Kell

Poppy's right - it really is a tiny bit of graphic-ness )is that even a real word? I suspect not - LOL!) in the grand scheme of things and the book sitself is very enjoyable and well worth reading even if you decide to skip the little bits of graphic-ness, so please don't dismiss it from your list as I think you'd probably really enjoy it overall. And Poppy - Neverwhere is awesome - I like it even more than American Gods (ti was the first Gaiman I read other than his joint effort with Prathcett - GOod Omens- which is fantastic).

I'm so pleased to see you have some Kelley Armstrong on your TBR list - she's one of my favourite authors. I will say, however, her Women of the Otherworld series are definitely best read in publication order as there are story arcs that cross between the books and the character development etc. Also, certain elements of earlier books may well be ruined for you if you read the later ones ahead of them (MAJOR spoilers there). Therefore I would highly recommend reading them in the following order: 1. Bitten (werewolves) 2. Stolen (werewolves) 3. Dime Store Magic (witches/sorcerers) 4. Industrial Magic (witches/sorcerers) 5. Haunted (ghosts/spirits) 6. Broken (werewolves) 7. No Humans Involved (necromancer) 8. Personal Demon (half-demon) 9. Living With the Dead (half-demon) 10. Frostbitten (werewolves) 11. Waking the Witch (witches) (published later this year) There are other supernaturals involved in all the books except the first one, but I've put in brackets the main contenders). Expect werewolves, vampires, witches, sorcerers, half-demons, spirits, necromancers and shape-shifters along the way. It's a great series. The other series are: Nadia Stafford: 1. Exit Strategy 2. Made to be Broken Darkest Powers (YA): 1. The Awakening 2. The Summoning 3. The Reckoning (published later this year) The Nadia Stafford books are set firmly in "real life" with no supernaturals. The Darkest Powers books are set in the same "universe" as the Women of the Otherworld series, but feature different, younger characters (almost all teen). They're all incredibly good too. Happy reading!

THis series sound rather interesting - I enjoy a good YA book and I'm all for physic powers too.

Like Kylie, I'm waiting for the price to come down considerably. I'd love to have a Sony e-reader - my Mam has one and it's really nice with a decent-sized screen that really is easy on the eye. I would most likely just use it for being out-and-about and would probably just read the classic books that came with it or a couple of extra books I picked up here and there, but I'd still be reading proper books at home. If I'm lucky, my Mam will get bored with hers and give it to me.

I agree with Nolly on the ones she listed - I've read all of those and as she said, with the exception of the Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer, they were all top-notch. (The other two fill the time easily enough too, but they're not on a par with the others in that selection). All the other ones I've read from the list have been ones I've enjoyed a great deal too. Some of them are literally masterpieces, while others are highly pleasing romps.

Ooh, you've got some good'uns there - I loved Jane Eyre, THe Eyre Affair and I, Lucifer. I also have Wolf Hall on Mount TBR.

I'm just having finger foods for dinner tonight - vegetable and duck mini spring rolls with plum and hoisin sauce. Just because I fancy it.

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampires 1) Rating: 3/5 - Very good, well worth a read You might like this if you like: Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series; vampires; paranormal/supernatural Synopsis: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn’t get out much – not because she’s not pretty – she’s a very cute bubbly blonde – or not interested in a social life. She really is . . . but Sookie’s got a bit of a disability. She can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill: he’s tall, he’s dark and he’s handsome – and Sookie can’t ‘hear’ a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting all her life for. But Bill has a disability of his own: he’s fussy about his food, he doesn’t like suntans and he’s never around during the day . . . Yep, Bill’s a vampire. Worse than that, he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble – of the murderous kind. And then one of Sookie’s colleagues at the bar is killed, and it’s beginning to look like Sookie might be the next victim . . . Review: Well, that's my first book of the year finished. As this was a re-read it went a lot more quickly than I think it would ordinarily have done, but it was great fun revisiting "old friends" and refamiliarising myself with the residents of Bon Temps. I think I'm going to enjoy re-reading the first four books, but I can hadly wait to progress to the subsequent sequels! It's not as full-on sexy as the TV series (True Blood) but there's still a fair old bit of steamy romping, although Harris doesn't go into minute detail (she doesn't need to!) and it plays an integral role in the plot, so it's not gratuitous. Sookie could have been a "too-good-to-be-true" type of goody-goody, but she's not and I love that she's so flawed (she has something of a temper on her at times; she's stubborn, wilful and headstrong) and although the mind-reading is important to the plot, it's not dwelled on too much - it's just accepted that this is part of who Sookie is and that she often finds it something of a chore to deal with. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will instantly identify with her. As with my first reading, I found Bill a little tedious (I also do with the show, to be honest) and find the mysterious Eric a lot more interesting and fun, but he's still quite likeable, despite his coldness and stand-offish nature. And I had almost completely forgotten about Bubba - it was such fun to be reminded! If you're a fan of supernatural fiction you could do a lot worse than to pick up at least this first book in the series. Harris has a touch that is light enough for the funnier moments but strong enough for the darker ones too - it's a fine balance, but she hits the mark and keeps you hooked into the action from start to finish.

I'm afraid I hated The Blair WitchProject and thought it over-hyped and rubbish - I think my scare-genes have been numbed though as I was brought up on a steady diet of Hammer Horror from being tiny and was always told things like "It's not blood - it's only tomato sauce," and "It's not real - it's only make believe like when you're playing pretend," so scary films very rarely have the "desired" effecgt on me. Yes, I'll jump a little when something happens suddenly, but I don't tend to get scared. I was more freaked by The Truman Show, when I suddenly became certain that I was actually part of a giant reality TV show without my prior knowledge or agreement. But then I was slightly drunk when I saw that in the cinema - LOL! Last DVD I watched was Twilight because I got it for Xmas, rather unexpectedly, from my Dad.

I've only read one or two on your list, but it looks like a lot of interesting reads made it on there. I especially loved The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith - terrific read.

OMG! I am SOOOOOOOO impressed with both your list and your organisation! And I have to say I haven't heard mention of Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH in many, many years. I read it when I was about 9 or 10 and adored it. If I remember correctly, it's rather dark but wonderful. Perhaps I should get hold of it and re-read it - after all, it's been more than 20 years since then! I especially love your Gilmore Girls list - I've never seen the show, but the list looks great!

I haven't got one at the moment, but I'm considering investing in one as I'd love to design my own charts. At the moment I'm restricted to doing so on graph paper which sets many limitations, as you can imagine!

Ooh, some good'uns there! I first read Jurassic Park back in 1993 - right after going to see the film. I loved all the little details that the film missed (although I loved the film too - still do!). The Alchemist is quite a whimsical one that I liked rather a lot. It's got quite a fairytale-ish quality to it. I quite fancy reading Middlesex too, so I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that one.

Oh, you've got some excellent books to look forward to there! Reaper Man was actually the first Discworld book I ever read and it spawned my total addiciton to the series. I also loved the Nursery Crime books by Jasper Fforde (I actually prefer them to the TN series, although I like those too). I also rather enjoyed Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker (although I know opinions are pretty divided over that one). Happy reading in 2010!

All the 2009 threads will be closed by the end of January, so you don't all now need to post requesting your threads to be closed.

The thread is now open! However, I shall let everyone recover from their New Year celebrations before badgering you all with questions. I'll open with my brief thoughts on the book: This is rather an unusual read with a very frightening premise - no books and no thoughts, only vacuous entertainment via the wall screens and a "happiness" of sorts. I found it an easy enough read in some ways (it's not very long), but quite emotionally taxing - I was almost in tears over the book burning. Worth a read if you enjoy distopian drama, or even just to be able to say you have - it's important to remember that books have power and this really brings it home.

These kids are so smart!

Kate, that's a beautiful piece - I bet you can't wait to stitch it! My last progress update of the year! I've now finished all the blue sky in the windows and have started the windowsill on the right. You can now clearly see the silhouettes of Charlie and his toy.

I've not read it yet - I did start it, but I got sidetracked. The few pages I read, though, seemed ver interesting and I shall most certainly be picking it up again (probably from the start - I only read a few pages). I also confess that I have just been on Green Metropolis and bought Peter Pan and Peter Pan in Scarlet. As I got them in before the bells, I'm including them on my TBR list pre-R3B1 challenge. Cheeky, I know, but there you go.

You can start with any as they're all stand alone. I read The Plucker first (it's his first illustrated novel) - I spotted it cover-out on a library shelf and was enchanted by the artwork, so I borrowed it and fell in love with it immediately. It's a great one to start with as it has a large amount of whimsy as well as having a darker side. I then got The Devil's Rose for Xmas last year (his 2nd illustrated novel) and it's even darker than The Plucker. Again, the artwork is astounding, but doesn't have the whimsical element of THe Plucker. Both were 10/10 for me. I've not yet read The Child Thief, but I'm already looking forward to it. Brom is not only a talented artist, but he has a way with words that is so totally unexpected - he's almost lyrical with his prose. I plan on starting to collect his art-only books too at some point - you should check out his website and see some of the stuff he comes out with - scary, strange, beautiful - he's a warped mind but it works for me. I actually joined his Facebook fanclub and added him as a friend (and he accepted!). He's very active on both pages and seems very down-to-earth and rather lovely.

Is that the novella by Stephen King that got made into the film Secret Window starring Johnny Depp?

Oh, DO! And while you're at it, The Devil's Rose is the other one (I got that last Xmas)

It will be done. All the 2009 threads, unless we're asked otherwise, will be closed by the end of January at the latest.

Charm, your wish is my command. It is done.