Kell

The Man Booker Prize short list will be announced today. Does anyone here follow the ongoing prize selection and awarding? Has anyone here made it a point to read prize-winning books? What are your thoughts on the books, both past long-/short-listers and winners, and the present line-up? You can see more info HERE on the official website.

I was going to nominate it for early next year as it will be the 30th anniversary of it being written.

Put them on limited computer access and they might read more often - LOL! If they only have a total of, say, 20 mins a day, they might pick upa book to fill the rest of the time and they can't complain they don't get computer time. Seriously though - wonderful to hear they were reading of their own volition. I hope it continues.

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird Author: Harper Lee Narrated by: Sally Darling Publisher: Recorded Books First Published: 1960 Started: 6/9/07 Finished: 25/9/07 Rating: 9/10 Synopsis: 'Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.' A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much... Review: I don’t often agree with the choices made for various literary prizes. There is a perception that books chosen for certain prizes are usually dull as ditchwater and heavy to read and understand. This, however, is one sparkling example of a novel that truly deserves acclaim on every lever. Not only is the storytelling some of the finest in modern literature, the story itself, populated with some of the most wonderful characters ever written, is a delight to read. Yes, there are moments where the actions and events are particularly hard-going (the evidence of racism in a small town during the Great Depression is, at times, quite sickening), but seen through the eyes of a small child, these events unfold in such a way that the reader can become a part of the community and really feel for the Finch family, at the heart of what is, at that time, a scandal. I was surprised at how little of the story focuses on the trial of Tom Robinson – there is barely mention made of it until well into the book – but the ramble through the day-to-day lives of the children during the first section builds a picture of small-town life that gives the later events, before, during and after the trial, context and deeper meaning. Shifting attitudes to social conformity and racial equality play a large part in this journey through the childhoods of Scout and Jem Finch, and their understanding of their father and the attitudes of the people who live in their community, shape their lives as they grow up. This is a novel that endures long after the last page has been turned and invites re-reading like few others.

Title: Another Time and Place Author: Samantha Grosser ISBN: 9780230002357 Publisher: Macmillan First Published: 2006 No. of pages: 299 Started: 6/9/07 Finished: 8/9/07 Rating: 8/10 Synopsis: This work is set in England 1944. A chance meeting changes two people's lives forever. Drinking coffee in a tea room on a 72-hour pass, young American pilot Tom Blake watches a woman who is waiting for a friend. He isn't looking for love, but seeing Anna Pilgrim on this cold winter afternoon changes everything. So begins a passionate affair. Their happiness does not last. Shot down over Europe, wounded, in hiding, Tom has no way of telling Anna he is alive. And Anna, left waiting in England, has no way of finding out. Separated by the war, they have only the strength of their love and their memories to connect them. When Anna discovers she is pregnant, she must face the gossip of others and the wrath of her bitter and manipulative mother. Weeks, then months pass without news, and she begins to lose hope. How can she know that Tom is struggling to return to her? Or that the thought of being with her again is all that keeps him going on the long and arduous journey home? Interwoven with the brutality and danger of Tom's fight to survive is the story of Anna's own struggle to face the uncertainty of waiting. Set vividly against the hardship and horror of the Second World War, Another Time And Place is at once a compelling love story, an enthralling adventure and a moving depiction of the resilience of the human spirit. Review: When it comes to sweeping romance with an edge of down-to-earth realism, you could do a lot worse than this wonderfully-spun tale set during WWII. It’s a refreshing change to have the focus upon the people left at home, rather than on the men on the front-lines (I have absolutely nothing against those frontline novels – I’ve read an enjoyed quite a few!) and seeing how the worry of losing loved ones to the War affects family dynamics. Add to that the strained relationship between a mother set in her ways and a daughter striving to make her way in the newly-emerging modern world with the man she loves, and you have a story that tugs at the heartstrings as well as immersing the reader in the horror and fear of living through a major war. The writing is decidedly polished, like that of an often-published author, and I was surprised to read such a strong debut novel – this one really had me wondering what would happen – whether things would work out for Anna and Tom, or whether they would be torn apart by the turbulence of warfare and family crises. I’ll be very interested in seeing Grosser’s next novel, and seeing whether she can pull off such an accomplished novel as this for a follow-up.

That would be The Elves and the Shoemaker and The Enormous Turnip - both old favourites when I was a tot! I was exactly the same - I loved it when the baddies got ripped to pieces by wild animals or some such thing. I also adored the wickedness of the nasty characters...

No! I disagree - get the unabridged version - it fills in all the gaps and you get to see even more of all those wonderful characters, as well as a few that got cut for the shorter version (it's worth it just for The Kid - an excellent character!). In King's own words (from the preface) re the shorter version: I've never read the short version, but if King thinks it's not up to his own vision, then I'm happy to agree with him, because the uncut version is so excellent. And my hardback version has pictures in it too! The very first time I read The Stand must have been about 15 years ago and I must have read it about 10 times over the years* (I originally had a 2nd-had copy that had been passed around a bit and replaced it with a 2nd-hand hardback version in 1999 when the paperback pages were dropping out). No matter how often I read it, I always find something fresh about it, something I'd forgotten that surprises me, or something that has since taken on new meaning and so affects me more or less than it did before. And it's such an epic journey, with so much happening, that it really warrants the full-length (just over 1000 pages) - and those pages are all packed! Despite being written at the tale-end of the 70s, The Stand never seems to date - the threat of an all-out medial emergency that could decimate the population, even in the advanced West, is still as real now as it was then, and the characters are recognisable as folks you might know yourself. And everyone has their favourites - I completely fell in love with Stu Redman - dependable Stu who you can imagine being the backbone of every community. Yes, Larry is young good looking and cool; and Nick is the strong, silent type too (if you've read it, you'll know exactly what i mean - LOL!), with a fair amount of mystery - kind and compassionate above and beyond the call of duty; but it was Stu that I knew would have captured my heart if we'd ever met. I truly believe that this is King's masterpiece - I can't imagine him ever bettering this and if he does, I'll be utterly flabbergasted! *Actually, I've been thinking recently that I'd like to read it again some time soon - it's been over two years and I've never written a review of it, so watch out! I may well be writing an epic review by the end of the year!

I love a good book and I love a good soak in the tub, so combining the two is sheer bliss. I always have at least a half-hour reading sesh in the bath every night. More often than not it's longer than that and I've been known to stay in the tub, getting all pruny and topping up the hot water for anything up to 3 hours if I'm really getting into a book! I also adore sitting out with a book on sunny days - there's a nice grassy bank right near our flats (you can see it from our kitchen window) and it's nice to spread out on a mat there and lose myself in a book. Other than that, curled up in bed or on the sofa is good with a book too! And each day at work, I read over my lunch period - I just stick myself in the corner and dive in...

It's been a couple of years for me too - I keep meaning to pick it up again, but I have so many new books to read that I would feel guilty neglecting them for such a long period of time. Perhaps the two of us could make a pact to re-read it together...?

It depends on how much I loved/hated the book. If I have strong feelings about it, I'll remember it all for much longer (yes, that includes those I really hate too), but if it's somewhere in the middle, eventually things fade out until all I really remember is the title, author and a vague idea of what the book was about. one example of the latter is Haunted by James Herbert. I picked it up from the library a couple of years back and was almost finished it before I realised I'd read it a few years before that and hadn't thought much of it. I still don't think much of it (it's very bland, in my opinion), and only remember it now because of realising I'd read it before and since catching the film version (which is better) several times on TV. Some books I'll read time and time again, such as The Stand by Stephen King, and find something fresh each time I read it, even though I know exactly what happens and to whom. There are always a few little bits here and there that I forget about till I'm reading it again - I must have read that book about 10 times by now and I still adore it.

Snap! And what is it about food with holes that gets to you? And I'd love to hear the explanation for your Gran's extended Step-parents!

I know that many people regard fairy tales as being just for the kids, but I'll freely confess I have a soft spot for those stories told in my childhood. Then again, my parents would tuck me into bed, open a heavy tome of The Complete Brothers Grimm to an appropriate page, and read the dark and twisted tales night after night. Looking at how stories have been watered down for the very young (take a look at Disney's Cinderella - there's no mention of the step-sisters cutting off their toes and heels so they could fit into the tiny slipper. And Snow White - nobody makes the wicked queen dance in red hot iron shoes till she falls down dead!). However, there is one story that I have always loved above all the others - an old Russian folk tale called Vasilissa Most Lovely. It's the usual fare of a beautiful young girl with a jealous step-mother and cruel step-sisters who try to get rid of the fair young maid by sending her off into the forest to beg a light from the evil Baba Yaga, who has lighted human skulls on her fence posts. It's an incredibly dark and terrifying story but I've always adored it. I wondered if anyone else here was a fan of fairytales?

Well, it's a funny story... My Mam used to melt the jelly on the stove in an enamel dish, rather than melting it in the hot water (don't ask me why). one day when she was making the lime jelly in question, a friend came to the door and kept her talking - she left the jelly on the stove. She later said she'd never known it was possible to completely destroy an RAF-issue enamelled tin dish, but you can do it with lime jelly, I assure you! It's become a running joke in our family - some people could burn water, my mother can burn jelly! One word of warning - don't try this at home - the reek is indescribable!

I wonder exactly that every time I read The Stand or anything along those lines. I picture myself in that situation and ask what I would do, how I would cope, what my chances of survival would be, how I would overcome obstacles. The same happened when i read Savages by Shirley Conran...

Ooh, I'll be interested in hearing what you think of The Memory Keeper's Daughter as I recently read it myself and thought it was lovely.

You think that's bad? My mother once burned lime jelly! The kitchen stank of it for weeks and to this day I can't stand lime jelly.

I think I'm in a tiny minority, but I really didn't like this books at all. I couldn't even be bothered to finish it in the end as I realised I was actively avoiding reading and doing displacement activities such as voluntarily doing the dishes or other household tasks I usually avoid like the plague! Even Dale noticed something was up! My review HERE.

:lol:I don't - I call him hubby or Dale. I call my mountainous pile of unread books Mount TBR (To-Be-Read). But I'm guessing you knew that.

Annie - of course you haven't written too much - you've written your thoughts on the book and raised some excellent points there - I'm sure that others reading the book will be jumping in with their thoughts soon too. (Unfortunately I'm sitting this month out as I'm too snowed under with work and other things, but I shall be eagerly reading everyone's opinions on the book all the same!)

Yes, I find it a very scary thought, which is why I try to cover up and use sun lotion and sit in the shade whenever possible, but sometimes you end up out in the sun without protection and before you realise it - it's too late! I thin kthat in general we Brits are terrible for not covering up & using sun lotion as often as we should! I also have very sensitive eyes and at the first sign of it being anything other than overcast, I wear my contact lenses so I can wear my shades, otherwise I'm squinting all day. Dale laughs at me wearing my shades even when it's a bit dull, but my eyes hurt and I get even worse headaches than usual without them!

I'm pretty much the same, except mine has been getting dyed for 22 years now - I had my first highlights added when I was only 8-y-o - LOL! Even if you don't see us in person, you have LOADS of friends here at BCF, Echo!

Thought I'd add another 5 facts for me: 1. I'm very good at doing French manicures - I have such a steady hand that I don't need to use guides for the tips - not even when I'm using my left hand! 2. One of my greatest secret pleasures is finding a Kit Kat finger that's all chocolate without the wafer - it really makes my day! 3. I don't tan. At all. I don't even burn (which is very strange for a very pale person like myself). In extreme cases I'll go slightly pink in places for a day or so but then it's back to pale as a ghost. 4. I get a real kick out of personally knowing someone who has a modicum of fame, such as my old college buddy, Robin Laing. I love watching a film or TV programme and suddenly spotting him on the screen. Then I get to feel all lucky because I got to perform with him in several shows. I also love being able to point at books on my shelves and say, "Oh yes, I know the author - she's a member of the forum - she's lovely you know!" 5. I hum a little tune when I'm feeling contented - it's the tune that Gillian Holroyd (played by Kim Novak) hums to her cat (Pywacket) when she's spellcasting, in Bell, Book and Candle.

to the forum! I think you'll find you're in good company here - we are all kind of a TBR support group as we mostly have towering mountains awaiting our attention! Hope you enjoy it here.

I'd definitely count that as a modern classic.

I'm going to be getting hold of a copy of this as soon as possible (I actually saw the trailer a while ago and completely forgot about it!). I did watch the British mini-series immediately after reading the book for Reading Circle and although I enjoyed it and thought the performances very good, I couldn't help thinking the leading lady had been miscast on looks alone - she was blond and skinny for a start, whereas in the book, if I remember correctly, she is described as having brown hair and a very feminine figure... Let's see what this French film version brings...