Kell

Hello and to the forum, Immi - it's good to have another author to add to our ranks.

Hello and:welcome: to the forum, Conor - it's good to have you here. Lookin forward to hearing all about your favourite books and authors.

to the forum, Jenni. I hope you'll find plenty of books to discuss with us all here!

Thanks, Fireball. I figure that entering comepetitions isn't actively gettingm yself a book (like going to a library or borrowing from a friend) would be, so if I win a book, it's not my fault - just a bonus!

Yup, I've entered too! I figure it's not impinging on my book embargo if I'm not actually BUYING the books!

Title: Les Liaisons Dangereuses Author: Pierre Choderlos de Laclos ISBN: 0140441166 Publisher: Penguin Classics No. of pages: 396 Challenges: TBR / Classics / 1001 / Olympic - France Other info: Translation and introduction by P W K Stone Rating: 8/10 Synopsis (from Tesco.com/books): The complex moral ambiguities of seduction and revenge make Les Liaisons dangereuses (1782) one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. The subject of major film and stage adaptations, the novel's prime movers, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, form an unholy alliance and turn seduction into a game - a game which they must win. This new translation gives Laclos a modern voice, and readers will be able a judge whether the novel is as 'diabolical' and 'infamous' as its critics have claimed, or whether it has much to tell us about the kind of world we ourselves live in. Review: I loved that the book was written solely in the form of letters between the various characters. Each character had a very distinct “voice” and their interaction as plots were devised and completed was fascinating. In particular, I found Marquise de Merteuil to be completely Machiavellian in her approach to everything. Her attention to detail and every possibility was nothing short of genius. Vicomte de Valmont has to be one of the most charmingly seductive characters ever written, and his constant display of deviant cunning is marvellous. These two driving forces are a winning combination that cannot fail… or can they? It seems that vanity is the downfall of one, whilst a change of heart causes the utter ostrazisation of the other. This novel is sensual and glamorises depravity, but imparts a moralistic lesson that willful deviance carries the seeds of its own destruction. Being written entirely in letter form, it lends itself to short bursts of reading, and so it is perfect for those who have very little time to sit and read for any length of time. The writing is beautiful and cleverly arranged to keep the reader hooked on every page. Highly recommended!

"Your Ladyship" will do fine,thank you, Rod! Actually, this Xmas I got a National Heritage mug with "Her Ladyship" and a gold crown on it. I use it all the time!

I do really hate it when a book is compared to another one in the blurb. When I read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffennegger, there was a quote on the cover that basically said, "This is the new The Lovely Bones". I loved TTW, so I went on to read The Lovely Bones and thought it the biggest pile of poo ever - there was absolutely no way the two books could be compared, whether it be plot or characters or even atmosphere! If I had read TLB first and THEN picked up TTW and read that quote, I never would have read TTW as I would have been put right off!

It has to giev enough info to get you hooked into the characters and story, but not so much as major plot points are revealed...

Hello and to the forum fellow Geordie! The Geordies and Scots are slowly taking over the forum - LOL!

Decided to go with bangersand mash with an onion gravy. I just fancy some real comfort food...

I was really surprised that they didn't use the old original school song though - I really thought it would get used at some point, whether it was in the opening credits or whatever.

I've never even heard of David Peace before now, but his work sounds interesting. I may well look out for some of his books once I've whittled down my Mountain of TBR books. One to keep in mind I think! Thanks for the recommendation, and welcome to the forum!

to the forum, Sarah - it's good to have you here.

I saw this the first week of the year and loved it - it's very much in keeping with the spirit of the original films (which are definitely worth seeing - Alastair Simm was wonderful!). I was even pleasantly surprised by Russel Brand, who I can't stand, but who was very, very good as Flash Harry!

Well, hello there, and to the forum, Helen! Seems to be becoming a bit of a family place here! I hope you'll enjoy talking books with us all.

The reading circle choice for February is Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: Under the streets of London there's a world most people could never even dream of - a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, and pale girls in black velvet. Richard Mayhew is a young businessman who is about to find out more than he bargained for about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his safe and predictable life and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and yet utterly bizarre. There's a girl named Door, an Angel called Islington, an Earl who holds Court on the carriage of a Tube train, a Beast in a labyrinth, and dangers and delights beyond imagining...And Richard, who only wants to go home, is to find a strange destiny waiting for him below the streets of his native city. 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.)

You can view all the nomination s on the official Brit Awards website HERE.

Title: Journey to the Centre of the Earth Author: Jules Verne ISBN: N/A Publisher: Librivox No. of pages: N/A Challenges: Classics / 1001 Other info: Free audio book Rating: 7/10 Synopsis (from Amazon): When Axel deciphers an old parchment that describes a secret passage through a volcano to the centre of the earth, nothing will stop his eccentric Uncle Lidenbrock from setting out at once. So, with silent Hans the guide, the two men embark on a perilous, astonishing, terrifying journey through the subterranean world. Review: Although completely unbelievable by today’s standards, this is a rip-roaring adventure, so jam-packed with action that one can’t help but get caught up in the escapades of the characters as they embark on their perilous journey into the Earth’s interior. Despite having large swathes of science included, Verne manages to grab hold of the reader’s interest and refuse to let go, explaining the reasoning behind the ideas in such a way that one is carried away by the theories and the story as it unfolds.

I see Alec Baldwin has been cast as Campbell - looks like they've made some interesting and clever casting choices. I think this will either be realy, realy good, or it will really really suck.

I've not read it yet, but I bought it just last weekend and hope to get to it fairly soon (ie within the next couple of months - LOL!). It just really grabbed my attention and I think that reading this might even make reading the Dickens (which I intend to do at some point) a little easier and more fun!

Title: Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders Author: Gyles Brandreth ISBN: 9780719569302 Publisher: John Murray Publishers No. of pages: 355 Challenges: N/A Other info: 1st of The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries series Rating: 7/10 Synopsis (from Tesco.com/books): This work is set in London, 1889. Oscar Wilde, celebrated poet, wit, playwright and raconteur is the literary sensation of his age. All Europe lies at his feet. Yet when he chances across the naked corpse of sixteen-year-old Billy Wood, posed by candlelight in a dark stifling attic room, he cannot ignore the brutal murder. With the help of fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle he sets out to solve the crime - but it is Wilde's unparalleled access to all degrees of late Victorian life, from society drawing rooms and the bohemian demi-monde to the underclass, that will prove the decisive factor in their investigation of what turns out to be a series of brutal killings. The Oscar Wilde Murders is a gripping detective story of corruption and intrigue, of Wilde's growing success, of the breakdown of his marriage, and of his fatal friendship with Aidan Fraser, Inspector at Scotland Yard! Set against the exotic background of fin-de-siecle London, Paris, Oxford and Edinburgh, Gyles Brandreth recreates Oscar Wilde's trademark sardonic wit with huge flair, intertwining all the intrigue of the classic English murder mystery with a compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age. Review: If Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle had ever teamed up in reality, then this would have been exactly how it happened! Brandreth has captured the essence of both these astounding authors and combined their characters to superb effect in a crime novel that is every bit as clever and witty as the protagonists of the story. The story is exciting and so full of twists and turns that the reader is kept on the edge of their seat from start to finish, and it’s so well written that once could really believe one was listening to Oscar and Arthur first hand. Their interaction and escapades remains faithful to both and the historical context is superbly represented. If you like historical crime fiction, then please, do not hesitate to pick up this novel, especially if one admires the works of Wilde and Doyle - you will be in for a treat!

Title: 500 Ways to Change the World Author: Global Ideas Bank ISBN: 9780060851767 Publisher: Ixos Press No. of pages: 400 Challenges: N/A Other info: Compilation / Guide Rating: 7/10 Synopsis (from Tesco.com/books): 500 inspired ideas from around the world that cost nothing to implement but could enhance all our lives. 500 inspired ideas from around the world that cost nothing to implement but could enhance all our lives. They range from ideas that could benefit charitable organizations (donate airmiles to disaster relief fundraising schemes) to ideas that make people's working lives better (write the minutes of a meeting before it takes place) to ideas that help social relations as a whole (Boomerang Days when you return all the things you've borrowed over the course of the previous year. The book is bursting with brilliantly original initiatives. For anyone interested in doing something more than just grumbling and feeling generally fed up, this is probably worth about a whole year of press and TV. Review: This is one of those gorgeous little books that you can dip into every now and then and be sure of always coming away with something uplifting. No, it’s not one of those self-help books filled with soppy platitudes; instead, it’s a compact compendium of little things you can do to change things in a big way. Set out in handy sections with headings such as Relationships, Crime and Law, Health, Environment and Ecology, Transport, and Spirituality, it gives handy little hints and tips that needn’t take much time, effort or money to put into practice, but which could make a huge difference to your life and that of others too. Some ideas are so simple that you’ll be left thinking, “Why did I never think of that myself?”, others are a little more complicated, but no less easy to slip into your everyday life. And if everyone took just a handful of these ideas to heart, then the world would be a much improved place!

Yes, I read it last September and gave it 10/10 - a very rare occurance for me! It was such a pleasant surprise - so beautifully and touchingly written and really makes you think about things from Shawn's point of view - it's one of those books that gives you a good shake-up!

Well, if you liked those, you'll love Neverwhere (which Gaiman adapted from his TV series of the same name) and Good Omens (which he cowrote with Terry Pratchett).