Easy Reader

Hello, long time no see I was watching a programme the other week presented by Bradley Walsh which I believe was for the build up to the Specsavers Crime Fiction Awards Bradley and a guest were talking about a book which I thought would be ideal for a friend of mine for Christmas but I can't remember the name of the book or the author I am pretty sure it was a female first time author who is actually a professor and got the idea for the book from one of her students asking her a question. Things that I am less sure about are that it was something to do with anatomy, historical and set in Italy. Does this ring any bells ? Can anyone help me ? I have tried searching Specsavers Crime Awards but have as yet to come across a female author.

Well I enjoyed the book so much I downloaded the audio version and have just finished listening too it. It was even better than I remember the book being, although I do credit the narrator for breathing a bit more life into the characters, but listening to it did highlight the amount of swearing in it I kept looking around me to check no one could hear it and wonder what an earth I was listening I just thought I should let you know you are not alone as I suffer the same problem

Many thanks

Ditto can mine say "Sally's reading lists" I think I can do away with any years thank you

End of year round up Genre Challenge - a different genre every month completed some months better than others 12 Agatha Christies - completed 43 books in total 22 Female authors and 21 male 14,374 pages offering an average of 335 pages a book

I think I will be treating myself to A Tiny Bit Marvellous with my Christmas vouchers as I really did enjoy Oh Dear Silvia to the point I am already considering re-reading it. stopped reading a bit as Christmas kind of got in the way but have just managed to squeeze three more books to cmplete my two goals, being the genre challange and to read 12 Agatha Christies this year Genre challange - December - War was hoping to avoid war as I completely lose interest when war rears its ugly head but I have been meaning to read War Horse for a while so thoght no time like the present kil two birds with one stone so to speak. I did enjoy it but it wasn't really what I was expecting and I had to keep reminding myself that it was being told from the horses' point of view which didn't sit well with me 12 Agatha Christies in the year (ie one a month or as near to as possible) The Sittaford Mystery - didn't like the characters therefore wasn't really that interested. Hercule Poirot's Christmas - slightly meatier than her normal murder really enjoyed this one

I thoght the trailer for it was amazing but I was less impressed with the actual show. Think I would have enjoyed it more if my expectations weren't so high. I shall stick with it though, give it the benefit of the doubt. Three lead characters were very engaging.

to be fair he didn't exactly have much room for anything. perhaps he has an ereader .

Star You can download a kindle app onto devises other than a kindle - if you look on amazon I am sure they will say there which devises you can use so perhaps you could get something that you would be able to get use out of other than using it as an e-reader (if you don't already have something that is). I personally wouldn't recommend anything with a small screen. I have an kindle with keyboard and if I could change just one thing I think it would have to be a bigger screen.

Oh Dear Silvia - Dawn French 8.5/10 I hadn't planned on reading this but someone gave me their copy so I thought I would give it a go. Its a great little book nice and quick and easy to read. Silvia is in a coma and various people have drawn up a rota to visit and talk to her to hopefully bring her out of her coma. Silvia's visitors like to chat. There were a couple of the characters who I found really perked up the story and I couldn't wait for their chapters. Particularly Silvia's cleaner who is very keen on Silvia waking up so she could get paid. The very start of the book I was very conscious of it being written by Dawn French but it didn't take long at all for all the characters own personalities to take over. All in all I really enjoyed this books and will be looking out for A Tiny Bit Marvellous now.

November - Historical Fiction (which according to the genre challenge is pre WWII but this is actually from 1960's onwards but Wikipedia seems to think its historical fiction so I will go with them) The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver I really don't know if I liked this book or not to be honest. Its a story of an American priest's wife and four daughters who all go to live in Africa to convert the locals to the Baptist way of thinking. The books in largely told from the point of view of the four daughters and occassionally the wife. I much preferred the first part of the book when the girls were younger and more naive and really enoyed a lot of the phraseology and their observations when they first arrived in Africa. But from the middle of the book and onwards it became more political and quite frankly boring which was such a shame. I have read two other BK's books and really enjoyed one but not the other. I really like her writing style its just unfortunate that I am not always interested in what she is writing about.

recording it would be an excellent idea but alas I have no means of recording (we have one of those old fashioned sky- boxes and no vcr) I could try it on the iplayer but would have to suffer the buffering. Buffering or Bruce which is worse ? Thanks for the low down on all the dances I don't know how you manage to follow it so closely I just watch and dance and think a) I liked it b) I didn't like it and of course I know who my favs are. Louis, Denise, Lisa, Pasha, Nicky (in that order) also Matthew Cutler and Darren Bennett . Oh and Bruno. And Claudia. Re Robin and Lisa I do feel he kisses her too much (obviously not a bad thing) but I always think he is trying to show people that he doesn't care about what she looks like and has ended up slightly overdoing it, also with the lifting her after the dance. I feel bad for saying it as I do like both of them and they are obviously getting on and enjoying themselves.

I am becoming slightly obssessed with Louis to the point I had to look him up on wiki to check how old he is as I thought I might be old enough to be his mother (i'm not, but only just) I just love how composed he is for someone so young Really enjoyed Denise's dance this week was a little disappointed with Lisa's but I love seeing how much she is enjoying it (unlike someone else who just looks like they are going through the motions and nothing more cough Victoria cough) I wish I could enjoy SCD more but unfortunately "Good Old Bruce" has me leaving the room everytime he starts twittering on and this quite often results in me missing some of the dances :-(

Echinacea all the way - start taking it as soon as you feel a cold coming and then you will hardly notice you have one at all. Plenty of hot drinks (pref without milk) and boiled sweets to suck on. Fresh fruit and comfort food (pref hot). I shunned vicks and all that a couple of years ago and haven't had a really bad cold for a long time.