Kell

Yes, Drew sounded like she was chewing glass all the way through that film! And the flip side of Dracula is that Cary Elwes is American but sounds more convincing as an Englishman in any fiolm where he's had to do that accent (notably The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, where he actually jokes, "Unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent!") OK, I concede - an Egyptian who should have a Spanish accent. He still speaks with a Scottish accent though.

I usually scan it before I read the book then go back and read it properly if I enjoyed he book a whole lot. If I wasn't so bothered about the book, I don't bother with going back to the introduction. So, "sometimes" is my answer.

You have until 5pm tonight to post your pics, guys! Happy World Book Day!

Nope, he was Egyptian, but his "current identity" was Spanish. I love that film, despite the array of dodgy accents - it's a classic. From Wiki:

Sean Connery = Scottish acent only Sean Bean = "Ey-up, lass. My nyame's Shyarpe" Arnold Schwarzenegger = own accent only Jean Claude Van Damme = own accent only - usually with implausible explaination wirtten into script Actually, speaking of Connery - in Highlander he plays an Egyptian with a Scottish accent, but Christopher Lambert plays a Scot with a French accent. Then you've got an American plahying a Russian without an accent too. Other dodgy attempts: Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Kevin Costner in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (and Christian Slater in same). Brad Pitt in any film where he's supposed to be Irish. Leonardo de Caprio - epic fail as an Irishman in Titanic - deserved to drown! Tom Cruise with another dodgy "Oirish" accent in Far and Away. This is what happens when you bank on a "star" rather than an "actor"...

Which books can you not live without? My collection of Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, also my Simon Scarrow collection and my Kelley Armstrong collection - I collect all their books and I couldn't possibly part with them. And my hardback copy of the complete, unabridged version of The Stand by Stephen King - I've read it about a dozen times and I love it! Are there any books which you need to be in your presence/ house to feel relaxed? See above! I rarely loan those books out to anyone (unless to someone I know will treat them like they're gold - LOL!) and I get a little antsy while they're away. Do you have any particular books which you have already read or are reference books which you continually take places? Not really - I always take something I've not yet read away with me. How many books do you travel with, or take with you either on holiday abroad or somewhere other than home? If I'm travelling anywhere, I usually take about half a dozen books with me from Mount TBR - even if I'm only going for a weekend - I might change my mind about what I want to read and wouldn't want to be without a decent choice! Also, if I fly anywhere or travel by train, I get a lot of reading done at the airport/station and also whilst travelling - don't want to risk running out of stuff to read! I have also been known, however, to pick up an extra few books at the station/airport too - very naughty of me, I know! I used to also load up my ipod with audio books, so that was at least another half dozen books right there too... When I'm out and about I stick a paperback in my bag in case I'm stuck anywhere for 5 minutes or more with nothing to do. Whenever I'm meeting anyone, I'm a bit early, so I manage to get a chapter or so in while I wait for them to arrive. I usually just take whatever I'm currently reading, although if I'm only a couple of chapters from the end, I'll grab TWO new paperbacks - just in case I can't get into the first one I try.

Ooh! I remember reading this one too! I think I must have enjoyed it, because I think I read it more than once.

These are great! Only two more days to go, folks!

Toad in the hole for us tonight, with baby potatoes, carrots and a swede, parsnip and sweet potato mash - yummmy!

I'm actully behind and will be starting this book next, but I'm dying to get in and discuss it. I did actually start it once before but got sidetracked and it lay unfinished. This is the perfect excuse for me to get back to it now! (almost finished the ones I'm on at the moment, so it'll be within the next few days I get to it - I promise!).

IT IS ASSUMED YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK BEFORE READING THIS THREAD, THEREFORE SPOILER TAGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED IN ORDER TO FASCILITATE EASIER AND MORE OPEN DISCUSSION Anyone who would like to get hold of a copy of this book and join in the circle - there are quite a few copies available at Green Metropolis Also available free in audio format from Librivox, or as a free e-book from Project Gutenberg. Also available at Amazon - via the banner at the top right hand corner please! The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter is the tragic story of a woman's shame and the cruel treatment she suffers at the hands of the Puritan society in which she lives. A settler in New England, Hester Prynne has waited two years for her husband, an ageing English scholar, to join her. He arrives to find her in the pillory, a small baby in her arms. She must, as a punishment for her adultery, wear a scarlet 'A' embroidered on her breast and is concequently ostracized by her contemptuois neighbours. Sworn to kepp secret the identity of both her husband and her lover, Hester slowly wins the respec of society by her charitable acts. Her own strength and the moral cowardice of the man who allows her to face guilt and shame alone are brought into sharp contrast in a dramatic and harrowing conclusion. Some basic questions to consider: 1- Who was your favourite character and why? 2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest? 3- Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? 4- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? 5- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Some more advanced questions to consider / points to discuss (from Sparknotes): 1. Discuss the relationship between the scarlet letter and Hester's identity. Why does she repeatedly refuse to stop wearing the letter? What is the difference between the identity she creates for herself and the identity society assigns to her? 2. In what ways could The Scarlet Letter be read as a commentary on the era of American history it describes? How does Hawthorne's portrayal of Europe enter into this commentary? Could the book also be seen as embodying some of the aspects it attributes to the nation in which it was written? 3. This novel makes extensive use of symbols. Discuss the difference between the Puritans' use of symbols (the meteor, for example) and the way that the narrator makes use of symbols. Do both have religious implications? Do symbols foreshadow events or simply comment on them after the fact? How do they help the characters understand their lives, and how do they help the reader understand Hawthorne's book? 4. Discuss the function of physical setting in The Scarlet Letter. What is the relationship between the book's events and the locations in which these events take place? Do things happen in the forest that could not happen in the town? What about time of day? Does night bring with it a set of rules that differs from those of the daytime? 5. Is The Scarlet Letter a protofeminist novel? Had Hester not been a woman, would she have received the same punishment? When Hester undertakes to protect other women from gender-based persecution, can we interpret her actions as pointing to a larger political statement in the text as a whole? 6. Describe Chillingworth's “revenge.” Why does he choose to torture Dimmesdale and Hester when he could simply reveal that he is Hester's husband? What does this imply about justice? About evil? 7. Discuss the function of the past in this novel. The narrator tells a two-hundred-year-old story that is taken from a hundred-year-old manuscript. Why does Hawthorne use a framing story for this novel rather than simply telling the story? Why are the events set in such distant history? 8. Children play a variety of roles in this novel. Pearl is both a blessing and a curse to Hester, and she seems at times to serve as Hester's conscience. The town children, on the other hand, are cruel and brutally honest about their opinion of Hester and Pearl. Why are children presented as more perceptive and more honest than adults? How do children differ from adults in their potential for expressing these perceptions? 9. Native Americans make a few brief and mysterious appearances in this novel. What role do they play? In what ways might their presence contribute to the furthering of the book's central themes?

Roxi has hit the nail on the head. I talked it over with Xander and he agreed that I would most likely be biased towards him winning, therefore he graciously agreed that he should not enter the competition, but he thought he might encourage the rest of you to post your own photos if I posted one of him too.

Although Xander isn't entering the competition, he thought you guys might like to see him enjoying a book too:

I do the same, Angel. Also, previously I used to knot my threads, but I'm doing it "properly" this time round and jst sewing the ends into the back of the stitches to keep them secure - far neater now! Am quite pleased with myself improving like this! One of these days I'll get onto more complicated projects like yours once I progress a bit more and gain more confidence...

Only a few days left to post your photos, guys!

Those are lovely, Chrysalis!

Yay - they're through, along with the excellent Blue Peter (Jail House Rock) crew. Well deserved indeed!

If Paddy and Keith (Dirty Dancing) go through, I reckon they could win the whole thing - they were BRILLIANT!

I'm having a delicious Higgidy Skinny Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Pie with baby potatoes and a green salad of rocket, watercress and baby spinach with feta cheese. Gorgeous! And Dale has requested my authentic Turkish kofte with cheese, so I'm obliging, since he's a lovely hubby and daddy and he built Xander's high chair today.