Kell

(There is already an Emma discussion thread as it was a regular reading circle book previously - the two threads will be merged at the end of August) The fourth book being read in the Jane Austen Book Group (throughout July and August) is Emma: Often said to be Jane Austen's most perfect novel, Emma" is also the perfect read - with a very imperfect - but loveable - heroine...Beautiful, clever and rich, Emma Woodhouse thinks she knows best. She only wants to help others arrange things as she thinks they should be done, and, convinced she's just not destined to find true love herself, she believes she must instead devote herself to playing Cupid for others. But absolutely nothing goes to plan - and in the process, Emma has a lot of learning to do: about others, but most of all about herself... ~~***~~ In deference to those who may be reading it for the first time - if you're going to talk about a major plot point, please state which chapter your post relates to and use the spoiler tags, so that those who haven't yet reached that point will know to wait a while before reading that post! Some discussion questions to consider: DO NOT READ THE FIRST SET OF QUESTIONS BEFORE READING THE BOOK - THERE MAY BE SPOILERS! For Further Reflection 1. What might motivate someone to try to arrange the romantic relationships of another person? 2. Why are people sometimes unaware of their own feelings toward others? 3. How important are similar economic and social backgrounds to long-term romantic relationships? (You do not have to answer all, or indeed, any, of these questions, they are meant only as points for you to perhaps mull over as you read, and provoke more discussion. Please feel free to ask and answer any questions that come up as you read.)

What age is year 5 & 6?

I'manother on the "read a couple of chapters" approach. You might be pleasantly surprised. It's certainly one I've been meaning to read for a while and I know that I will get round to it one of these days. It took me several years to get round to watching the film as I knew it would be an emotional roller-coaster ride and wasn't sure I could face it, but I now rate it one of the best films I've seen in many years. From what i've heard, the book is WAY better!

Welcome to the forum, Posh. I hope you'll enjoy it here. On the writing side of things, if you're serious about writing and worried about your punctuation and grammar, I'd suggest checking out your local college to see if they do any English classes - whether on a part-time or full-time basis. This should help you get more comfortable with the way things are written and help you gain confidence. After that, if you're still thirsting for more direction, a creative writing course might be a good move, but if you're already feeling more confident with the basics, then you should be able to get flying with your ideas. Best of luck!

Thre are quite a few spelling errors in The Godfather by Mario Puzo (or, at least, there are in my copy which I very recently read). I must have spotted at least a dozen of them scattered throughout the book, so no doubt there are others that I missed. Fortunately, the book was so good that it didn't actually detract from it as much as it usually would for me (it can drive me potty if I'm not absolutely loving the book I'm reading while I'm error-spotting!).

But that's a twice welcome, Laramie - LOL! Welcome aboard, WP.

I was predominently a horror reader - Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Richard Laymon were among my "regular reads". Also Terry Pratchett - I've been a big fan of the Discworld series since 1992 and I would regularly re-read those books. Eventually, though, despite loving those books, I decided that some fresh material would be a good idea and I branched out a bit a few years back and decided that joining a book forum might help me broaden my horizons a bit. It did - and now I practically devour pretty much anything I can get my mitts on! Since branching out, I've discovered I love historical fiction and gritty crime thrillers (although I did read one or two crime books before). I've also started delving into classics and modern classics - an experience I'm enjoying immensely!

Anyone who would like to get hold of a copy of this book and join in the circle - there are a few copies available at Green Metropolis Also available at Amazon. See link on site front page! The Reading Circle choice for July is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne: Some 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? (You do not have to answer all, or indeed, any, of these questions, they are meant only as points for you to perhaps mull over as you read, and provoke more discussion. Please feel free to ask and answer any questions that come up as you read.) Also see reading guide (attached) from unknown online source (if anyone knows where this came from, please let me know!). WARNING: You may wish to wait until you have finished reading the book before you look at the attachment - it may contain slight spoilers as it offers discussion points. BoyinStripedPyjamas.doc

Nope - I enjoyed the Harry Potter books too. And my Mam just finished reading them last week and LOVED them from start to finish - she's in her 50s, so there really is a wide appeal.

Most of mine have personal messages in them too.

I have another signed book to add to my little collection as Stuart Macbride was at our Posh Club boko group tonight to discuss his latest book (Flesh House). He was absolutely lovely and wrote in my book, "To Kell, Good luck on the thing growing in your tummy..." which made me laugh. Am well chuffed.

I have a few books signed by the authors and I'll be adding to my collection tonight as I'm going to a book group meeting with Stuart Macbride who will be signing copies of his latest crime thriller, Flesh House! I have other books signed by: Stuart Macbride Christopher Brookmyre Terry Pratchett Kelley Armstrong Andrew E Shipley J M Warwick Samantha Grosser Debora Hill (My review is actualy quoted on the back of this one!) I'm pretty certainthere are others too, but I can't remember which ones off the top of my head.

Herb-crusted baked salmon fillets with Jersey Royal potatoes; swede, carrot and parsnip mash; baby corn and petit pois. Followed by freshly-picked Scottish raspberries and chantilly cream. My mouth is watering just at the very thought of it to be honest! It might sound a bit big-headed, but it's one of my favourite home-cooked meals (OK, so the dessert doesn't need any cooking, but the main course does!). It's lip-smackingly good!

He might like to try Pet Sematary by Stephen King.

It depends, Lovesreading - I've had many books that were actually brand new and at

I've been asked to do a reading at a wedding next summer and have been told I can choose what to read. I'd like to choose something literary that talks about love, marriage, companionship in a positive and slightly romantic way, but without being slushy. Something that's just a couple of minutes long would be perfect. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very grateful!