Lilywhite

I don't know about everyone else, but when it comes to book discussion, I'm not the best. I end up using words like 'nice' and 'enjoyable' all the time but don't actually give my reasons for liking the book. So, I thought I would come up with a short template to use during the reading circle discussions that may help me extend my view a bit more and maybe give you all more of an idea what I actually think of a book. I thought I would share these with everyone so that if you're ever stuck for anything to add () they're always here for reference. Here are 5 basic questions that could be answered regarding the recent read: (Using the Spoiler Tags where necessary) 1- Who was your favourite character? 2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest? 3- Was this the first book you've read in this genre/ by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? 4- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? 5- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Feel free to use these in the upcoming discussions, and you can always add some of your own if you wish, these are pretty basic and are not specifically for any book.

My lips are sealed I may have to borrow these at some point though, I know I have read some DdM but I can't for the life of me remember the titles. It was a year ago though. And tomorrow I will be treating myself to the Collectors edition of Rebecca which I saw and fell in love with. A bit pricey at £18.99 but I will be shopping around a bit first.

And I don't want to know how many of them will be coming back to me when you've finished I have managed to get mine to 89 but it is payday tomorrow.......

OK, I've gone for the book at the bottom of my TBR pile and that is Vicky Halls ~ Cat Confidential How much do cat owners really know about their feline friends? Do our pampered pets really want all that food and affection or is that insistant miaow trying to communicate something more complex? Many cats and their owners co-exist in an atmosphere of polite misunderstanding, with each party blissfully unaware of the wishes of the other. The cat 'says' one thing and the owner hears another, but somehow it works. Until, that is, something goes wrong.... Renowned cat counsellor Vicky Halls has helped hundreds of owners and their problem cats. Why do they soil the house, behave aggresively or pull out their own fur? Cat Confidential answers these questions and many more and will enable all cat owners to reach a far better understanding with their feline companions. In her fascinating, funny, heart-warming and occasionally tear-jerking book, Vicky Halls has finally revealed the innermost secrets of the feline psyche.

Finally, I managed to finish The Tenderness of Wolves, iI didn't quite expect it to take this long but I haven't had much reading time lately with one thing or another. So, my thoughts on this one. Overall, a fantastic read. The story is slow but steady in it's development and the characters are all down to earth types that you can really get aong with. The story is set in a small village in Canada in 1800's (i think) and the story plods along with the general pace of a village in winter with not a lot to do. It doesn't particularly have many twists and turns but it still keeps you reading right up until the last just to make sure your suspicions were right. Don't be put off by it's size, it is a really good and easy to get along with read. Not sure what to read next, off to have a look.....

Natural Born Killers

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

I have to admit I don't really fancy any of the books put forward. I've picked them all up at one time or another in the last month as Waterstone's are really pushing them. Maybe, The Memory Keepers Daughter but only if I get it from the library or something. I did discover Jodi Picoult through R&J though and for that I am greatful as I would never have picked it up if they hadn't reviewed it.

I cry all the time, I'm a big softie Last few books that made me cry, Marley and Me, which I still haven't read the last chapter because I got so upset. The Five People You Meet In Heaven, that was crying in a happy but emotional way. I don 't go out of my way to avoid sad books, I think it's all part of the reading experience, although it does make you feel a bit of a numpty explaining it to others.

Agreeing with PDR here, two great books, both with differing views of the same period. I have read others, but memory is failing at the moment. I think there may be a Lesley Pearse one in there but I'm not sure...

Hello and welcome, glad you finally found us

maybe it couldn't cope with all our books.....

I managed to read Clive Barker ~ The Thief of Always this afternoon. This was a light read, and although aimed at a younger audience it was still quite a tale. If you haven't already, check this one out and join our reading circle discussion. 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 childhood whim may be satisfied... There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood's wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. It is only when the House shows its darker face - when Harvey discovers pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows - that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's philanthropy. The House and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle, however. Mr. Hood has ambitions for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any soul he has encountered in a thousand years...

I read this book today and quite enjoyed it. I really liked the underlying malevolence to it. Sometimes you just didn't know ow far he was going to take the descriptions. I have read some other Clive Barker, aimed at the older audience, and have always enjoyed his stories. This is just another classic tale written for all ages to enjoy.

I finally managed to finish this one, it's taken me ages. I was really enjoying the story until the last few chapters when it all came together, I just didn't like the conclusion. I thought the majority of the book was really well written, full of changing opions about characters but, to me, the end was a bit random. I will be moving on to Stef Penney ~ The Tenderness of Wolves 1867, Canada - As winter tightens its grip on the isolated settlement of Dove River, a man is brutally murdered and a 17-year old boy disappears. Tracks leaving the dead man's cabin head north towards the forest and the tundra beyond. In the wake of such violence, people are drawn to the township - journalists, Hudson's Bay Company men, trappers, traders - but do they want to solve the crime, or exploit it? One-by-one the assembled searchers set out from Dove River, pursuing the tracks across a desolate landscape home only to wild animals, madmen and fugitives, variously seeking a murderer, a son, two sisters missing for 17 years, a forgotten Native American culture, and a fortune in stolen furs before the snows settle and cover the tracks of the past for good. In an astonishingly assured debut, Stef Penney deftly weaves adventure, suspense, revelation and humour into a panoramic historical romance, an exhilarating thriller, a keen murder mystery and ultimately, with the sheer scope and quality of her storytelling, one of the books of the year.

I finished this one last night and thought (as usual) it was brilliant. Love the intro to Eve for the next book, I'm looking forward to it already. Picked up Sophie Hannah - Little Face in the library today, (not my fault, O's wanted to go in there) So I started this one at work as it was looking at me from my handbag. Alice's baby is two weeks old when she leaves the house without her for the first time. On her eager return, she finds the front door open, her husband asleep on their bed upstairs. She rushes into their baby's room and screams. 'This isn't our baby! Where's our baby?' Her increasingly hostile husband swears she must be either mad or lying, and the DNA test is going to take a week. One week later, before the test has been taken, Alice and the baby have disappeared. Run away, abducted, murdered? The police who dismissed her baby swap story must find out, and as they do they find dark incidents in David's past - like the murder of his ex-wife...

Ahem, don't you mean Gyre, Paula I didn't see MH at Pendle Hill but I did see the return night. Still quite spooky even if you discount Derek Akora

I've read a few refernce books on the Pendle Witches but never looked into it passed that. O's keeps saying he would love to go to Pendle Hill at halloween but I won't. It's just too scary. I may just take a look into those books as they are something I would like to read about and love fictionalised versions too. Thanks for that HCG.

it's one i'm definately looking out for in the future. I loved Kevin but wasn;t so interested in double fault. so i suppose this would be a make or break book for me.

I'm really looking forward to giving exit strategy a go too I liked Dime Store Magic the best so far but I still have a few to read so I'm reserving my decision until I'm better informed

Thanks to mum, I'm a big Martina Cole fan too, they are a great read.

I am hooked on this series, Ices. The first book was a bit hit and miss, I could have walked away and not picked up the others, but I'm so glad they did because the characters have developed so much since the start. Maybe I just didn't get along with Elena as a main character?? Unfortunately I've not been able to give this book as much time as I would like, as stupid work keeps getting in the way. I mean, how rude.

I finished this one and I did enjoy it. It took a while to get into the style of writing but overall it's quite easy to read. I loved the dark humour throughout. I'm now making a start on Industrial Magic ~ Kelley Armstrong After Paige Winterbourne is ousted as leader of the American Coven of Witches, all she wants to do is hide under her duvet for a few months. Let the supernatural world manage without her, see if she cares...But fate, of course, has other plans. A murderer is on the loose - someone with superhuman skills. When Paige learns that the killer is targeting children, she realises she has to get involved in the covert investigation. And so Paige - desperate to protect those she loves - is thrown into a world of arrogant Cabal leaders, drunken necromancers, sulky druid gods and pretentious leather-clad vampires. Luckily, she has a female werewolf and a certain renegade sorcerer on her side...

I have read 32 of them, which is double what I thought it would be. I do have plans to read a lot more of them.

I normally read one at a time but I do sometimes pick up another on a whim. I have been known to have three on the go but I try to stick to one.