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I saw the film and it took me a while to realise that it was a vampire story. It's very good.

Just read the notorious wrestling chapter. Seemed a bit gay to me. I used to do some Japanese wrestling myself, judo and aikido, but we always wore judo suits. Even if there were no judo suits handy I'd insist on keeping my underpants on at least, and I wouldn't fight him unless he kept his on, although I doubt I'd be up for any wrestling at all.

trouble was, they didn't think to close any windows or doors. I went off to the office to do a bit of paperwork which necessitated a pot of tea, a large mug and a packet of gingernut biscuits. I'd just started my fourth mug, barely time to relax ( the story of my life), when I noticed a puddle of water making its way under the closed and locked door(I don't like to be disturbed when I was hard at it). The morons had flooded the whole floor. 'Right, that's it! ' I bellowed, ...

Another Park, Another Sunday ~ Doobie Brothers

I love it too! The whole Tea For the Tillerman album is great.

Same here!! I actually decided to go for The Watkins Book of English Folktales by Neil Philip. It’s such a beautiful book and has explanations of the origin of folktales, how they were recorded and who by, as well as details of how they connect to other stories (giving clues as to how they might have developed). I haven’t had much reading time recently (it exam season and I’ve been especially busy this year) but this book is great to just dip into. That makes me want to read it too. Although I have heard of Salem’s Lot, I will admit that I didn’t even know it was a vampire story!

Sunday Morning Coming Down - Kris Kristofferson

I'm obsessed with this song, it's so chill, I could listen to it for hours on end.

Death awaits in Durham by Helen Cox - this is another instalment in the Kitt Hartley cosy crime series, and moves slightly further north to Durham, where Kitt's assistant, Grace, has just started a librarian's degree course, but she is soon side-tracked by a cold case - the disappearance the previous year of another young student Jodie, whose last known contact with the world was a phone call to a local radio station claiming that she knew something which could bring down people at the university, but when she called back later, the call was cut off abruptly, and there's been no trace of her since then. Her distraught fiance is still desperate to know what's happened to her, so Kitt and Grace take on the case. When someone from the university is found murdered, Kitt's boyfriend, DI Mal Halloran is brought in, but for the most part he takes a back seat. It was an OK read, not the best of the books in the series that I've read, but passed the time and was an easy read. 6.5/10

The Liar (1950) Martin. A Hansen Well Nathan, we did it. We read this wonderful book about a man living on a small island, trapped by the winter ice, telling his tale to you, Nathan, a fictional creation of his own mind, about the people, the places, the loves, the deaths, and the lost opportunities. Did I enjoy it Nathan? Yes, I thought it was absolutely magnificent. And I really liked the dog Pigro. Johannes is a school teacher (and deacon) who relates the events of the small community of islanders, specifically Olaf and Annemari who, having recently been his pupils, became an item and had a child. Then there was an accident (a death) that affected Olaf and consequently his relationship with Annemari came to end. Johannes is also in love with Annemari but keep this to himself. It's very subtle but it's there. He can only confess so much to Nathan. And to us. Then there is the young boy Kaj who needs to go to a sanitorium on the mainland for treatment. The family of the deceased young man. Elna, the pregnant barmaid. Olaf's mother who cannot forgive Annemari. Frederick and Rigmor (both unfaithful). Johannes ponders all these people and their stories, the history of the island, the passing of time, the fact that they will all one day be forgotten, that even the words used to describe these things will one day die/change. Having just read a book that annoyed me, it's always nice to immediately come across one that lifts you back up. So the story is narrated by Johannes Lye (in the original Danish his name is Johannes Vig but since that is similar to svig (meaning 'deceit' or 'guilt') the translator chose to use Lye (lie). And that's important because Johannes is indeed a very unreliable narrator (the title confirms as much). The whole thing is his interpretation of events and it's hard to know just how truthful he is being (personally I got the strong sense that he wasn't being entirely honest about his feelings regarding Annemari and Rigmor) but again, that's the point. We can't really trust Johannes account, we can only listen to it. And he tells it rather beautifully. The writing is a little different. Short sentences. Often unnecessarily so. Given that they are continuous thoughts. Or pieces of dialogue. And there is a definite stream-of-consciousness element to the prose (a style I have a love hate relationship with). Often it's just a lot of inane gibberish and verbal diarrhoea hiding poor quality writing. But then you get the stuff like this, where it's more like a stream-of-feeling than thought, more fluid and sincere, with a concession for the importance of language and grammar (as opposed to style over substance). Anyway, Hansen is very good at creating an atmosphere of emotion and feeling, his use of Nathan (his fictional sounding board) playing into this. And he knows how to change pace when necessary, slowing down or taking a trip down memory lane. And best of all, he knows when to lie. It is a wonderful book. Sad, thoughtful, and human.

and so I promised 14 quid each if they gave the garden a good old fashioned hosing, so, immediately, the boys proceeded to hose the entire place. Only

Just googled it and it says it's set before WW1.

'I was addressing Johnny, boys, getting money out of him is like prising open an oyster. Any advance on £10 will have to be negotiated with him,' ...and she left me to it. The boys, although still in their teens, were quite bulky and sizable, especially when they closed in and surrounded you. Anyone would feel intimidated. There was really one thing I could do ...

Pleasant Valley Sunday ~ The Monkees

It's not late Victorian because Picasso and Lloyd-George have been mentioned. I suppose it could be Edwardian. Iirc Lloyd-George introduced the old age pension, so he was widely known before WW1. I am not sure when Picasso became famous.

There are 6 books in the series altogether.

Give peace a chance - John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band

"Wolf Blood" by Steve Morris. Oh, it's a rich and thrilling adventure that really drew me in.

Peace in the Valley - Elvis Presley

Into the Valley - The Skids

to a head when

Currently reading : The Full Moon Yearbook, Julie Peters. A factual account of the moon in every month. Only read one chapter so far and it's fascinating. Wolf Blood, Steve Morris. A fictional account of a werewolf apocalypse, as recommended by my friend (“read A Witch In Time, now!”) who knows nothing of the current Group Reading theme. Thoroughly enjoying this too.

I have sooooooo many in this category that I want to read, not all of them are horror!

Currently reading Wolf Blood by Steve Morris, it's about werewolves and there are 6 books in the series altogether. Only on chapter 4 so far but it's great and a friend of mine has read all 6 of them and loved them.

and it all came