Kell

I was going to guess at 70, but then I counted them up. I have 62 books and 8 audio books, so I was spot on! I also have two more books on the way at the moment, so it'll be 72 when they arrive... I think it's about the same amount as it was the last time - it seems I get more at the same rate as I get through them, and seeing as how I'm downloading audio books for free, there are always more audio books to get! Ooh, and Dale owes me a book for Easter, so that'll be 73...

If it ends up being the Reading Circle choice for May you'll have nothing to read!

I'm going to have to do the same - the forum won't let me put any more books in my "what I've read this year" post and it's only half-way through April! I shall have to have a rethink as to how I'm organising my thread... Margaret Atwood seems popular at the moment - she's on several people's lists right now I think - mine included...

My Mam used to bring home bags-full of children's books from the library when she was pregnant with me and read them all aloud so I'd get used to her voice rhythms as she read to me. It must have worked because I still adore books! She tried it again when she was preggers with my sis and encouraged me to "read to the baby" too (although I was only three at the time). I guess my childish tones put Leni off as she's not much of a reader at all - LOL!

Nah, I'll leave it for now and catch it next time round...

There are also fictional books mentioned within books during the course of the story. For example, throughout the Harry Potter series there are countless magic textbooks mentioned. There are so many mentioned that I'm not going to copy them all over to the thread, but you can see a full list HERE.

Stephen, if you could have written any book that's been published, which would it be and why?

I just slip it in without attaching it at all. That way whoever gets it can take it out of the book (after all, they might not have the book with them when they're near a computer, bu a slip of paper can be put in a pocket or wallet).

Well, I've read two of them.

There seem to be loads of books mentioned in novels and I was wondering how many people could recall from what they'd read. Obviously, in books l like The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler, Jane Austen's novels are continually referenced. However, Austen referenced other novels within her own too! In Northanger Abbey there is a list of Gothic novels that Catherine is entreated to read. They are now, apparently, collectively known as "The Northanger Horrid Novels" as they are all particularly gruesome (at least, they were considered so for the time): The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe The Italian by Anne Radcliffe Clermont by Regina Maria Roche Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons Mysterious Warnings by Eliza Parsons Necromancer of the Black Forest by Ludwig Flammenberg Midnight Bell by Francis Lathom Orphan of the Rhine by Eleanor Sleath Horrid Mysteries by Marquis de Grosse Possibly the most famous "book within a book" is The Princess Bride by William Goldman, which continually makes reference to an "original" version that Goldman is supposedly translating (the punchline being that it is, in fact, as original novel by Goldman himself). What others can you guys think of?

Hello & , Dave! What a tough question to start off with! This is going to take some serious thinking... it's so difficult to put them in any kind of order, so I'll have to make it a mix of old and new favourites: 1. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis (I love all the Chronicles of Narnia - with the exception of A Horse and His Boy - but this, the darkest of them, is my favourite) 2. The Stand by Stephen King (This post-apocalyptic epic is King's most completely realised and well-written to date) 3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (This witty, swash-buckling romantic fairytale fantasy has a little bit of everything - the humour is incredibly clever) 4. The Wind ni the Willows by Kenneth Graham (An absolute classics - need I say more?) 5. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (This more recent episode in the City Watch section of the Discworld series is superb) 6. The Eagle's Prey by Simon Scarrow (The fifth, and best to date, of the Eagles series) 7. The Prestige by Christopher Priestly (Mystery, intrigue and stage magic combined with tragic secrets) 8. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (Sublime writing - the taboo plot is superbly and tactfully handled) 9. Wolf Girl by Theresa Tomlinson (Skilfully written historical fiction aimed at the YA market and set in Northumbria) 10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon (Sympathetic and beautifully written book that crossed from the YA market to the grown up fiction shelves seamlessly) It was SO difficult to leave out all the others! Of course, ask me in a week's time and the list will have changed - LOL!

I loved it too!

Glad you enjoyed NA. Isn't it surprising how many classics aren't actually all that chunky? I always used to think of massive, hefty tomes when I thought of classic literature, but I'm reading Pride & Prejudice and it's less than 300 pages long, so nice and light to slip into my handbag. I'm also getting looks from people that look like they're saying, "smartypants!" at me with their eyes when they see I'm reading a classic, which I find rather funny!

Ooh, some interesting ones on your list (I have one matching and a couple of matching authors on top of that). I'll look forward to hearing what you think of them.

Well, Lowek, I can heartily recommend Different Seasons (4 novellas which include those that were made into the films The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me (written as The Body) and Apt Pupil) and The Stand (probably his most complete and wonderful book to date).

Nah, if I've missed the beginning, I'll be all grumpy all the way through. I'll see if there's a repeat on at the weekend... ... Yup, it's on again on Saturday night at 11pm - and I don't have to get up early on Sunday morning, so I can watch it at leisure. ETA: Scratch that - it's on again SUNDAY night, not Saturday (my listing on Radio Times is playing silly b*ggers & really p*ssing me off tonight), so I won't be bothering. I'll just wait till it's all been on and get it from "somewhere" and watch it al n one go instead. Harumph!

Arrrggghhh! I forgot Desperation was on tonight! I've not read the book, but I saw the trailer the other day and thought it looked pretty interesting...

I have this one on my TBR pile, so I'll be waiting to hear what you think of it...

Ooh, there are a few on there that I've read and a couple that are on my own TBR list. I'll be interested in hearing what you think of them.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I found Emma a very unlikeable character - I wanted to shake her and tell her to mind her own business! I also found it very dull - nothing ever seemed to happen and I didn't care about the characters (in fact, I found many of them particularly annoying!). It put me off Austen for quite a while till I got t Northanger Abeey!

I'll be interested in hearing what you thought of this one, as I read it last year. I went on to listen to the audio book of Northanger Abbey and that inspired me to pick up two more of her books to try...

Have you read the others in this series? I've never heard of them before now and am intrigued. What did you think of them?

Ooh, we've got a couple of matching titles in our lists - I'll look forward to talking about them with you! Glad you've joined the challenge.

I've just had a quick squiz on Amazon at their "similar items" bit (when you go into a book profile, you can click to see other, similar, items that people have bought after buying it) and the first ones up seem to be something called The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier. If you have a look HERE, you can click the "more results" button for more similar items - I hope there's something that will take your fancy.

Anything you want to use would be fine, so long as it has the web address on it - it's just great that you're popping something in with the books. I send a wee card with all the books I sell and often pop some into book covers in second hand shops when I'm browsing their books - just in case someone comes along and decides to give us a try.