiq Rahimi ~ Earth and Ashes which I picked up for my Olympic challenge. :)
This short novel, which can be read in one sitting, takes readers into the minds of civilians caught up in the extremity and ambiguity of war. Set during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, an old man and his grandson sit in a deserted landscape. As we watch them, we learn their story

[Lilywhite]

I finished reading Stuart: A Life Backwards last night, this book left me feeling quite sad as it is a lot more powerful than you would at first expect. Not light reading IMO but worth a look.
Stuart, A Life Backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator (‘a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, Alexander) and a chaotic, knife-wielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison.
Interwoven into this is Stuart’s confession: the story of his life, told backwards. With humour, compassion (and exasperation) Masters slowly works back through post-office heists, prison riots and the exact day Stuart discovered violence, to unfold the reasons why he changed from a happy-go-lucky little boy into a polydrug-addicted-alcoholic Jekyll and Hyde personality, with a fondness for what he called ‘little strips of silver’ (knives to you and me).
Funny, despairing, brilliantly written and full of surprises: this is the most original and moving biography of recent years.

Next book is Small Island ~ Andrea Levy
It is 1948, and England is recovering from a war. But at 21 Nevern Street, London, the conflict has only just begun. Queenie Bligh’s neighbours do not approve when she agrees to take in Jamaican lodgers, but Queenie doesn’t know when her husband will return, or if he will come back at all. What else can she do? Gilbert Joseph was one of the several thousand Jamaican men who joined the RAF to fight against Hitler. Returning to England as a civilian he finds himself treated very differently. It’s desperation that makes him remember a wartime friendship with Queenie and knock at her door. Gilbert’s wife Hortense, too, had longed to leave Jamaica and start a better life in England. But when she joins him she is shocked to find London shabby, decrepit, and far from the golden city of her dreams. Even Gilbert is not the man she thought he was.

[Lilywhite]

I managed to finish Small Island this afternoon, no mean feat as its over 500 pages!! Not too sure what I think of this one now, although I do feel it was a little over hyped. The story itself is a good one, well worth a read, but it is a little long winded at times, hence the size of it. Not one I'd rave about but interesting enough for a random pick at the library. :)

Next I think it might be Purple Hibiscus.
The limits of fifteen-year-old Kambili's world are defined by the high walls of her family estate and the dictates of her repressive and fanatically religious father. Her life is regulated by schedules: prayer, sleep, study, and more prayer.
When Nigeria begins to fall apart during a military coup, Kambili's father, involved mysteriously in the political crisis, sends Kambili and her brother away to live with their aunt. In this house, full of energy and laughter, she discovers life and love - and a terrible, bruising secret deep within her family.
Centring on the promise of freedom and the pain and exhilaration of adolescence, Purple Hibiscus is the extraordinary debut of a remarkable new talent.

[Kell]

I've just requested Purple Hibiscus from RISI to add to my Olympic Challenege...

[Lilywhite]

It's one of those books that has been jumping out at me for a while now and the Olympic Challenge gave me the perfect excuse to read it :)

[Lilywhite]

I finished Purple Hibiscus and made a start on Eva Rice ~ The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets last night. So far i am liking it, it's a nice light read.

Disappointed with the library today, I did my checking on their website to see which books I wanted that they had in. I had about ten in mind and when I got there, I couldn't find a single one :( they even had 10 copies of one book and i couldn't find them. The staff are less than helpful with comments like 'have you checked the fiction section' when there are really only two sections, fiction and, of course, non fiction. Grrrrrrr, why is it so difficult to actually find a book in the library???? I know what they want, they want me to pay to reserve it, but then that gets very expensive, the amount I read. Shame on them anyway.....

Rant over..... for now :)

[Sarahrob]

I liked the lost art of keeping secrets, it wasn't too taxing, but was nice, light, summer reading.

[Lilywhite]

I finished The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets today, in a cool spot :) I quite nejoyed this one, a lovely light summer read. Not too taxing on the old grey matter.
Set in the 1950s, in an England still recovering from the Second World War, THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS is the enchanting story of Penelope Wallace and her eccentric family at the start of the rock'n'roll era. Penelope longs to be grown-up and to fall in love; but various rather inconvenient things keep getting in her way. Like her mother, a stunning but petulant beauty widowed at a tragically early age, her younger brother Inigo, currently incapable of concentrating on anything that isn't Elvis Presley, a vast but crumblng ancestral home, a severe shortage of cash, and her best friend Charlotte's sardonic cousin Harry...

Next will be Harvest ~ Tess Gerritsen
A car-crash victim's heart is to be harvested to Nina. Instead, Dr Abby makes the transplant go to a dying 17-year-old boy. When a new heart for Nina suddenly appears, Abby makes a terrible discovery, it has not come through the right channels. Abby plunges into an investigation that reveals an intricate and murderous chain of deceptions.

[Lilywhite]

I like this book, very gritty, very Tess Gerritsen. I loved all the medical stuff involved (I am a big fan of E.R. so it was like reading an episode at times) and the storyline was gripping. A real page turner.

Next will be Emma ~ Jane Austen

[Lilywhite]

I'm still trundling along with Emma, it's quite a slow read. Although I do have Bitten ~ Kelley Armstrong and Tainted Blood ~ Arnaldur Indridason to pick up from the library tomorrow :)

[Lilywhite]

:( Library hasn't processed (?) my reserved books, even though I have the two letters saying they are ready for collection Grrr Arrg :(

Managed to get hold of Sarah Waters ~ Night Watch
Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch is the work of a truly brilliant and compelling storyteller. This is the story of four Londoners - three women and a young man with a past, drawn with absolute truth and intimacy. Kay, who drove an ambulance during the war and lived life at full throttle, now dresses in mannish clothes and wanders the streets with a restless hunger, searching ...Helen, clever, sweet, much-loved, harbours a painful secret ...Viv, glamour girl, is stubbornly, even foolishly loyal, to her soldier lover ...Duncan, an apparent innocent, has had his own demons to fight during the war. Their lives, and their secrets connect in sometimes startling ways. War leads to strange alliances ...

Also, Undead and Unwed ~ Mary Janice Davidson arrived today from RISI
'The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry...' It's been a hell of a week for Betsy Taylor. First she loses her job. Then she's killed in a freak accident only to wake up as a vampire. On the plus side, being undead sure beats the alternative. She now has superhuman strength and an unnatural effect on the opposite sex. But what Betsy can't handle is her new liquid diet...And whilst Betsy's mother and best-friend are just relieved to find out that being dead doesn't mean Betsy's can't visit, her new 'night-time' friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen. The scrumptious Sinclair and his cohorts want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries. (A Bella Lugosi wannabe who seen one to many B-movies.) Frankly Betsy couldn't care less about vamp politics. But Sinclair and his followers have a powerful weapon in their arsenal - unlimited access to Manolo Blahnik's Spring collection. Well, just because a girl's dead - er...undead - doesn't mean she can't have great shoes...

I'm going to be naughty and read Undead and Unwed, even though I haven't finished Emma. :roll:

[Kell]

Enjoy it, Kat - I rather liked it. :)

[Lilywhite]

I finished Undead and Unwed and thouroughly enjoyed this one. It's so funny, in it's Sex and the City crossed with Dracula kind of way. Definately recommended if your not into run of the mill chick-lit.

AM now going to read the long awaited Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
Two years have passed since the events of "The Amulet of Samarkand" and the young magician, Nathaniel is rising fast through the government ranks. But his career is suddenly threatened by a series of terrifying crises. A dangerous golem makes random attacks on London and other raids, even more threatening, are perpetrated by the Resistance. Nathaniel and Bartimaeus travel to Prague, enemy city of ancient magic, but while they are there uproar breaks out at home and Nathaniel returns to find his reputation in tatters. Can he rescue it from his Machiavellian adversaries in the government bent on his destruction? A thrilling sequel in which the relationship between the young magician and the djinni remains as teasing and complex as ever.

[Michelle]

I hope you enjoy that one.. I did! I'd forgotten how funny Bartimaeus could be!

[Lilywhite]

I am enjoying this one so far Michelle, I have waited quite a while to read it too.

Unfortunately it means I haven't finished Emma yet, but I will get there, eventually.

[Lilywhite]

Ok, I think I'd better do some real reading, really fast.... I'm having to dig my way through books in my flat, and for some unknown reason, more keep arriving in the post ;) I wonder why :lol:

Just managed to get my two reserves from the library today, but I still have previous books to read first.....decisions eh?

[Lilywhite]

I finished The Golem's Eye today, and I think that I will start the last one in the trilogy while we have it here. I loved Golem's Eye and I found it a much better story than The Amulet of Samarkand. You have to love Bartemaeus though, so funny.

Next book Ptolemy's Gate ~ Jonathan Stroud
Three years on from the events in "The Golem's Eye", the magicians' rule in London is teetering on a knife-edge, with strikes, riots and general unrest. The Prime Minister is largely controlled by two advisors, one of whom is 17-year-old Nathaniel. Meanwhile, living under a false identity, Kitty has been researching djinn. She has come to believe that the only way to destroy the magicians is for an alliance of some kind between djinn and ordinary people. Kitty seeks out Bartimaeus and embarks on a terrifying journey into the djinn's chaotic domain - The Other Place - which no human being has ever survived. But even as she does so, Makepeace engineers a dramatic coup d'etat. The outcome is a shattering of the magicians' control and all magical laws are turned upside down. Can Bartimaeus, Nathaniel and Kitty settle old scores if they are to survive and prevent the earth's destruction?

[Michelle]

I can't remember the actual storyline of the first one, because it was a while ago. I did enjoy The Golem's Eye, and I've started Ptolemy's Gate.. but I started Empress Orchid, and have gotten myself caught up with that one instead!

[Lilywhite]

I know I promised myself I would be good and not get any more books until I had made a dent in those waiting to be read but I couldn't resist 3 for £1 on the car boot. I managed to get Lolita ~ Vladimir Nabokov and Coastliners ~ Joanne Harris, I let Owen get a book too because I am so kind :D

Must behave from now on though........:lol:

[Sarahrob]

3 for £1 is pretty hard to walk away from...

[Lilywhite]

I know, but I go every week :lol:

[Lilywhite]

Finally finished Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud, which completes the Bartemaeus Trilogy. I absolutely loved these books and would recommend them to everyone. I think everyone should have the chance to enjoy Bartemaeus' company :)

Seen as some books are due back at the libarary soon, I am limited as to what to read next but I think I will chose Sarah Waters ~ Night Watch

Synopsis

Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, to end with its beginning in 1941, The Night Watch is the work of a truly brilliant and compelling storyteller. This is the story of four Londoners - three women and a young man with a past, drawn with absolute truth and intimacy. Kay, who drove an ambulance during the war and lived life at full throttle, now dresses in mannish clothes and wanders the streets with a restless hunger, searching ...Helen, clever, sweet, much-loved, harbours a painful secret ...Viv, glamour girl, is stubbornly, even foolishly loyal, to her soldier lover ...Duncan, an apparent innocent, has had his own demons to fight during the war. Their lives, and their secrets connect in sometimes startling ways. War leads to strange alliances ...

[Lilywhite]

i finished the night watch today and I enjoyed it a lot. After reading tipping the velvet i decided to get a few more by Sarah Waters and this was her latest one. Set in the WWII period it was quite harrowing in places but still a thoroughly enjoyable story.

Next is my OC book for the week Arnaldur Indridason ~ Tainted Blood

A man is found murdered in his Reykjavik flat. There are no obvious clues apart from a cryptic note left on the body and a photograph of a young girl's grave. Detective Erlendur is forced to use all the forensic resources available to find any leads at all. Delving into the dead man's life he discovers that forty years ago he was accused of an appalling crime. Did his past come back to haunt him? Finally, Erlendur's search leads him to Iceland's Genetic Research Centre in order to find the disturbing answers to the mystery. This prizewinning international bestseller is the first in a new series of crime novels set in Iceland.

[Kell]

Ooh, that one sounds rather interesting - i like the sounds of it. :)

[Lilywhite]

so far so good :)

[Icecream]

Yes, sounds an excellant read. I shall add it to my wish list.

[Lilywhite]

I finished this one this afternoon, and I quite enjoyed it. My one problem with it is, it seems to be written like a TV programme, there's no suspense in it and it just flows from one scene to the next with small links. Still great though and a fantastic plot.

Next it will be Bitten ~ Kelley Armstrong
Elena Michaels is the world's only female werewolf. And she's tired of it. Tired of a life spent hiding and protecting, a life where her most important job is hunting down rogue werewolves. Tired of a world that not only accepts the worst in her— her temper, her violence—but requires it. Worst of all, she realizes she's growing content with that life, with being that person. So she left the Pack and returned to Toronto where she's trying to live as a human. When the Pack leader calls asking for her help fighting a sudden uprising, she only agrees because she owes him. Once this is over, she'll be squared with the Pack and free to live life as a human. Which is what she wants. Really.

[Kell]

That's not the blurb for Bitten - that's the one for Haunted if I remember correctly. Which one is it you'll be reading? Theyre both excellent by the way. :mrgreen:

[Lilywhite]

oops my mistake.... will fix it (darn Amazon, it was their synopsis)

Finished Bitten today, I enjoyed it but wasn't blown away by it. Maybe my expectations were a little high but I will carry on with the series as I am interested and it's been said that some of the others are more interesting.

Not sure what I will read next, I haven't chosen yet.

[Lilywhite]

I decided on Ghost Girl ~ Torey Hayden. Have read a couple of hers before and enjoyed them.

Jadie never spoke, never laughed, never cried. She spent every waking hour locked in her own private world of shadows. But nothing in Torey Hayden's experience had prepared her for the nightmare Jadie revealed to her when finally persuaded to break her self-imposed silence. It was a story too painful, too horrific for Hayden's professional colleagues to acknowledge. But Torey Hayden could not close her ears or her heart. A little girl was trapped in a living hell of unspeakable memories. And it would take every ounce of courage, compassion, and love that one remarkable teacher possessed to rid the "Ghost Girl" of the malevolent spirits that haunted her.

100 pages in and really enjoying this one, this woman really is a modern day superwoman.

[Lilywhite]

Just back from the library and managed to get four books off my want to read list, which makes that list smaller. But now they are on my TBR pile, which makes that bigger :lol:
Joanne Harris ~ Gentlemen & Players
Thomas H Cook ~ Red Leaves
Joyce Carol Oates ~ Female of the species
Sabine Dardenne ~ I choose to live

I managed to get around the boot fair without buying any books this week. I am trying to be good and get my TBR list down a bit. If I can halve it I will be a happy bunny.

[Kell]

I've got Gentlemen & Players on my TBR pile too - lookin forward to getting to it - eventually ...

[Lilywhite]

Finished Ghost Girl. This is an emotional book but you do feel for everyone involved. I really admire Torey Hayden for all the work she has done with children who need it.

Next shall be my OC book for Belgium I Choose To Live ~ Sabine Dardenne

On 28 May 1996 twelve year old Sabine Dardenne was kidnapped by the man who turned out to be one of Belgium's most heinous paedophiles. She was his prisoner for eighty long days.
'The Dutroux Affair' shook the whole of Europe. In the middle of the immense machinery of investigation and justice there was Sabine Dardenne herself, Marc Dutroux's last victim. She was held captive for eighty days and, astonishingly, she survived. Far from sensationalising the horror, her story, dignified and restrained, is ultimately uplifting. Says Sabine Dardenne. 'I choose to live'.

[Lilywhite]

I finished I Choose to Live this afternoon. I knew I would have to read it in as fewer sittings as possible or I just wouldn't be able to finish it. This story is disturbing and distressing for the most, but what makes it remarkable is Sabine's ability to bring her captor to justice and move on with her life. Her stubborness not to get dragged down by it all is amazing. I recommend this book only if you can deal with such traumatic events.

Next I have decided on Gentlemen and Players ~ Joanne Harris

The place is St Oswald’s, an old and long-established boys’ grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald’s, is finally – reluctantly – contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt. Who is Mole, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence – and perhaps, murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?

[Kell]

I'm looking forward to gettnig to Gentlemen & Players, so I'll be eagerly awaiting your thoughts on this one. :)

[Lilywhite]

I finally finished Gentlemen and Players this afternoon. It's taken me ages because I just couldn't get into it. It's worth the read but you only realise it after slogging through 400 of the 500 pages.

Next it is Joyce Carol Oates ~ The Female of the Species
Contains tales, tales in which women are confronted by the evil around them and surprised by the evil they find within themselves. This book demonstrates why the females of the species - be they six-year-old girls, seemingly devoted wives, or ageing mothers - are by nature more deadly than the males.

[Lilywhite]

These I read quite easily as they were short stories. Although they were a fascinating read, I don't think I get on well with Oates writing style. I found myself losing interest and kept having to go back to them.

Next I will read Mitch Albom ~ The Five People You Meet in Heaven

On his eighty-third birthday, Eddie, a lonely war veteran, dies in a tragic accident trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his - and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever.

[Lilywhite]

I finished The Five People You Meet in Heaven and thouroughly enjoyed it, even though it made me cry :) It's such a lovely book but it left me with many many emotions... hence the tears :oops:

Don't know what I will read next as I'm off to the library later and I might pick something up there.

[Lilywhite]

As I said, I've been to the library today. I managed to pick up a couple of books so they journey was more successful than I thought it would be. I managed to get Laura Wilson ~ Hello Bunny Alice, The HIghest Tide ~ Jim Lynch, Like Water For Chocolate ~ Laura Esquivel (OC) and The Innocent ~ Posie Graeme-Evans.

I think I will read Like Water For Chocolate ~ Laura Esquivel my Olympic Challenge book for this week.

The number one bestseller in Mexico for almost two years, and subsequently a best seller around the world, Like Water For Chocolate is a romantic, poignant tale, touched with moments of magic, graphic earthiness and bittersweet wit. A sumptuous feast of a novel, it relates the bizarre history of the all-female De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest daughter of the house, has been forbidden to marry, condemned by Mexican tradition to look after her mother until she dies. But Tita falls in love with Pedro, and in desperation he marries her sister Rosauro so that he can stay close to her. For the next 22 years, Tita and Pedro are forced to circle each other in unconsummated passion. Only a freakish chain of tragedies, bad luck and fate finally reunite them against all the odds.

[Kell]

Sounds interesting - I'll lok forward to hearing what you think of it when you're done. :)

[Lilywhite]

I finished Like Water For Chocolate this afternoon, it's not a particularly long book (200 pages) and it's a light read. The book is set out in monthly chapters, each referring to a recipe and the story is told through the recipes and what they represent. It's a very odd but interesting little story which I enjoyed reading.

Next I will read Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Innocent

The story begins in 1450, when civil unrest sweeps England and the struggle for the crown is at its peak. Deep in a western forest, a baby is born. Powerful forces plot to kill both mother and child, but somehow the newborn girl survives. Her name is Anne. Fifteen years later, England has a charismatic young king, Edward IV, and the country has begun to wake from the nightmare of the War of the Roses. When Anne is brought to London to be a servant in the household of a wealthy merchant, her unusual beauty soon provokes jealousy, lust and intrigue. But Anne has one special quality that saves her: her knowledge of herbs and healing. News of her remarkable gift spreads and she is brought to save the life of Edward’s ailing queen. And so Anne comes to live in the royal palace, and it is here she finds her destiny: to be loved by the king himself.

[madcow]

Ohh that sounds interesting too, might just have to add it to my 'to read list' (which gets longer by the week!)

[Icecream]

Me too. Looks great.

[Kell]

Another one to get hold of for me too!

[Lilywhite]

I thought you might like this one mum :)

It was recommended through an author like for like when I typed in Philippa Gregory. About 100 pages in and loving it so far. Very like Philippa but a bit more racy.

[madcow]

Look forward to reading it ...eventually...lol

[Lilywhite]

I found another Torey Hayden book in The Heart Foundation today, it only cost me £2. Slightly expensive for a second hand copy in a charity shop, but the only other copy I saw was £6.99 in WHSmith so it's a bargain.

[madcow]

Might have to borrow it when your finished Kat...lol

[Lilywhite]

Finished the Innocent today. A great book and a fantastic build up to the next book in the trilogy. Really enjoyed it.

Next I shall read Laura Wilson ~ Hello Bunny Alice

In 1967 Bunny Girl Alice Jones met Lenny Maxted - one half of the brilliant comic duo, Maxted and Flowers - and fell deeply in love with him. But, like so many great comics, Lenny had a dark side. Their love affair ended when Alice found his body hanging from a beam in a Wiltshire cottage. Seven years after his death, in the long hot summer of 1976, Alice is leading a quiet, almost reclusive life in an Oxfordshire farmhouse when, out of the blue, Lenny's partner, Jack Flowers, turns up on her doorstep. Alice has not seen him since Lenny's funeral, but her surprise and pleasure turn into an all too familiar sense of unease when she discovers that he is distressed and drinking heavily. At the same time, a car containing human remains is fished out of a Wiltshire lake...

[Michelle]

Very like Philippa but a bit more racy.

Ooh.. sounds interesting! :D

[Lilywhite]

Put down Laura Wilson this afternoon, don't rate it at all. I was half way through and nothing of any interest had happened at all. Just couldn't be bothered turning another page, epsecially when there were more interesting books waiting to be read.

Next book is Jim Lynch ~ The Highest Tide

One unforgettable night, thirteen-year-old Miles goes to the flats near his home in search of shellfish, only to discover something startling and remarkable: a giant squid. Instantly he becomes a local celebrity and is pursued by TV crews urging him to explain the phenomenon. His psychic friend Florence predicts that even more astonishing discoveries are to come, indicators of the highest tide in fifty years. Yet Miles worries more about matters closer to home: will his passion for his ex-babysitter Angie go unrequited? Will his arguing parents divorce? Is everything, even the bay, shifting from him?

[Kell]

That's a shame about the Laura Wilson - it's always a bit of a disapointment when you can't get into a book like that. Better luck with the Jim Lynch!

[Lilywhite]

The Highest Tide wasn't the best book I've read all year, it just didn't hold my interest. That could still have a lot to do with Hello Bunny Alice though, as I found I didn't really want to read anything new after that one :roll:

Anyway, I'm off to the library in a bit, I'm not expecting much as I've already been online and seen that most of the books I want are out or on the otherside of the county :)

[Lilywhite]

Back from the library, it went better than I thought but only because I got books that weren't on my list (naughty). I managed to get, June Hampson ~ Trust Nobody, Michael Owen ~ Off The Record, Jean Plaidy ~ Katharine, The Virgin Widow and Celia Rees ~ Pirates!.
I was a very very good girl on the car boot, as I was looking at books the signs said 50p each and then the man made new signs saying 10p each. It took me all my might to only buy one book, Michael J Fox ~ Lucky Man.
Then when I got home, I had two books waiting in the mat Albert Camus ~ The Outsider (OC) and Valerie Martin ~ Mary Reilly

:) :) :) :)

[Kell]

Ooh, I have Lucky Man - it's an excellent read! Michael J Fox is a very interesting person - hope you enjoy it! :)

[Lilywhite]

And a bargain at 10p, it's almost new :)

Started reading June Hampson ~ Trust Nobody

It is 1962 and Daisy Lane, whose husband Kenny is in jail for robbery, runs and lives over the family's cafe in Gosport with Kenny's older brother Eddie. Daisy looks out for pretty 16-year-old Suze, also sharing the house is Daisy's friend Vera, a prostitute who boards with her cat Kibbles, a male she can always rely on - not that Vera is anyone's fool. The three women share a strong, mutually protective bond.
The Lane brothers were both abused by their father, but Eddie took the brunt of the beatings. He has grown into a handsome, resourceful villain with a streak of viciousness that leads him to commit acts of terrifying violence to get his way. Daisy prefers not to know the details of Eddie's 'business' dealings.
But hardman Eddie has an Achilles heel - Daisy. He loves his brother Kenny but he worships his brother's wife. She resists him. Then Eddie overreaches and pulls a racket too far, venturing on the patch of a villain who is even harder and more territorial than he is ...

Lovereading view...

The publisher has created a new category with the publication of this novel, that of ‘gangster saga’ and it’s not far off the mark. The tough gangster world found in a Martina Cole meets the hardship and strife of a Josephine Cox or Catherine Cookson. Written with tremendous warmth and yet by turns you’ll find it almost too much to handle. That said, it’s a debut that is well worth the read.

[Lilywhite]

I finished Trust Nobody tonight, I quite enjoyed this book. Another author billed to be the next Martina Cole and although I liked it, she isn't a patch on Cole. Will probably read more by this author if she writes them. The story itself was gritty for gritty's sake, all hard lives and hard times but the underlying plot of bonding women is quite good.

I am going to read Philippa Gregory ~ The Wise Woman next as it has been looking at me for a while now.

Alys joins the nunnery to escape hardship and poverty but finds herself thrown back into the outside world when Henry VIII's wreckers destroy her sanctuary. She uses witchcraft to win a lover but since heresy against the new church means the stake, and witchcraft the rope, Alys's danger is mortal.

[Lilywhite]

Hello, my name is Kat and I'm a swap-a-holic

[Michelle]

Uh oh! How many have you swapped this time? :roll: hehe

[Lilywhite]

I have four to post this morning....

It's probably my fault they put the postage prices up, all those overworked postmen :)

[Lilywhite]

I finished The Wise Woman this afternoon, I wasn't that impressed with it TBH. I cared very little what Alys did or what happened to her, although the herbs and witchcraft aspect was interesting.

I just randomly picked up Albert Camus ~ The Outsider off the shelf, it's not very long and I should have it finished soon.

In his classic existentialist novel, Camus explores the predicament of the individual who is prepared to face the indifference of the universe courageously and alone.
Meursault leads an apparently unremarkable bachelor life in Algiers until he commits an act of violence. His response to the incident challenges the fundamental values of society, a set of rules so binding that any person breaking them is condemned as an alien, an outsider. For Meursault it is an insult to his reason and a betrayal of his hopes; for Camus it is the absurdity of life

[Lilywhite]

I picked this one up off my TBR soon pile last night and I am enjoying it so far.

Celia Rees ~ Pirates!

It is the dawn of the 18th century, when girls stay home and sew while men sail the high seas finding adventure, danger, and gold. But two unusually adventurous girls (a rich merchant's daughter, Nancy Kington, and her former plantation slave, Minerva Sharpe) take to the high seas from Jamaica on a ship the crew renames Deliverance. Not just any trading ship, the Deliverance flies black flags from its mast, proclaiming to all that the newly named, hijacked ship is a pirate vessel, striking fear into the hearts of those she approaches. Or so they hope.
For Nancy, the Deliverance is her escape from an arranged betrothal to a controlling and devilish man. For Minerva, it is an escape from slavery, as well as from the fearsome overseer on Nancy's family plantation. But in the end, the money, the adventure, the companionship, and the chance to see the world not as women, but as bold and daring pirates, is an opportunity neither can deny.
A powerful, thrilling, and ultimately inspiring journey of two women who break the bonds of gender, race, and position to find their own way to glory.

[Kell]

I've read a few books by Celia Rees & enjoy her style. She's full of really good stories & tells them very well.

[Lilywhite]

I really enjoyed Pirates!, a great story of swash and buckle :) Now I'm going to read Off The Record: My Autobiography ~ Michael Owen

Michael Owen has a maturity beyond his years. At 24, Liverpool Football Club's youngest-ever goalscorer in the Premiership is already one of the most experienced players in the England squad, with two World Cups and two European Championships under his belt, and is recognised as one of the top marksmen in world football.
To date, despite his well-documented accolades and achievements, he has rarely opened up to his fans and his legions of admirers around the world. Until now.
Off The Record is his honest and forthright story of life both on and off the pitch - the bumps and bruises of his formative years; his Liverpool career including former Kop hero Robbie Fowler and new club captain Stephen Gerrard; England's David Beckham and Sven-Goran Eriksson; and the precocious talents of Wayne Rooney; his partner Louise Bonsall and how fatherhood has changed him; and his hopes and ambitions for a future career outside football.
On the darker side, he talks about the gambling, alcohol and other temptations influencing the lives of high-earning youngsters in the game and how some go over the edge. For the first time, he reflects on his own complex world and the effect of the resulting media intrusion into his private life.
An incident-packed 2003/04 season saw doubts surround his manager Gerard Houllier, Owen's own injury frustrations, the threatened strike by the England squad in support of Rio Ferdinand, and, finally, England's quest for glory in the European Championships Finals. Michael Owen's Off The Record will bring a refreshing insight into the highs and lows of a career in the highest echelons of football.

[Lilywhite]

Well, I really enjoyed Off The Record, he hit the balance between personal life and football quite well and I didn't get bored of either.

Next I have decided to read Jean Plaidy ~ Katherine, The Virgin Widow

The young Spanish widow, Katharine of Aragon, has become the pawn between two powerful monarchies. After less than a year as the wife of the frail Prince Arthur, the question of whether the marriage was ever consummated will decide both her fate and England's. But whilst England and Spain dispute her dowry, in the wings awaits her unexpected escape from poverty: Henry, Arthur's younger, more handsome brother - the future King of England. He alone has the power to restore her position, but at what sacrifice?

[Michelle]

I'd be interested to hear what you think of this one. It's interesting that so many authors seem to like the 'Tudor Queens'! :)

[Lilywhite]

I really enjoyed reading this one. I was never any good at history and these books actually make historical figures more 3D for me. I like her ability to spin a tale too. Great story and she really makes you understand the characters, good and bad.

Nex I am reading Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Exiled

Anne De Bohun has a dark secret. A secret that threatens her life, and the future of the kingdom of England itself.
Raised as a peasant girl, Anne has a gift for healing that saw her thrust into the dangerous heart of court affairs, and under the spell of the greatest love of her life, King edward himself.
Yet theirs os a forbidden passion, for Anne is the illegitimate daughter of Henry VI, the king usurped by the man she loves. Now exiled in Brugge, Anne struggles to find peace in a dangerous world of treachery and suspicion, where enemies masquerade as allies, and someone very powerful wants her dead.

[Lilywhite]

Yay, managed to get Wideacre for £1.99 from Oxfam today. I'm very pleased with that as nowhere else seemed to have it.

[Michelle]

My version came from a Market Place trader on Amazon. It cost me 1p, plus the £2.75 postage, but I wasn't too impressed because the condition was poorly described. Still, at least I have a copy!

[Kell]

I have a copy of Wideacre coming to me from Green Metropolis. I'm paying £3.75 for it, but the descriptions on there are usually spot on so I expect I'll get an excellent copy. Looking forward to reading it.

[Lilywhite]

this one I got is in good condition and i'm quite pleased with the bargain. Can't wait to read it now :)

[Lilywhite]

I finally managed to finish The Exiled this afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm waiting expectantly for the final installment to arrive at the library. If you like Gregory's historical fiction, you'll love Posie Graeme-Evans trilogy.

Next I have decided to read Shade ~ Neil Jordan. A book I saw on RISI and swapped on a whim really. It looks very interesting.

Ireland, 1950. Nina Hardy wakes in the big house where she grew up. Now aged fifty, she has returned to the fading beauty of her old home, and its unkempt gardens, its views of the wild Irish Sea, and its long-buried memories. With her childhood friend George, she is seeking peace from a turbulent world. But by the end of the day, a brutal crime will have been committed which will alter their lives forever.
As Nina tries to make sense of everything that has happened, a remarkable story unfolds - of a seemingly idyllic childhood, of extraordinary friendships, and of a war that changed not only history, but also everyone involved.

[Lilywhite]

Back from the library and the boot fair :)

One swap arrived this morning Laurell K Hamilton ~ The Laughing Corpse. A bit annoyed because her website led me to beleive this was the first book when in fact it is the second. :roll:
From the library I got Mo Hayder ~ Pig Island, Patrick Suskind ~ Perfume, Paulo Coelho ~ Veronika decides to die and Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Beloved.
From the PDSA I got Jodi Picoult ~ Vanishing Acts

A good day all round..... now I'm off to read :reading:

[Lilywhite]

I'm now going to read Posie Graeme-Evans ~ The Beloved

The thrilling climax to the trilogy that began with The Innocent and The Exiled brings Posie Graeme-Evans's bittersweet story of two lovers divided by the throne of England to its dramatic conclusion.
As England tears itself apart in the War of the Roses, Anne de Bohun lives far from the intrigues of cities and courts. Once King Edward IV's mistress, Anne has found safety with their son in Brugge. But now Edward himself is a hunted fugitive, and Anne's real father, King Henry VI, rules again from Westminster. Summoned by an enigmatic message from her lover, Anne is drawn once more to the passion, the excitement, and the deadly danger that Edward brings into her life. But now, the girl who was once a penniless servant has a child to protect and an inheritance to defend. Can she let her love for Edward threaten everything she has? Or will she need his help to protect her from the powerful enemy who means to destroy her?

[Lilywhite]

I finished Beloved tonight, an excellent story right the way through and I'm quite happy with the way she finished it too.

Next I shall read Perfume ~ Patrick Suskind

Survivor. Genius. Perfumer. Killer. This is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.
He is abandoned in the filthy streets as a child, but grows up to discover he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human's.
Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in Paris. Yet there is one odour he cannot capture. It is exquisite, magical: the scent of a young virgin. And to get it he must kill. And kill. And kill ...

[Lilywhite]

I can't say I enjoyed this book at all, I got very bored about a quarter of the way through and just as you think it will pick up, it doesn't. Page long sentences and the need to itemise everything also didn't endear it to me.

Next I will read Paulo Coelho ~ Veronika Decides to Die

Veronika seems to have everything she could wish for. She is young and pretty, has plenty of attractive boyfriends, goes dancing, has a steady job, a loving family. Yet Veronika is not happy; something is lacking in her life. On the morning of November 11th 1997, she decides to die. She takes an overdose of sleeping pills, only to wake up some time later in Villette, the local hospital. There she is told that although she is alive now her heart is damaged and she only has a few days to live.
The story follows Veronika through these intense days as, to her surprise, she finds herself drawn into the enclosed world of Villette. She begins to notice more, to become interested in the other patients. She starts to see her past relationships much more clearly and understand why she felt her life had no meaning. In this heightened state, Veronika discovers things she was never really allowed herself to feel before: hatred, fear, curiosity, love - even sexual awakening. Against all odds, she finds she is falling in love and wanting, if at all possible, to live again.
Veronika's experiences lead her gradually to realise that every second of existence is a choice that we all make between living and dying.
This is a moving and uplifting song to life, onr that reminds us that every moment in our lives is special and precious.

[Lilywhite]

I finished reading Veronika wants to die this afternoon. Surprisingly good read and not as meloncholy or depressing as it sounds. It's actually quite uplifting and thought inducing.

Next I will read Jane Gardam ~ The Queen of the Tambourine, the reading circle book. Kindly donated to me by Sarahrob (big hugs and thanks :friends: )

[Lilywhite]

I have to say that The queen of the Tambourine, although slightly amusing, did get a bit tedious towards the end. I did find myself questioning my own sanity whilst reading it, which is never a good sign :)

Now I am reading Celia Rees ~ Witch Child

Pages from a journal are loosely sewn into a quilt. A quilt that lies undisturbed for more that three hundred years until it is carefully taken apart for cleaning and out of it's folds falls a powerful and moving story. The story of Mary - granddaughter of a witch.

[Kell]

Hope you enjoy Witch Child, Kat. And if you like that one, make sure you get hol dof the sequel, Sorceress - it's just as good, though a completely different style. :)

[Lilywhite]

I had seen that one on her website and thought it looked quite good. I may get hold of it when I finally work my through some of the others I have waiting.

[Michelle]

I still have both of these on my TBR pile.. even though I got them from Kell ages ago.

[Kell]

Ooh, you should read them Michele - they're really good!

[Lilywhite]

I'm about half way through Witch Child now and I'm really enjoying it. I love Celia Rees writing style.

[Lilywhite]

I finished Witch Child today and also read The Little Prisoner ~ Jane Elliott. I'm now looking for something a bit more fun and upbeat. I think I shall start Eragon for the reading circle as I know I enjoyed that book last time.

[Lilywhite]

Back from my Tuesday jaunt to the car boot and the library. I only managed to get one book from the library as they had a poor selection today (and they have been moving shelves around :roll: ) I got Hood ~ Stephen R. Lawhead. Although O's did get a couple that I might pinch to read too :)

I got a bargain in Help The Aged too with 3 for 99p I got Insomnia ~ Stephen King, The Straw Men ~ Michael Marshall (for O's) and Frankenstein ~ Mary Shelley.

All in all another good day :) Back to Eragon now though.

[Lilywhite]

I finished Eragon this afternoon. I absolutely love this book and it was so nice to read it again after so long. O's has stolen the book I got out of the library and planned to read next :roll: so I think I mught just read Eldest, the next book on from Eragon.

[Lilywhite]

I'm a big liar liar pants on fire, I've decided to pick up Mo Hayder ~ Pig Island instead.

Jounalist Joe Oakes makes a living exposing supernatural hoaxes. A born sceptic, he believes everything has a rational explanation. But when he visits a secretive religious community on a remote Scottish island, everything he thought he knew is overturned.
Questions mount: Why has the community been accused of Satanism? What has happened to their leader, Pastor Malachi Dove? And, perhaps most important, why will no one discuss the strange apparition seen wandering the lonely beaches of Pig Island?
Their confrontation, and it's violent and bloody aftermath, is so catastrophic that it forces Oaksey to question the nature of evil, and whether he might not be responsible for the terrible crime about to unfold.
In her compulsive and haunting new novel, Mo Hayder dares her readers to face their fears head on and to look at what lurks beneath the surface of everyday normailty. Pig Island is about the unspeakable things people can do to each other. Brace yourself for a terrifying read.

[Louiseog]

Mo Hayder The Treatment scared me so much can never read another by her!

[Lilywhite]

She is a fantastic writer if you want the pants scared off you :)

[Louiseog]

She is a fantastic writer if you want the pants scared off you :)
I didn't sleep for a week! Really crying scared.

[Michelle]

Now this looks like an author to get hold of.. it's rare to find a book that scares me.

[Icecream]

If it is really that scary I may pick it up some time. I fancy a scare..

[Louiseog]

Really psychologically scarey and pressed all my buttons.

[Kell]

Sounds like it'd be right up my street - I'm going to have to try one by this author if she's that scary!

[Lilywhite]

it's very odd scary. not monsters under the bed but nasty people living in your street scary if you get me???

[Icecream]

I think I get what you mean. Sounds good.

[Lilywhite]

I finished Pig Island this afternoon. The first part of this book was REALLY scary, I did put it down once and I haven't done that in a while. The second part is more psychological scary, just like her other books. A very freaky read but good none the less.

Next I will read Hood (bk 1 King Raven Trilogy)~ Stephen R, Lawhead

A new reign of terror has brought fear and hatred to the land, while an ancient legend stirs in the heart of the wildwood ...The Norman conquest of England is complete - but for one young man the battle has only just begun. When Bran ap Brychan's father is murdered by Norman soldiers, he flees to London, seeking justice. The journey is long and hard - and the suffering of those he meets along the way fuels his anger. With his demands dismissed, Bran has no choice but to return home, but a worse fate still awaits him there. His lands have been confiscated and his people subjugated by a brutal and corrupt regime. Should Bran flee for his life or protect his people by surrendering to his father's murderers? The answer, perhaps, is known only to the Raven King - a creature of myth and magic born of the darkest shadows in the forest. Stephen R. Lawhead's Hood brings to life the legend of Robin Hood as never before.