Kell

I don't think it's possible. As you're able t ochange the size of font, that would then alter the "page number" but doesn't affect the percentage. Incidentally, if anyone is intrested in finding FREE e-books, I've started a thread for people to recommend the freebies they've read. Kindle Klub.

I was sure we had one of these threads already, but I can't for the life of me find it. If we do find it, we'll merge the two. In the meantime, here's a pic of me taken last month. Forgive the terrible quality, but I took it myself with my phone. Xander insisted coz I was taking pics of him - LOL!

Classics Challenge January Prompt About the Author – Anne Brontë I’m currently reading Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë and am about half way through. Anne Brontë was born in January 1820, and was the youngest of the famous writing Brontë sisters. She spent her youth living in Haworth on the Yorkshire Moors, and at the age of nineteen became a governess and remained so for six years. Her first novel, Agnes Grey (1847), was based on her experiences as a governess. Her other novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was published a year later. Although she collaborated on a volume of poetry with her sisters, she never wrote any other novels, and her life was tragically cut short when she died, aged 29, of pulmonary tuberculosis. Interesting facts: Anne and her sisters considered the possibility of setting-up their own school, but the idea never came to fruition. All three sisters wrote under pseudonyms – Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. Currer was Charlotte, Ellis was Emily and Acton was Anne. Anne’s writing style differs from that of her sisters in that she’s far more realistic in her approach, and less romantic. She comes across as very matter-of-fact and I think I actually prefer this. Although I loved Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights by her sisters, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is my favourite of the Brontë novels I have read so far, and I am enjoying Agnes Grey very much. The opening phrases of Agnes Grey seem to me to be very typical of Anne and are indicative of her down-to-earth style. (See my Teaser Tuesday post HERE). Anne based Agnes Grey on her own experiences as a governess. Although names and events are obviously different and the novel is a work of fiction, it is easy to see that Anne felt quite passionately about her role in forming the minds and opinions of children and was very firm in her beliefs and morals, as well as how that should affect her teaching of those under her charge. Until more recently, Anne seems to have been viewed as the lesser of the sisters in terms of writing, but her novels, although less romantic, are no less passionate and her writing has stood the test of time, meaning she is now seen as a novelist of merit on her own terms, which is only right, as her writing is beautiful, poignant and ambitious.

WWW Wednesday What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next? What are you currently reading? Philippa Gregory – The Women of the Cousins’ War This non-fiction study of the three women portrayed in the Cousins’ War series is absolutely fascinating! I was aware that women have been marginalised throughout history, but I never stopped to think how those who did make it to the pages of the history books might have been so horrendously misrepresented. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, especially of the period of unrest known as the War of the Roses, irrespective of whether you are a fan of Gregory’s novels, I think you’ll find this interesting. Patrick deWitt – The Sisters Brothers I’m still not very far into this one, but I’m enjoying it rather a lot. Charlie and Eli are a bag of contradictions, both simple and complex at the same time, and Eli in particular has my interest firmly grabbed. Anne Brontë – Agnes Grey (e-book) I’m about a third of the way through and although I can’t say an awful lot has happened, it is certainly holding my interest. Agnes is rather a lovely character and I can’t help thinking I should have liked to be friends with Anne Brontë if Agnes is anywhere close to being true to her own character. What did you recently finish reading? Joss Stirling – Stealing Phoenix (e-book) - 3/5 I picked this one up from Amazon Kindle free of charge and was pleased to find it was rather good. Having seen fellow bloggers raving about it, I tried not to get too hyped up, but I did enjoy it. The characters of Phoenix and Yves are easy to identify with, and the not-so-nice characters, although not really fleshed out as much as I would like (and with really dumb names – honestly, Dragon and Unicorn? Really?), they were suitably villainous and offered a pretty decent threat. I’m not sure I enjoyed it enough to warrant going back and reading Finding Sky, but it was certainly an enjoyable enough way to pass a few hours. Anna Katharine Green – X Y Z A Detective Story (e-book) - 2/5 I downloaded this free from Amazon as it fit the A-Z challenge nicely for that ever-so-tricky “X” entry. I read a lot of crime fiction, both modern and classic, so I suppose that directly affected my enjoyment of this. It was plodding and predictable, and had it been any longer, I may well have not bothered finishing it. The idea is sound enough, but the execution is pedestrian and nothing special. As it is such a short story, the characters were not fleshed out much at all, leaving them barely two-dimensional, and the plot was thin at best. Rather disappointing, but at least it served its purpose and completed that hard-to-fill spot on my challenge. Cody Young – The Lady and the Locksmith (e-book) - 3/5 Cody Young has a lightness of touch which makes for very easy reading. Her characters are all very human (even if they are romanticised), the plotting is perfectly paced and the settings sumptuous. This romance is all the sweeter for its short length, as all the passion of the gentle yet swift love affair is swept along at a breathtaking pace, taking the reader along for the ride. I’m not usually a fan of romances, but I do make an exception for this author, as I love her style so much. Cody Young – Johnny Doesn’t Drink Champagne (e-book) - 3/5 This has the singular distinction of being the only cross-genre novel I’ve come across which features vampires and time travel. Under normal circumstances, a vampire novel wouldn’t warrant a time travel element because vampires live, like, forever, but in this instance having that time slip makes it that little bit different and it really works. Once again, we have Cody Young’s light touch and expert story telling, this time weaving the threads of historical and modern romance together, whilst tackling a 500 year old mystery that still confounds historians to this day, giving a plausible answer to one of the questions left unanswered since the War of the Roses. This has a universal appeal – really, anyone who likes anything to do with vampires, historical fiction and a little romance would do well to try this. John H Carroll – The Emo Bunny That Should: A Story For Demented Children (e-book) - 3/5 A fun little tale of a depressed rabbit that inadvertently saves the day. It’s very short and should appeal to those who have a slightly dark or demented sense of humour. Which I do. Obviously. What do you think you’ll read next? Marissa Meyer – Cinder Bought with my Xmas money after spotting it on several blogs with very favourable reviews. Dying to read it!

Merged threads.

It also occured to me that every time we see Dobby using magic, there is a blue flash of light. There is no such flash when he produces those letters...

Just downloaded another load of free e-books to my Kindle from Amazon UK: The Lost Art of World Domination by Derek Landy Booksurfers: Treasure Island by David Gatward Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Little Men by Louisa May Alcott Design on a Crime by Ginny Aiken Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain Tom Sawyer Detective by Mark Twain A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain White Fang by Jack London Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett A Lady of Quality by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Vampyre; a Tale by John William Polidori The Man Who Knew Too Much by G K Chesterton Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings by Charles Dickens The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights by Sir James Knowles The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss I am LOVING all these freebies!

Just downloaded another load of free e-books to my Kindle from Amazon UK: The Lost Art of World Domination by Derek Landy Booksurfers: Treasure Island by David Gatward Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Little Men by Louisa May Alcott Design on a Crime by Ginny Aiken Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain Tom Sawyer Detective by Mark Twain A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain White Fang by Jack London Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett A Lady of Quality by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Vampyre; a Tale by John William Polidori The Man Who Knew Too Much by G K Chesterton Mrs. Lirriper's Lodgings by Charles Dickens The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights by Sir James Knowles The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss I am LOVING all these freebies!

The Middle Passage by Julia Golding - 3/5 Amazon UK A novella in the Cat Royal series of books (takes place between the last two). Great for fans of young adult historical adventures. The Stolen Child by Brian McGilloway - 2/5 Amazon UK Quick Read crime/mystery Fans of contemporary crime may enjoy it, but there's no real development of characters or plot. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking - 3/5 Amazon UK Zombie apocalypse with a feisty heroine. First in a series. Great for fans of young adult, zombies and post apocalyptic novels. Ember by Bettie Sharpe - 5/5 Amazon UK A fantasy twist on the Cinderella story. Great for fans of twisted fairytales, fantasy, magic and subversion. X Y Z A Detective Story by Anna Katharine Greene - 2/5 Amazon UK Classic detective mystery. Fans of classic mysteries such as Sherlock Holmes might enjoy this. The Lady and the Locksmith by Cody Young - 3/5 Amazon UK Victorian romance I don't even like romances and I enjoyed this one, so anyone who likes even a little bit of gentle romance in other genres might enjoy this one. The Emo Bunny That Should by John H Carroll - 3/5 Amazon UK Subversive children's story Great for fans of sweet little stories with a twist.

As quite a few of us got e-readers for Xmas (and some had them before that too!), I thought it might be nice to compile a list of FREE e-books that are available for download. Please limit it to FREE e-books that you have downloaded and have read. State where you got them (e.g. Amazon UK/Amazon US) Provide a link to the free e-book Leave a little note of what you thought of it and who you think might like it DO NOT LEAVE GENERAL COMMENTS (eg "Oh, I've read that one / I fancy that one / thanks for the suggestion). I hope this will become a great resource for us all. Thank you!

Teaser Tuesday 1. Grab your current read 2. Open to a random page 3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! My teaser:

Also, right at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry says to Hedwig: Sorry, but how does it take magic to use the key that is in the padlock and turn it? Letting Hedwig out of her cage isn't magic...

The full length version of The Stand is one of my all-time favourite books.

I would pop it in contemporary. I class anything written pre-WWI as classic and anything after that as contemporary. Some might be modern classics; those in both sections may well have different genres (Dracula would be a classic, but is also a horror for example). I figured it was a way to make sure I actually read some classics. If I left all the books together or divided into genres, I'd be tempted ot stick with the same stuff all the time. This way I can make a conscious decision to pick up a classic. I may even alternate a contemporary with a classic each time. Obviously it depends on my mood, but we'll see how it goes. I read 30% of Agnes Grey tonight!

I've added your link to my original blog post now, Voddy.

They only use elements and the "spirit" of the originals. Eg IN The Hounds of Baskerville, obviously they kept the idea of a hound on the moors, they also kept the name Henry for the rich dude haunted by the hound. A large dog, a creature that glows in the dark and the name Stapleton were all from the book, although not exactly as portrayed in the book.

I started out with different sections but then almost immediately simplified it to the following sections: Reading now Classics to be read Contemporary to be read Finished And that's it.

I wonder, those who particularly loved this episode, is The Hound Of the Baskerville's your favourite (or one of your favourite) Holmes stories? For me, I was never as enamoured of that particular tale, and I wonder if I am predisposed to not enjoying it quite so much...

I'm just watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with Xander and am confused by something... Near the start of the film, Harry is in his room with Dobby. Dobby reveals that he has kept the letters that Harry's friends sent him in order to make him think his friends had forgotten him. Dobby then pulls out the letters... The thing is, Dobby is only wearing a pillowcase and it has no pockets. My question is this: Where on earth was Dobby keeping those letters? If anyone can answer this to my satisfaction, I'd be eternally grateful, because at present I'm forced to believe that, as he pulled them out from behind his back, he was somehow keeping them up his bum or something! Does anyone else have any confusing film moments they'd like to share and perhaps have explained?

I have to agree, Karsa from really early on I was practically screaming...

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? Philippa Gregory – The Women of the Cousins’ War (S/AZ/BL) I’m about half way through this non-fiction book at the moment and it’s absolutely fascinating. Patrick deWitt – The Sisters Brothers (G/AZ/BL) Half way through this one as well. I really like Eli Sisters and seeing things from his point of view makes him all the sweeter, despite him being a killer. Anne Brontë – Agnes Grey (G/BL/S/E/AZ/C) I thought it time to start on a classic. I’ve had this in hard copy for ages, but in a mass clearout, I’ve replaced it with a free e-book version so I can take it with me to work. Cover Crazy - The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt What I love: The red, black and white combination; the stylised figures holding guns; the face in the moon obscured by the figures; the clear font for the title and western style font for the author’s name. Synopsis: Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn’t share his brother’s appetite for whiskey and killing, he’s never known anything else. But their prey isn’t an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm’s gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living-and whom he does it for. With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters-losers, cheaters, and ne’er-do-wells from all stripes of life-and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love. Musing Monday Are there any “raved reads” –books that everyone seems to be talking about– that you’re hoping to get read this year, yourself? What books are they, and why are you hoping to read them? Is it because you want to say you’ve read it? Or, would you have chosen to read it, even if you’d discovered it yourself, and no one was raving about it? Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake I’ve seen this one all over the blogosphere and I’m quite seperate to read it. Everything about it appeals to me from the cover to the plot, and I believe that even if I were the first to spot it, I would have liked the look of it and wanted to read it.

I loved it, but not quite as much as last week's episode, although I suspect that's mostly coz I loved seeing Irene Adler ruffling Sherlock's feathers a little...

Far superior to the Hollywoo dversion.

As part of my mass clearout, I've been seeing which of the unread books I have are available as free downloads on the Kindle, and have just replaced many of the classics I have had sitting on the shelf for ages. Hopefuly this will help gear me towards reading them a bit sooner as I'm finding I read faster on the Kindle and therefore I'll hopefully be more inclined to try tackling these on it. It also frees up some extra shelf space...