Kell

I'm about 1/2 way through and loving it. I can't believe I took so long to read it! (Although, the only thing that kept me was my own silly reluctance to read Jane Eyre any sooner than I did - which I also adored!)

No - I cry very easily if I'm involved in a good book, and re-reading makes not one jot of difference - I still bawl my eyes out - sometimes even more than I did before!

For the rest of your natural, apparently! I think it calculates the number using the average lifespan of males and females (women have more time to read them as we tend to live longer). I have to read at a very reasonable rate of 19 per year. I think that's do-able! There have been quite a few comments to that effect on LT - it really should be called 1001 novels you should read before you die. I lament the lack of dramatic representation, but not the poetry - I never would have got round to reading them...

I read this one years ago when I was at school (although it was off my own bat, rather than us being told to read it) and absolutely loved it. Like you, I bawled my eyes out. I've read it several times since and looking back, I can't believe I've never read any other books by Steinbeck... yet! Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. B)

Another hello & B) to the forum, Chris. I hope yo'ull enjoy it here.

It IS good. They ALL are! I highly recommend the entire series, Emma - start with Bitten and work your way through all seven currently available (the most recent one, No humans Involved was just released this month and is excellent too).

Me too! I thought it was dreadfully dull and particularly badly written - a big disappointment, having enjoyed much of his other work. I think I'll be giving Crickley Hall a try a some point though - I've heard good things and it sounds like Herbert's back on track again...

I hope you'll enjoy this one - I devoured it and then swiftly followed it up with the sequel and have just finished reading the third one. He's one of my new favourites!

It's almost June and our reading circle book for the month has been chosen. Obviously some members will need time to get hold of a copy (myself included - I've just ordered it from Green Metropolis!). For June we'll be reading The Thief of Always by Clive Barker: Mr. Hood's holiday house has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childish whim may be satisfied. But there is a price to be paid. Harvey Swick finds out about the dark side. I hope you'll all enjoy joining in the discussion!

I prefer Looking Glass myself - I adore Jabberwocky - it's my favourite poem ever!

I've been watching The Stand on Thursday nights. It's preceded by Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Sci-fi are having a bit of a Stephen King-fest at the moment...

Sounds like your reading mojo is on the blink, Michelle! Hope it gets back in synch soon... B)

Have you read the others in the Thursday Next series? I have the first one, The Eyre Affair, on my shelf, waiting to be read once I've finished Jane Eyre... I've read the Nursery Crimes ones though - really enjoyed those!

It is nice to get a personalised message inside, or perhaps have a book autogrpahed by the author. I used to write my name and when I got the book (eg Xmas 1995) inside the front cover - mostly because I have a younger sister who, although not a reader, used to continually claim my property as her own. I then had exes who tried the same trick, so my name went in the books as a "claim". I used to keep all of my books too, so it was never a big deal. I also used to use fancy bookplates when I was a kid, that maybe had a fancy, illuminated initial and words to the effect of, "From the library of..." with my name written underneath very neatly. The only time I've ever written within the pages of a book was, like some others here, while I was studying, or, if it was a play, highlighting my part and perhaps making a few notes in the margin. Other than that I've never written inside books at all and would certainly never offer those books to someone else. I received a book in a swap a while ago that had many highlighted sections and extensive notes in the margins. I couldnt read it and ended up passing it to a friend who didn't mind that sort of thing. It was obvious that it had been used in class as a study aid, but to me, it was no excuse when the book was then being passed on to others - I was very disappointed. I wouldn't have minded quite so much if it had been mentioned in the comments beforehand, but it was listed as being in very good condition and made no mention of it being riddled with comments and highlights. B) Nowadays, I tend to take notes on a post-it, which I can stick to the page in question, but can remove if I'm passing the book on to a new owner.

In vague relation to the, "Do you turn the corner or use a bookmark?" discussion, I was wondering, does anyone here write in their books or underline or highlight passages? Or is that the ultimate defacement? Perhaps you just write your name inside the front cover? So, come on, do you do it? Or does the very thought horrify you?

Hello & B) aboard, Etheline! We have a growing number of "foreigners" on the forum these days - all very welcome - it gives the place a nice, eclectic feel! It's lovely to have you here - I hope you'll enjoy talking books with us.

Hello & B), Fiona. I've never read any Hemingway so far, but I've started reading the books listed in Peter Boxall's 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, so I'll have read 5 of his novels by the time I'm done...

I've started reading Jane Eyre, but I'm having a bit of difficulty - only because the print in my copy is rather small though! I'm not quite 100 pages in at this point, but I'm enjoying it so far. Jane seems to be a character with whom I can identify and sympathise without pitying...

I guess I do a lot of reading. Monday to Friday I read during my 20 minutes coffee break and my lunch hour. I also read for about an hour in the bath every night and sometimes for about another hour in the evenings, depending on how busy I am. I read less on the weekends, but always have my bath-reading time, no matter what... I also listen to an audio book on my iPod whenever I'm walking about outside, so I get about 30 mins each way walking to and from work through the week, and also about the same amount walking in and out of town on weekends if I go. And if I'm going round the shops myself, I continue listening.

Wow, Fireball - thanks for that! Both books are ones I planned to read anyway, but now I'm positively gagging to get to them! As soon as my book embargo is lifted slightly I'm getting hold of both of these and reading them asap!

Exactly one month ago I had 62 books and 6 audio books, although I was anticipating some new ones arriving. Dale still hasn't bought me my Easter book yet - I flagged that problem up with him yesterday and he promises a book will be forthcoming shortly! Anyway, since then I've read 10 and am moving onto my 11th, and also listened to 3 audio books and have started by 4th. Mount TBR now numbers 72 and I have 9 audio books waiting (not including the one I'm currently listening to). How on earth did I manage to gain more than I read? I don't remember getting hold of all those books! I know a couple of the ones I read were borrowed, but that's beside the point - argh! I really mustn't let Dale see this or he'll get more strict about the book embargo

I always have a book and an audio book on the go, so I guess that's two at a time, sort of. I used to read multiple books at a time, but mostly I only read one "physical" book and listen to one audio book at a time, so I don't get all mixed up, and I tend to make sure they're very different from one another. For example, at the moment, I'm reading No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong (a contemporary paranormal novel) and am listening to Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland (a classic erotic novel). There's no way I'd get those two mixed up!

I'm afraid not. I read ... Kevin and hated it, so it put me right off reading anything else by her. I know there are quite a few folks here who really enjoyed it though.

I hope you'll enjoy this one - I loved it!

It really depends which of Koontz's books you read - if you try something like Lightning, that's completely unlike anything else I've ever read by him and remains my favourite of his, as well as ranking pretty high on my list orf favourite books - very clever and very well thought out.