Madeleine

Yes I did watch the first series, then watched about 4 eps of the 2nd series and gave up, thought it was boring to be honest. Is anyone watching The Missing?

Season 3 is quite different to the first two series of Crossing Lines. Nice seeing Luka from ER again though! I'm afraid I couldn't get in to The Wire - gave up a few eps into series 2.

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson

Just started number 44 - I'm also going to read a couple of shorter books to try to get the body count up a bit!

Yep good luck, hope it goes well.

I read a few several years ago, they were all full of perfect women who were good at everything they did, including one woman who managed to re-design a hospital lounge whilst her daughter was in a coma. The actual plots weren't bad, but I couldn't stand the characters!

Had a bit of sun this afternoon, but rain again now.

I'm sorry I don't think Ed is entertaining at all now, at best he's cringe making and at worst it's like watching a dancing bear. He seemed to keep pausing after every part of the routine, as if he was catching his breath, and at this stage it's just farcical. Keep him in as a comedy act, but not as a competitor.

Possibly Wuthering Heights as well (re-read Jane Eyre earlier this year) Persuasion by Jane Austen A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin (but would probably skip some chapters ie the boring ones about the Dothraki) A Storm of Swords by George R R Martin Dracula

I read Murder at the old Vicarage last year, I quite enjoyed it.

What did everyone think of Blackpool? I loved the opening routine with everyone, and Danny's Charleston! That cartwheel, how was that humanly possible? I also liked Louise's routine - gorgeous costume, but what was the music meant to be, it was all over the place. I also liked Judge Rinder's salsa, after a horrible start I thought it was doomed, but he picked it up and did brilliantly, his enthusiasm is so infectious. Usual depressingly familiar outcome in the dance off though, I can barely bring myself to watch EB now. And I still think it's distracting having all the other dancers in the routines, although I suppose they are putting on a show.

Stopped raining for now but very dark.

Windy, cold and rainy - ugh!

Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

Bright and cold now, but meant to be wet and windy later.

Glad you like them - they're harmless entertainment. I agree she is more likeable in the show than the books.

Ring

Getting colder now.

Ice

Wild Boys - Duran Duran

I was the opposite with Agatha Raisin - hated the first one, but preferred the others, it's not brilliant but OK as a bit of harmless escapism. I thought Ashley Jensen was totally miscast as well.

65 is like spring here, we went to Spain one December where it was in the 60s, and we were in shorts and T shirts, and the locals were wearing fur coats! Thankfully we don't get too much in the minus here, usually about minus 1 or 2, and snow rarely settles deeply, just as well really as an inch throws London into chaos!

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Water

I finished River of no Return this morning and must admit that I'm a bit disappointed with it. It was well-written and had two good lead characters in Nick, who jumps from his own time in 1812 to the present day to save himself from being killed in a battle in Spain, is tried by the mysterious Guild in the present day, and then suddenly finds himself being sent back to his own time - as usual, to stop time being changed by the equally mysterious Ofan. Along the way he meets a few people who may be Guild or Ofan (or even both) and takes up again with his friend from his own time,Julia, who is also gifted with the ability to time travel, but doesn't know because her grandfather, who was another time-traveller, kept it a secret from her. And um that's about it really, just when they seem to be ready to take on the Ofan, the book finishes! And there was way too much telling and hardly any showing; we'd get told about an incident that happened to one of the characters, but we don't actually "see" it happening, in fact there's an awful lot of sitting around in bars, or lounges or saloons, being told what's happened. A missed opportunity at a good book; the author shows promise but needs to do more show and a lot less tell. 7/10 for writing and a good idea, and the way it plays with time.