Kell

Finished Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne by Cody Young on the Kindle - a nice combination of paranormal romance, historical mystery and time travel - bizarrely it works rather well!

One of my friends had a baby girl the other day, so I immediately had to start stitching a birth sampler for her. Of course, I couldn't just stitch for the new baby - her older brother will also be included to the left. The "girl" side reads "Sugar and spice and all things nice", and so the boy side isn't that horrid "slugs and snails and puppydog tails" I've changed it to "Ships and sails and exciting tales." Here's how it's looking so far...

The first monthly update of my X-Stitching Xmas 2012 Challenge is now posted HERE.

@ Ben - only seen one??? *shakes head in dispair* Everyone should be made to watch all these films around their 18th birthday when they'll be able to start appreciating them. @ Hayley - get watching! There are some cracking films on that list. I'm already making additional lists in my head to add to this one. Can you tell I love movies? I now insist that anybody who hasn't seen at least five of the films from this list does not speak to me until they have!

Films you must, must, MUST see (if you haven't already) include (but are not limited to): The Godfather Trilogy 300 LA Confidential Memento Amadeus Goodfellas Casino Fargo The Big Lebowski One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Bladerunner (Director's cut) Dangerous Liaisons His Girl Friday Dog Day Afternoon Withnail and I Rebel Without A Cause American Graffiti The Usual Suspects The Rocky Horror Picture Show The Back to the Future trilogy Vertigo Badlands This Is Spinal Tap The Life of Brian Monty Python and the Holy Grail Bunraku The Graduate Nosferatu To Kill A Mockingbird Philadelphia There you go - 30 movies from many different genres (well, 34 if you separate the trilogies I inluded). I adore them all and would heartily recommend all of them to anyone who enjoys movies. Some of them are criticall acclaimed, others are just favourites of mine that I love to share, and the rest are those that fall in between. I could list hundreds, but I hit 30 and thought I'd let you catch you breath.

Am practically dying for Sunday night to come round as I'm so desperate to see the next episode of this! Am also chuffed to ribbons that Benedict Cumberbatch will be ni the next Star Trek film. *squeeeeeeeeeeeee!*

We've been introducing Xan to Harry Potter. He's now seen films 1 - 4, but I thin kafter that they get a bit dark for him, so he'll have to wait a while for the rest of them. His favourite sems to be #3 (The Prisoner of Azkaban), and the only thing so far he's been remotely upset about was in #4 (The Goblet of Fire), not when Diggory died, but when Diggory's Dad was crying because Diggory had died. Xan got onto my knee and said, "That's very sad, Mummy. I feel a bit sad now. I want a hug, please." It was very sweet and he soon cheered up again when I gave him a lollypop and when he watched it again ,he didn't get upset at all. He just told me (as we've told him), "It's not really real, though, Mummy. It's just a story like in my books. You've got this story on your bookshelf!" He's a smart little cookie, you know!

Finished The Lady and the Locksmith by Cody Young on the Kindle today, and started Johnny Doesn't Drink Champagne, also on the Kindle and also by the same author.

The difference with my blog is that I don't post very personal things on it - it's all very general and there's nothing realy intimate on it. Really, readers of my blog only see a very surface gloss of me and some of my interests - nothing deep or particularly revealing. I never post anything online that I wouldn't want others to see, unlike a diary (which I no longer keep) which would be filled with very personal things.

Friday Finds What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS! By following links to blogs taking part in various memes, I’ve heard about so many great books it would be impossible to list them all. I’m also a regular visitor to our local library and am always eagerly awaiting newly published books by my favourite authors. However, here are the ones that really stood out for me this week and for which I’ll be looking out on future book acquisition expeditions: Daphne Kaoltay – Russian Winter Alethea Kontis – Enchanted They’ve both gone onto my wish list!

It's very good. Possible Oscar nomination for bst screen adaptation and best director in there...

I actually no longer have my old diaries. When I moved in with my hubby I got shot of them as I knew I wouldn't want him stumbling onto them by accident! He already knew all about me anway, it just would have been embarrassing for me to have him read the actual words I'd written. I can't imagine anyone wanting to read their diaries aloud in a group like that unless it were a therapy situation. I think it smacks of attention seeking, to be brutally honest, kind of a "Look at me. Poor little me. You should all listen and be nice to me because I have such drama in my life!" If you really want to talk about that kind of thing, go to your partner, or a close family member or friend, not your book group. I suppose this all stems from my utter hatred of reality TV and this seems like the "real life/no cameras" version of that. No thanks. And if it started happening at a book group I was attending, I'm afraid I'd leave.

I'm only a little way into The Sisters Brothers, but I'm enjoying it so far.

Cool! I'm busy reading The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt at the moment and enjoying it, so I'll be on the lokoout for more from this genre.

Well, one tries - LOL! And the MIBIII trailer looks great - Josh Brolin is an excellent match for the young Tommy Lee Jones - really spot on!

Booking Through Thursday Interview Part 1 If you could sit down and interview anyone, who would it be? And, what would you ask them? As this is a book meme, I’m assuming that the question refers to authors, in which case, I’d like to interview Jane Austen. I’d start with the following few questions: What’s it like being a renowned female author in a world predominantly filled with male authors? How much of your writing is based on personal experience, how much on observation of others, and how much is pure fantasy? Which of your own published novels is your favourite and why? Which of your heroines do you feel is most like you and why? Which of your heroes is the one you feel would be the best match for yourself and why?

The Iron Lady Coriolanus The Woman in Black Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters The Raven Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White The Hunger Games The Avengers Dark Shadows Men in Black III Snow White and the Huntsman Prometheus Jack the Giant Killer Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Brave The Amazing Spider-Man The Dark Knight Rises Hotel Transylvania Dredd Rise of the Guardians Les Miserables The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Great Gatsby The ones marked in red are the ones I'm most excited about.

Philippa Gregory - The Kingmaker's Daughter (Women of the Cousins' War) Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - The Long Earth Stuart MacBride - Birthdays for the Dead Christopher Brookmyre - When the Devil Drives Kelley Armstrong - Thirteen (Women of the Otherworld) Gina Damico – Croak Amanda Grange - Dear Mr. Darcy Daniel O’Malley – The Rook Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Every Other Day

Finished a couple of e-books on my Kidle today - Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling (3/5) and X Y Z A Detective Story by Anna Katharine Green (2/5).

WWW Wednesday WWW Wednesdays are hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading.To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions… * 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 one’s non-fiction, which I don’t usually read, but I adored the Cousins’ War trilogy and found the women featured in them to be very interesting and wanted to find out more. As I also love Philippa Gregory’s writing, the publication of this book seemed the perfect opportunity for me to delve a little deeper. Patrick deWitt – The Sisters Brothers I don’t usually read westerns, so this one is something completely different for me and so far (only a couple of chapters in) it’s pretty good. I already like Eli Sisters and am wary of his brother. I think I may well become something of a convert to the western genre if I enjoy this one. I’ve been thinking of trying Lonesome Dove too… Joss Stirling – Stealing Phoenix I’ve seen this one all over the blogosphere and it always seems to have positive reviews, so it was a no brainer including it on my reading list as a cross over for two challenges. I’m a few chapters in and already engrossed. What did you recently finish reading? (all finished in December 2011) Bettie Sharpe – Ember (Kindle e-book) - 5/5 A different view of the Cinderella story which turns what we think we know upside down. I have to say it is utterly brilliant! I’ve always loved reworked fairytales, but this one really is excellent. The subversion of the characters we all know and love works so well here that Sharpe has instantly become a new favourite author of mine! Ember is an innovative and inventive piece of fairytale fantasy that is anything but fluffy. There are some sex scenes and some naughty language, sl this one is strictly for the adults. It’s under a quid, so if you have a Kindle, download it NOW! If you don’t have a kindle, you can also read it free on the author’s website. Cody Young – Scandal at the Farmhouse (Kindle e-book) - 4/5 Young is another author who is fast becoming a favourite of mine. I reviewed another of her novels (American Smile) a few months ago and am pleased to say that this historical romance lives up to the style that worked so well in her period-hopping modern novel. The writing is lively, the characters bursting with energy and the passion smoulders so much I’m surprised my Kindle didn’t burst into flames! Brian McGilloway – The Stolen Child (Kindle e-book) - 2/5 This was another short read but was rather disappointing. In fact, it was so uninspiring, I can’t even remember any of the character names and there were precious few of them. The idea is solid enough, but the execution is poor. If you have an hour or so to kill and have it on your Kindle, by all mean try it, but don’t go out of your way for it. Amanda Hocking – Hollowland (Hollows 1) (Kindle e-book) - 3/5 I’d seen this one recommended all over the blogosphere and couldn’t resist downloading it to my Kindle, especially as it’s currently FREE! Well, how could I turn down a bargain like that? It certainly lived up to the glowing reviews. I don’t usually like zombie stories so much, but this one is engrossing and gives a plausible explanation for the shambling undead. It also helps that I like the characters a great deal and desperately wanted them to succeed! It’s also left tantalisingly open for a sequel… Amanda Grange – Darcy’s Diary (Kindle e-book) - 4/5 One always worries, when reading a spin-off from a well-loved classic, that the characters will not be done justice and one cannot fail but to be severely disappointed. Sometimes, however, one finds those fears are completely unfounded when a gem such as this is presented. It is nothing more than the retelling of Pride and Prejudice, told from Mr Darcy’s point of view in diary form, but it is an exercise in exquisite execution. Darcy’s pride and offhand manner are captured perfectly and it’s refreshing to see the motivation behind many of his actions, as well as those moments we didn’t see in Pride and Prejudice, when Darcy was elsewhere. Highly recommended. What do you think you’ll read next? Anna Katharine Green - X Y Z A Detective Story (Kindle e-book) I seem to read faster on the Kindle, so chances are I’ll be on another e-book before I finish another physical book. This one is covered by more than one of my reading challenges. Jonathan Pinnock – Mrs Darcy Versus the Aliens Bought with some of my Xmas money. This one is covered by several of my challenges and just looks awesome.

I think I remember it was mentioned that it was a drone plane - an unmanned flight. Drone technology is already in use and has been for years, particularly in war zones and areas of unrest.

This might explain things a bit:

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: 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-well 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. What I think of it so far: I’m only a couple of chapters in, but I’m enjoying it so far. I’m completely new to the western genre (the closest I’ve come to reading any westerns is The Little House books by Laura Ingles Wilder when I was a kid). I’m not sure why I’ve always avoided this genre, but I have – there you go. Perhaps this novel will completely turn me around and I’ll find myself grabbing all the westerns I can find. I’ve already been considering reading Lonesome Dove… Top Ten Tuesday Top Ten books I'm excited to read in 2012: Snuff by Terry Pratchett This is the 39th book in the Discworld series and I’ve not had the chance to read it yet. I’m especially excited because it’s a Vimes book and I love him best of all! Heat Rises by Richard Castle The third Nikki Heat novel. Yes, I know Richard Castle himself is actually a fictional character from a TV show, but the books are pretty good and I can hardly wait to continue with the series. Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm by Brian M Bendis and Richard Castle A graphic novel of one of the fictional crime fiction novels by the fictional crime fiction novelist. I know, it sounds complicated, but I think this will be excellent! Birthdays for the Dead by Stuart MacBride A stand alone novel from the Scottish King of Gritty Crime Thrillers? Yes, please! I adore MacBride’s work (and can vouch for him being a very nice guy too), so I’m dying to get my hands on this. Shatter the Bones by Stuart Macbride the seventh Logan McRae book. This series keeps getting better and better. Seriously, if you haven’t read anything by this author, start with Cold Granite and then grab the rest as quickly as possible to play catch up! The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory The next in the Cousins’ War series. There isn’t even a cover shown anywhere for this yet! This series is seriously good and I was afraid it was at an end after The Lady of the Rivers, but it seems I was joyfully wrong! Praetorian by Simon Scarrow Eleventh in the Romans series (which starts with Under the Eagle). Another series that starts high and continues to rise. If you like historical fiction, read these. If you’re into Roman historical fiction, you probably already have! Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong The aptly titled thirteenth book in the Women of the Otherworld series, which is probably my favourite paranormal/supernatural urban fantasy series ever. Where the Devil Drives by Christopher Brookmyre I adore Brookmyre’s wicked-dark sense of humour – it’s absolutely pitch-black. His writing and plotting are also so tight you could bounce a coin off them. This one appears to be a stand alone novel and I know very little about it. I only know I’m desperate to read it! Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake Are you kidding? From the moment I first saw this raved about on a blog (and then on about a dozen other blogs too) this book got me excited. I am determined I’ll read it this year!

@ Inver - Well, I do try - LOL! @ Chaliepud - I came across a mention of Sky (she's in the first bok, isn't she?) tonight, but so far not reading the previous book isn't hampering my enjoyment of it. It's a very nice idea and so far it's very nicely handled. I ven smiled at a brief reference to Newcastle and Aberdeen.

Xan watched the Harry Potter film for the first time today and loved it. He even discussed it with Dale afterwards and again in his bed - LOL! He's becoming quite the little film buff, my lad.